The Convent is a leading publisher of church literature in Belarus, and all this work is concentrated in its publishing centre. Its publications of high quality have earned it a good reputation and a high level of respect. Many of its publications have been awarded prizes at prestigious national and international book shows.
The team of the publishing house see their work as a mission of service to God and the people; they take great care to follow the latest developments and trends in the publishing business by attending leading international book fairs and keeping a portfolio of their best products. In 2014, they published an edition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Grand Duchess Elisabeth. The book is titled “The Way of Love”, and includes photographs, correspondence and memoirs related to the holy royal martyr. The materials tell the life stories of the Grand Duchess, her family and close friends, and showcase the workings of the Convent of Saint Martha and Maria established by St. Elisabeth.
The album titled “Accepting thankfully all things that happen”, was released in 2015 on the 80th birthday of the Honourable Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Philaret. The album is a collection of lovingly selected photographs illustrating the life and works of Archbishop Philaret from 2005 to 2014.
Another notable entry in our portfolio is the Russian poetic diary named “Quiet Harbour”. The poetry and prose extracts in the collection are not ordered by theme or author, as is customary for most similar publications, but according to the time of writing. The book includes poetry, letters and diary entries by 65 Russian poets and writers revealing to the modern-day reader the transformation of an ordinary day into a day filled with God’s grace and plenitude, and how familiar feelings and emotions, described in kind and inspirational words become poetic masterpieces that provide solace and reassurance to readers for generations to come. The edition was produced in pocket-size format and is intended to serve as a trusted life companion to the modern reader.
The series “Advice from the Spiritual father” enjoys great popularity with the readers. It features selected homilies, sermons and answers to frequent questions by the spiritual father of the Convent and lay sisterhood of Saint Elisabeth Andrey Lemeshonok. In his writings, Father Andrey talks about salvation, humility, repentance and patience and shares his personal experience of overcoming errors and reliance on God’s help. The texts are written in a lucid and simple manner and are filled with love and compassion for each person. The publishers are hopeful that the writings of the spiritual father will reach the hearts of many people beyond the Convent and the sisterhood.
Another important priority for the centre is publishing projects for children. The colourful, richly illustrated books of poetry and prose by prominent Belarusian and international authors reach the hearts of the young readers and plant in them the seeds of genuine, living faith. In 2015, we published a colourful paschal work titled “Christ has risen from the dead” which we hope will be enjoyed by our young readers and their families. Filled with the joyful atmosphere of the spring, the book shares the brightest and most cheerful emotions related felt by classical and contemporary authors on the feast of the Pascha.
Our offering numbers hundreds of book titles, including the Holy Scripture, numerous liturgical books, lives of the saints, theological and philosophical writings, works by the Holy Fathers, books on the history of the Church, children’s books, fiction books and essays.
