First stone laid in foundation of an Orthodox church in Strasbourg

On September 30, 2014, the first stone was laid in the foundation of an Orthodox of All Saints in a solemn ceremony in Strasburg. The ceremony was led by Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for institutions abroad.

The event was attended by the Russian Orthodox clergy serving abroad, representatives of the Council of Europe, diplomats and religious and public leaders in Strasbourg and other cities in France and Germany. Among those who came for the ceremony was Russia’s ambassador to the Council of Europe A. Orlov. Present at the ceremony were also Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU A. Alekseyev and General Consul in Strasbourg A. Burdin. In total, over 300 people gathered together for the laying of the foundations of the first Orthodox church to be built in Strasbourg.

There are thousands of Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Moldavians and people of other nations living in Strasbourg under the pastoral care of the Russian Orthodox Church. The region is often visited by the Moscow Patriarchate faithful including tourists, pilgrims, diplomats, politicians, businessmen and students.

Since 2007 the community of the church has rented a former garage reequipped for divine services. This facility no longer meets the needs of the parish as the number of parishioners is growing every year.

The future Orthodox church will bear witness in the center of Western Europe to the ideals of Holy Rus’ and represent in Europe its social and cultural traditions. In addition to the church, there will be a parish house, which will become a Russian cultural center for holding various conferences and events aimed at promoting a better understanding and cooperation between nations in Europe.

Source: Moscow Patriarchate