Foundation Laid for a New Parish Center in Frankfurt

On Sunday, 2 June the foundation was laid for a new Russian Orthodox Parish Center at the church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker in Frankfurt-am-Main. Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart officiated at the ceremony. Present were representatives of the municipality and of society and a multitude of faithful.
The Parish Center will be built near the church of St. Nicholas in the Hausen district.

The parish rector, Protopriest Dimitri Ignatiev, feels that the need to begin building is long overdue.
Over the last ten years the number of parishioners has been rapidly growing: over 300 churchgoers attended the last Paschal liturgy, though the capacity of the church is only 200. Fr. Dimitri thinks that the Orthodox population of Frankfurt-am-Main is 3,000. The Orthodox Center will include a 100-person parish school, where children will study Russian, Russian culture and the fundamentals of Orthodoxy. Until recently, classes were held on Saturdays in one of the municipal schools. A youth group will also use the Center.

According to Fr. Dimitri, the financing for the construction will be solely through donations from parishioners.