The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

BUCHENDORF: June 13, 2017
The Council of Bishops Issues a Decree on the Orthodox School in Bethany

On June 12, 2017, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, convening at St Elizabeth Convent in Buchendorf, Germany, heard a report by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, on the state of affairs in the Holy Land. Among the matters discussed was the Orthodox Bethany School for Girls, which this year celebrates the 80th anniversary of its founding.

During that time, the school has overcome numerous hardships while succeeding in the following ways:

The continuation and development of Russian charitable and educational work in the Holy Land;
The strengthening of friendship between the Russian and Palestinian peoples;
The creation of a positive atmosphere among Palestinian Muslims and Russian and other Orthodox Christians;
Teaching Arab Orthodox children about their faith and exposing them to Russian culture;
Elevating the educational levels of Muslim Arab children, helping their future careers and family life, and hindering the possibility of their radicalization.

Orthodox Bethany School is a unique educational institution and has contributed a great deal towards the friendly relations among the peoples of the Holy Land. The Council of Bishops therefore calls upon all social structures in the diaspora (including the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the “FfA”) and in Russia, all people who value the importance of this region, to support Bethany School for Girls.

Also, in recognition of the ten years of service by Nun Martha (Wall), the Council of Bishops expresses its profound gratitude to her for her work to the benefit of the souls of Arab girls and teenagers, and prayerfully invokes Divine blessings upon her and her school.