Schools are vehicles for passing on to future generations the moral values that have been nourished over centuries and are called upon to collaborate in this process. The role of education, especially of children and adolescents, extends far beyond conveying knowledge and information. To engender in the hearts and minds of young people the desire for Truth, genuine morality, and love of their neighbour, country and culture is a task no smaller, and perhaps even greater, than simply conveying a body of knowledge.
The lay sisters and clergy of St. Elisabeth Convent are active in many educational institutions throughout Minsk. They engage themselves in dialogue and exchange with the students, introducing them to the greatness of the Orthodox faith, giving answers to their questions, sharing their own spiritual experiences and inviting everyone to come to Church and take part in the Holy Sacraments.
Under the terms of the Framework Programme of Cooperation between the Ministry of Education of Belarus and the Belarusian Orthodox Church, we maintain a close collaborative relationship with the Ichthys School, a private institution of secondary education. Our aim is to help its students grow as loving, pure and generous people. We want every child to be genuine, pure in the spirit and opposed to injustice. We teach the value of camaraderie, compassion, kindness, love for the homeland and respect for others, hoping that they will adopt them as their reference points in building their lives and searching for truth, and bear good fruit in the years to come.
Responding to requests from parents, we organise meetings for the students with the clergy. The students participate in master-classes at the monastic studios and workshops and attend feasts and celebrations. The school hosts numerous charitable events and organises pilgrimage visits and tours to sites of Christian worship and various historical places.
The school’s patron saint is Saint Efrosinia of Polotsk. She is revered by both students and teachers and inspires the school to grow and develop further.
