ROAC Community in Bryansk Region Registered
On February 27, our parish of the Nativity of Theotokos in the village of Lazovichi, Surozh, Bryansk Region, received its official registration.
The parish rector - Fr. Victor Zemlyakov, says it was achieved through "unbelievable effort and financial burden." The parish had to spend 12,000 rubles (app. 350 USD) in order to receive the registration. Earlier, in November 2008, the documents that had been submitted by the parish were rejected. The community had to make changes and add some papers, and resubmitted the petition on February 5th, 2009.
The church is set up in what used to be the village warehouse. Regular services are carried out since 2004. On December 1st, 2006, they were visited by Metropolitan of Suzdal and Vladimir Valentine and Bishop Irinarkh of Tula and Bryansk.
Altogether, it took the community three years to finally get the registration, due to the bureaucracy.
Suzdal Diocesan Herald # 129