Diocesan conference of Moscow clergy is held in the Novodevichy Convent

Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna chaired the annual diocesan conference in the Novodevichy Convent of Our Lady of Smolensk on December 21, 2005.

Among the participants were: Archbishop Grigory of Mozhaisk, Bishop Tikhon of Vidnoe, Bishop Ilian, Archpriest Alexander Ganaba, secretary of Moscow diocesan administration, members of the Diocesan council, deans, rector of the Kolomna Theological Seminary Archpriest Nikolai Kachankin, chairmen of diocesan departments, secretaries of diocesan commissions, fathers and mothers superior of monasteries and convents, rectors of parishes, father confessors of the Diocese of Moscow.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly conveyed all the present a greeting address and blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. The ‘Memory Eternal’ was proclaimed to the clerics of Moscow Region who have reposed this year.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly delivered a report on the life of the Diocese in 2005 and the challenges that the clergymen of Moscow Region had to face.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly read out the statistics characterizing the situation in Moscow Diocese. There are 40 deaneries. The number of registered parishes amounts to 1037, including 22 that have been set up in 2005.

The number of clergy amounts to 1134 including 85 deacons. 38 priests and 39 deacons were consecrated for the last year.

There are 9 monasteries and 12 convents including the Convent of Our Lady of Kazan opened in the village of Kolychevo, Yegorievsk District, this year. The number of monks and nuns totals to 258 people.

The Diocese has 1332 churches including 294 attached to it. There are 124 newly built churches and 105 churches under construction. 118 churches are not yet transferred to the Church.