A church named after St. John of Kronstadt will be built in a St. Petersburg monastery he founded
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has blessed the foundation stone for a future church dedicated to St. John of Kronstadt. One of the most beloved and influential Orthodox priests, St. John of Kronstadt was known for his tireless pastoral and charitable work in the late 19th century.
The church will be located at the St. John Convent, a women’s monastery in the center of St. Petersburg that St. John of Kronstadt founded in the early 20th century, several years before his death. The saint was also buried there in accordance with his wishes.
The monastery was closed in 1923 by the Soviet authorities and was restored and reopened in 1989. It has had no churches dedicated to its founder, which officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990 as two of its churches were consecrated after the Bulgarian 10th century hermit, Saint John of Rila and the twelve Apostles, respectively.
The construction of the new church was sponsored by Russian billionaire property developer, God Nisanov, who is known for his charitable projects and philanthropy, including donations to children’s health care funds and co-sponsoring the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet soldiers who died fighting the Nazis in World War II.
The construction of the new church is expected to be completed in 2028.
St. John of Kronstadt served as a parish priest at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt, a naval port near St. Petersburg, for more than 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually attaining the rank of archpriest and becoming a member of the Most Holy Synod, the Russian Orthodox Church’s governing body at the time.
He became widely known for offering both spiritual guidance and practical assistance to hospitals and shelters, as well as to workers and prisoners. He founded numerous charitable institutions, including schools and orphanages, which provided food, medical assistance and care to those in need. The faithful also believed he was able to heal people with his prayers.
St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said that St. John of Kronstadt is also regarded as a patron saint of the city. The new church in his honor is a “major step” in strengthening Russia’s spiritual values and St. Petersburg’s historical memory, he added.
