Missionary cruise down the North Seaway

August, 28, – September ,16

On August, 28, 2011 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop Daniil of Archangelsk and Kholmogory, Bishop Tikhon of Yuzhno-Sakhlinsk and Kuril a new missionary campaign began with assistance of the FSS Boarder Service, the Geography Institute of Russian Academy of Science and the Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Charitable Foundation.

The reliquary with the relics of one of the most revered by the Christians saints –
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker set off for a cruise down the North seaway on
the board of the PS-824 ship.

The starting point for the boarder ship was Murmansk city, its route
went through Bering Strait and Kamchatka Peninsula to Sakhalin Island.

After calling at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky the missionary cruise
finished in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Mikhail Ivanovich Chepel, General Manager of the Foundation and Nikolay Igorevich
Goryachkin, Head of the Regional Programs Department were also aboard.

The relics of the Saint are reposed in the Basilica of the Italian city of Bari and only few believers can go that long to pray at the relicts. That is why this Arctic trip is that important: now the orthodox Christians of the most remote parts of this country and the boarder guards of the Arctic region have the opportunity to venerate St Nicholas’ relics.

Organizing missionary trips all over the country the Foundation makes its point not only to bring objects of worship to those who have been waiting for them but also to attract the new church members.