St. Petersburg - Seattle Sister Churches Program
The Sister Churches Program was established in 1988 to join in the celebration of the Millennium of Christianity for Russian/Ukrainian peoples. It has served as a bridge in promoting understanding and mutual support between Christians in both cities.
Programs:
St. Petersburg Children’s Hospice
In 2003, St. Mark’s Cathedral and other churches helped Fr. Alexander Tkachenko launch the first children’s hospice in all of Russia. In August of that year Fr. Alexander and Dr. Alla Ryazankina came to Seattle to learn about how hospices are run in the US, and meet with several church groups in the Seattle area. In April 2004, a group of pilgrims from Seattle visited the hospice, where they met the staff, learned how the hospice is run, and heard the stories of some of the children. In September 2004, Fr. Alexander returned to Seattle to raise money for the hospice. He visited churches in the community and gave a slide show on the progress of the hospice. He returned to Russia with generous gifts from Seattle area churches. Click here for more information about the hospice program.
Parish Partners
Several Seattle-area churches have parish partners in St. Petersburg. For example, St. Mark’s Cathedral sends humanitarian aid to their Russian Orthodox parish partner, Holy Trinity Church of “Kulich and Paskha,” in the form of cash, vitamins, toothbrushes, and school supplies for children. We have also helped the church purchase a TV and VCR for the Sunday school, and a copy machine and computer for the office.
Pilgrimages
Since 1994 several groups of pilgrims and numerous individuals from Seattle have visited churches and church ministries in St. Petersburg, as well as other historical sites in Russia. They were warmly received as sisters and brothers in Christ. They deepened relationships and made new friends. Each pilgrim contributed to a gift fund, which was given to various churches and ministries that they visited. Another pilgrimage to Russia is planned during Eastertide, 2006.
