The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Romanovichi is a true spiritual pier and decoration of the Gomel district

In the heart of the village Romanovichi, wrapped in silence and warmed by prayer, stands the temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - a true spiritual pier and decoration of the Gomel district

Built on the site of an ancient church, it seems to connect generations, returning believers to their historical roots. Here, under the golden domes, great Orthodox shrines are carefully stored: particles of the relics of Saints Manefa of Gomel and John of Kormyansk, as well as oil consecrated on the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker. But the main treasure of the parish is its lively, friendly community under the leadership of Priest Nikolai Lobzha.

In the cozy church courtyard, work is already in full swing in the morning: to celebrate the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the already ideal order on the territory of the temple strives for the exemplary. Looking at the shining domes of the temple and the paths drowning in colors, you can not immediately say that this place was empty relatively recently. The first wooden church in Romanovichi by the efforts of local residents was built in 1880, in God-fighting times was converted into a club, and then burned down. Now on the former ashes stands the temple, consecrated in December 2011. Already before Christmas, the first services here were led by Father Nicholas, who began his conscious path to God as a child.

- I grew up in a simple family of moderate Soviet atheists, the abbot said with a smile. My dad was a tractor driver, my mom was an accountant. Icons stood at home, but no one prayed, did not go to services. But the older relatives kept their faith. One day my mother took me to my grandmother’s house, and she took me to the village church for service. I visited the temple for the first time and was even baptized at first with the wrong hand, but the atmosphere itself sank into the child’s soul. After some time I told my parents that I wanted to go to the temple and ask them to sing in the choir. It was an amazing event for those years. In the church I was given a text in Church Slavonic that I was not supposed to understand at all. I miraculously began to sing, understanding what was written from above.

Priest Nicholas Lobzha. The choice of the future path was predetermined. After graduating from the seminary in Smolensk, Father Nikolai moved to Belarus after relatives who had already settled in Dobrush. The development of the parish is not a matter of one year. The first and permanent rector of the temple shares the news:

- This church, like the old one, was not only built at the expense of patrons and villagers, but also renewed by the forces of caring people. This year, the bell tower was renovated, and the painting inside the temple was created by our parishioner. This establishes a special bond between the church and people who have invested a part of their work in a good cause. The doors of the church are open for everyone: there is a Sunday school and a library in the cozy walls, and during the festive liturgies the church is filled with a special, grace-filled light that unites fellow villagers into one large, strong spiritual family. The icons and part of the interior decoration were also saved by the villagers and preserved until the rebirth of the parish. Father Nikolai tells the story of one of the images:

- This icon has more than a hundred faces, and each of them was specially scratched. The image itself was found somewhere in the attic and handed over to us. One day, a female artist approached and offered to help restore her faces. The work is laborious and very time-consuming. We were already desperate, but in the end the restoration was successfully completed, and the icon returned to the walls of the temple in its entirety.

On the former ashes, flowers are now blooming and the germs of faith are rising upwards, which the villagers did not betray even in dashing years. Under the leadership of Father Nicholas, the community does not just pray, but actively lives outside the church walls, turning into a real center of mercy and enlightenment. The parishioners of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker regularly participate in charitable projects, collecting and transferring assistance to those in need: from children's social centers to low-income families. Uniting both adults and young Sunday school pupils around a common cause, Father Nicholas develops in the hearts of people love for their neighbor and an active faith that transforms the life of the whole district.

- Behind the church fence there is a monument to countrymen who died during the Great Patriotic War. It and the monument in the local cemetery were restored at the expense of the budget and donations of parishioners. How else? There are no small miracles. It is possible for everyone to make the world around them better, the rector of the temple clearly notes. The parish is already difficult to call young, but many are still looking for their way to the temple, and every year the ranks of parishioners are replenished. Growing cottage development in Romanovichi contributes to population growth and moving to this cozy corner of the area of young families with children.

- Of course, in the 1990s, people came to the church much more, but it was not always a sincere impulse, says Father Nikolai. After the collapse of the USSR for many to consecrate an apartment or a new car became fashionable. Now the plaid is leaving, and communities are strengthening not by the number, but by the quality of people.

What is the difference between a rural temple and a city temple? In the first, the father really knows all parishioners in the face, and sometimes in everyday problems, the villagers are immersed better than any family psychologist.

- Maybe that’s why the fashion for psychologists, as in the West, we still have not taken root, says Father Nikolai. A priest is also a spiritual teacher. Confession is more important than many rituals. This is the only way to cleanse the soul and remove the garbage from the heart. To some extent, the rector of the rural temple is the core of the parish and the village itself. They come to him in joy and in sorrow. But the spiritual father will not completely replace the family, which should be an example for children in matters of faith. We all remember baking with our grandmothers or dyeing eggs on Holy Easter. And those are always bright memories. With this begins for the child the acquaintance with the faith, with the Church, with Orthodox holidays.

The parish includes not only the Romanovichs themselves. For example, Elena Bychkova comes to services from the village of Krasny Lighthouse, where she moved with her family from Gomel. The parishioner is sure:

- The temple is vital in the city and in every village. In a frenzied working rhythm, it is especially important at least on the weekend to come here and cleanse your soul. My daughter now lives in Minsk, but she tries to get to church there in her free time. If from childhood he was brought up with love and faith, then adulthood does not hurt to find time for prayer.

Priest Nikolai Lobzha himself sees his mission, which he fulfills, leading the parish for the second decade:

- In our time, there are more temptations and trends that are harmful to the soul, seeking to lead people off the road to the church and God. Just as a lighthouse helps ships to stay on course even in a terrible storm, so the temple becomes a beacon of faith in a raging world, illuminating the right path. The abbot, like the caretaker of this lighthouse, must not let the spiritual landmark that our great-grandfathers built and preserved die out.

boyarchuk@sb.by