MINSK, 16 January (BelTA) – Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, has presented Christmas pedagogical awards of the Saints Methodius and Cyril Christian Educational Center to Belarusian education workers, BelTA informs.
The awards were bestowed upon Abbot Avksenty (Abrazhei), senior priest of the Yurovichi Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, head for education, catechesis, and missionary outreach in the Turov Diocese of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, and also Nina Zakhozhaya, head for advanced education of specialists of educational, social, pedagogical, and psychological services of the Minsk City Institute for the Development of Education, in recognition of their great contribution to Christian enlightenment, theological education, and devotion to the Church in the field of youth education.
Metropolitan Pavel awarded Irina Latushko, vice-rector for academic affairs at the Institute of Theology of the Belarusian State University, with an anniversary medal of the Russian Orthodox Church in accordance with the decree of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on marking the centenary of the restoration of the patriarchate in Russia.
According to the Metropolitan, the church has always attached particular importance to education. “God created mankind in his own image. The task of our teachers, especially theological schools, is to help young people find the image of God, which is within each of us. This is when relations between people will change fundamentally. This is when we will start displaying only good Christian qualities,” he noted.
Organized by the Saints Methodius and Cyril Institute of Theology and the Saints Methodius and Cyril Christian Educational Center, the Christmas evening took place in the Belarusian State Philharmonic. The event brought together heads of Belarusian ministries, departments, and universities, diplomatic corps, and representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The evening finished with a concert program “Musical Offering” prepared by the Belarusian Union of Musical Workers.
Photos by Gennady Zhinkov
