Русская Версия

April 1, 2010
A Statement from His Grace, Bishop George, in response to the terrorist attacks in Moscow

Reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters,

As you are all aware, on Monday morning, March 29, terrible terrorist attacks were carried out in the Moscow Metro, and many of our brothers and sisters perished. In these most holy days for every Orthodox Christian, we grieve together with our compatriots in the Patriarchal See of Moscow, and express our sincerest condolences to His Holiness, Patriarch Kyrill, and to all those who lost their loved ones and relatives in these terrible attacks.

The dark forces of the devil are behind these attacks, for he tries in every way to destroy peace and sow the seeds of fear in the hearts of the faithful. Let us not fall in spirit, but always remember the words of the Savior, “I am with you, and no one shall be against you.” I call upon all the faithful children of the Eastern American Diocese to amplify their prayers for the repose of the souls of those innocents who died, that our Lord Jesus Christ, who goes even now unto voluntary suffering, might give them rest in His eternal Kingdom, “where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, but everlasting life.”

Bishop George of Mayfield

On Wednesday, March 31, Archimandrite Ioann (Magramm) led a panihida in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York for all those killed in the attacks. Archim. Ioann then accompanied the General Consul of the Russian Federation in New York, Andrey Yushmanov, to lower Manhattan, to St. Paul’s Episcopal Chapel, located across the street from the former location of the skyscrapers of the World Trade Center. In the Chapel’s square is the Bell of Hope, which was rung 20 times in memory of the victims of the attacks in Moscow. This bell was given as a gift to New York from the mayor of London after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. As reported by the official website of Voice of America, after the attacks of September 11, this church, which was miraculously saved from destruction, became a spiritual and physical refuge for rescuers, who over the course of many days labored in the ruins of the World Trade Center. 

In many churches of the Eastern American Diocese, panihidas are being held for all those who perished in the explosions in the Moscow Metro. On Monday, March 29, upon completion of the matins service, a panihida was served in St. George’s Church at the Diocesan Center in Howell, NJ. In St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, a panihida was served on Great Wednesday after the evening divine service. During the service, the fallen were commemorated from lists published on Russian websites. The list of those who perished is available below:

1. Alexander
2. Alexander
3. Vsevolod
4. Victor
5. Alexander
6. Valentina
7. Valentina
8. Svetlana
9. Daria
10. Zuhumor
11. Julia
12. Dimitry
13. Irina
14. Anna
15. George
16. Vitaly
17. Alexander
18. Gennady
19. Yury
20. Vladimir
21. Victor
22. Valéry
23. Maxim
24. George
25. Umed
26. Boris
27. Alexander
28. Gregory
29. Dimitry
30. Julia
31. Tatiana
32. Frederbeck
33. Valentina
34. Elena
and others killed, their names, O Lord, Thou knowest.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese