Vocations to the priesthood being explored in St Andrew's Moscow

A remarkable feature of parish life in St Andrew's Moscow is the emergence of possible vocations to the priesthood. At present 2 young people, both Russians, are engaged in the discernment process under the direction of the Director of Ordinands of our diocese, the Revd William Gulliford.

Given that we have only two parishes in Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg) one would think it would be quite unusual for Russians themselves to have an experience of Anglicanism that was of such significance that  they wish to begin exploration to priesthood! So it is a tribute to the quality of the spiritual, liturgical and community life of this active, multicultural parish, that people are finding this to be a Church where deep questions of Christian discipleship and possible public ministry can be explored. It is also due, in no small measure, to the example of faithful parish priesthood seen in the ministry of the chaplain of St Andrew's, Canon Simon Stephens.

During my recent visit to St Andrew's, two of the postulants for Holy Orders, Olga and Ivan, took me for a walking tour of some of the more unusual Churches in central Moscow. They are pictured above outside the Church of the Bulgarian Metochion. A metochion in Orthodoxy, is rather like an "ecclesiastical embassy church". I suppose not unlike our own Church of England congregations on the Continent!