The organ of the catholic cathedral in Georgian. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - history and a short walk

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the largest Catholic church in Russia. It rises in Moscow, on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street and adorns it with its pointed neo-Gothic towers. The building was erected in 1911 by the Polish community in Moscow.

In prayer and good deeds

The Roman Catholic Cathedral has not held services since 1938. And only in 1999, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who arrived from the Vatican, consecrated it and gave his blessing. Now services are held in the cathedral according to the Roman Catholic rite, not only in Russian and Polish, but also in English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Korean and Latin. In addition, divine services and holy masses are held according to the Armenian rite.

A lot of attention is directed to charitable events, including music concerts to raise funds. On the territory of the cathedral there is a library, the editorial office of the church magazine, a church shop and offices of charitable organizations. The temple organizes youth meetings to attract the younger generation to the Roman Catholic Church. In the cathedral, those who wish are taught Gregorian chant and improvisational playing the organ.

Organ music

Not only Catholic believers visit the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Many people are attracted to classical organ music. The organ in this cathedral is the largest in Russia, it includes 5563 pipes. Just imagine this number. This is a huge musical organism, coming to life from contact with a person.

Handel, Mozart, other great composers and, of course, Bach, the unique master of organ music, play at the concerts. In addition to amazing sensations, there is surprise at the mastery of the composer. What kind of computer in his head should be in order to harmonize almost six thousand different voices into one amazing melody that speaks so clearly to the listeners? The sound fills the whole cathedral, carries up, fills the person. The elastic wave of sound becomes tangible, it can be felt by the skin. Incredible, amazing feeling.

Tears welled up in the eyes of many listeners. Others listen with their eyes closed, others hold their breath, afraid to move. After the last chord, there is complete silence for a while. People do not believe that the music has died down and will not resume. After all, the concert lasts more than an hour, and according to the perception of the listener, it seems that only a few minutes have passed ...

One can speak of organ concertos only in superlatives, they evoke sensations of unprecedented strength. This example clearly shows that the interpenetration of cultures and religions can enrich the worldview of all peoples without exception, make their spiritual life a little richer.

There are several Catholic churches in Moscow. The church on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street is perhaps the largest of them. The decision to build it was made in 1894. In those days, just a huge number of Catholics lived in Moscow. These were the French, Poles, etc. (30 thousand people). Two Catholic churches (St. Louis and St. and Paul), which already existed in the 19th century in the capital, were simply not enough. The parishioners themselves collected money for the new church - both Muscovites and residents of other regions of Russia. Donations also came from abroad. For example, 50 thousand rubles were sent from Warsaw.

Construction of the church

The construction of the Roman Catholic Cathedral began at the beginning of the 20th century. - in 1901. The project was developed by one of the most famous architects of the capital and the whole country - Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky. Foma Iosifovich was a parishioner of the church of St. Peter and Paul and taught painting, architecture and sculpture at the Moscow School. In order to build a new temple, believers had to apply for permission to Nicholas II and the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. 10 hectares of land were purchased for the cathedral. It took about three hundred thousand rubles in gold to build it.

Church after the revolution

The opening of the new church took place in December 1911. Masses were held in the temple both before the revolution and after it. In 1937, the church on Malaya Gruzinskaya was the first of all that operated in Moscow to be closed. After that, almost all church belongings disappeared without a trace. Even the organ and the altar were taken away. The most beautiful facade was disfigured. Various secular organizations began their work in the church. A huge number of partitions were erected inside the temple and redevelopment was made, as a result of which the interior has changed beyond recognition.

Church after the war

During World War II, a bomb hit the Roman Catholic Cathedral. However, there was no significant damage to the building. In the first days of the war, the turrets of the church were dismantled, as they could serve as a good guide for the German pilots. As a result, the building has completely lost its charm. After the war, the main spire of the church was also destroyed.

In 1976, they wanted to give the temple under the hall of organ music. However, these plans were not destined to come true. At that time, about 15 secular organizations operated within the walls of the church. Of course, no one wanted to move to a new place.

Until the 1990s, the church was also used as a warehouse. The need to return it to believers was discussed in 1989. On December 8, 1990, priest Tadeusz Pikus celebrated mass on the steps of the church. Despite the frost, a huge number of believers came to the church. All of them prayed for the return of the temple to them. The first official mass after 1937 was held in the cathedral on 06/07/1991.

Church on Malaya Gruzinskaya today

In 1992, Yu. M. Luzhkov signed a decision on the gradual transfer of the premises of the temple to Moscow Catholics. However, for a long time it was not possible to evict the Mosspetspromproject Scientific Research Institute occupying the temple. In 1995, believers independently dismantled the wall separating this secular institution from the parish and tried to free the premises from office furniture. However, the riot police who intervened ruined the plans of the Catholics. Believers were expelled from the church. Some of them even received injuries.

After this incident, Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz turned to Boris Yeltsin with a request to resolve the conflict between the parish and the research institute. As a result, Mosspetspromproekt was transferred to another building. By the end of 1995, the temple was completely handed over to believers. It was consecrated on 12/12/1999 by the legate of the Pope, Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. By the end of the century, the cathedral was completely restored. The money for the reconstruction, as in the construction of the temple, was collected by the parishioners. Andrzej Stetskevich supervised the work. As a result, the cathedral has become a real decoration even for such a rich city as Moscow. The church on Malaya Gruzinskaya today looks great, you can see this from the photos posted in the article.

In 2005 Basler Munster Cathedral (Basel, Sweden) donated an organ to the church. This instrument allows you to absolutely flawlessly perform musical compositions from various eras.

Today, as in the past, masses are held in the temple in Armenian, English, Polish, French and other languages. Priests crown newlyweds, baptize newborns, see off the dead on their last journey. As in all Catholic churches, the organ sounds in the church.

Temple interior

Entering the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya, the believer immediately sees a cross hanging on the wall, decorated with flowers. There are no icons in the church, as in all Catholic churches. But there is an altar, near which masses are held. The interior of the church is unusually beautiful. Stained-glass windows - colored panels assembled from pieces of glass - give it a special charm. Darkness, high vaults, flickering candles and organ music set the believers in the right mood.

architectural features

The building was built of red brick in neo-Gothic style. This architectural direction can be considered to some extent traditional for Catholic cathedrals. It originated in France and quickly spread throughout Europe. Its main distinguishing feature is monumentality and the aspiration of all elements upwards. Many Catholic cathedrals, including the church on Malaya Gruzinskaya, are decorated with a huge number of turrets with thin spiers. The main axis of the temple is located strictly on the North-South line. This is one of the differences between the church and the Orthodox church, in which the main entrance is usually located in the west.

The temple on Malaya Gruzinskaya is a basilica built in the shape of a Latin cross. The eastern façade of the church is very similar to the façade of the famous Westminster Cathedral in the UK. Exactly 11 steps lead to the main gate of the temple. This means the 10 commandments, plus the symbol of Christ himself. Only by following the orders of Jesus can one enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Churches are built by both Catholics and Orthodox. The difference between these two directions of Christianity, however, is quite significant. But first, let's talk about their similarities. Both of these churches are distinguished by the presence of a rigid hierarchical structure, their own laws, as well as religious and cultural traditions. Of course, the main object of worship here and there is Jesus Christ, as well as the one God the Father. Both Catholics and Orthodox especially revere the Virgin Mary and all the apostles. Both these directions have their great martyrs and saints.

What is the difference? The division of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy occurred a very long time ago - in the 11th century. In 1054, the Patriarch of Constantinople representatives of the Pope, who answered him the same. Since then, Catholics and Orthodox have not held services together. The unification of these two branches of Christianity is extremely problematic even today. Too much change in the original traditions has taken place over the centuries of the schism.

Catholicism is, first of all, an integral church. All its members and components are strictly subordinate to the Pope. does not differ in such monolithicity. In this regard, it is more democratic. There are Constantinople, Russian, Georgian, Serbian and other Orthodox churches. There are also differences in religious canons. For example, Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit can come from both the Father and the Son. Orthodox believe that only from the Father. Differences also exist in the attitude of churches towards their parishioners. In Catholicism, for example, divorce is strictly forbidden. The Orthodox Church sometimes allows them.

What other Catholic churches operate in Moscow at the moment

The church on Gruzinskaya is not the only Catholic church in the capital. There are others:

1. Church of St. Louis. This church was founded back in 1791. At the beginning of the 19th century (1827-1830), a new one in the style of a basilica was built on the site of the old building. The church was erected according to the project of architects D.I. and A.O. Gilardi. After 1917, this temple was not closed, and masses continued to be celebrated in it. In 1992, all the buildings belonging to the church before 1917, including the building of the lyceum, were returned to believers.
2. and Pavel. This is another church in Moscow, founded a long time ago - in 1817. The new building was built in 1903-1913. designed by architect V. F. Valkot. After the revolution, the temple was closed, and various secular organizations were located in it. Today this church is again handed over to believers.
3. Anglican Church of St. Andrew. This church was founded in 1814. The current building was erected in 1882-1884. The project of the temple was developed by the Englishman R. K. Freeman. In 1920 the church was closed. At present, it has been handed over to believers.

Churches of Moscow. Addresses

Catholic churches of the capital can be visited at the following addresses:

1. Roman Catholic Cathedral: st. Malaya Gruzinskaya, 27.
2. Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul: per. Milyutinsky, 19, apt. eighteen.
3. Church of St. Louis: M. Lubyanka, 12.

I have always been interested in the history of culture and religion of different nations. Especially if they are closely intertwined with our history and periodically influenced each other. In this regard, the history of the Catholic Church and everything connected with it is very interesting. I am especially impressed by their temples with their unique, majestic architecture. And the church rite is very interesting and fascinating. I knew that there were Catholic churches, and I decided to visit the main one - Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya. How this temple lives, where it is located and what it is, I want to tell you.

Where is the Roman Catholic Cathedral

• The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located at the address: Moscow, Malaya Gruzinskaya street, 27/13.
• Phone +74992523911.

How to get to the Roman Catholic Cathedral

1. To get to the cathedral without delay, you need to get to the metro station "Krasnopresnenskaya". Then walk along Krasnaya Presnya Street in a western direction towards Tretyakovskiy Val. After walking about 500 meters, turn right onto Malaya Gruzinskaya, and after 600 meters you will be at the goal.
2. You can also get there by ground transport. Bus number 116, following from the Belorussky railway station, is ideal. Get off at the bus stop "Klimashkin Street".
3. If you are a supporter of travel by private vehicle, you should turn from the Third Transport Ring to Zvenigorodskoye Highway. Then to the left to Krasnopresnensky Val, to Klimashkina street, and to the right, after 200 meters you are at the goal.

Working mode

The cathedral is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm. The temple is closed to the public from 12:45 to 15:30 on all days except Sunday.

Schedule of services in the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya

Divine services in the cathedral are held daily:

• From Monday to Friday: at 8, 9, 18, 19 (except Wednesday) Holy Mass;
• Saturday: at 8, 9, 17:30, 19 hours Holy Mass;
• Sunday Holy Mass at 8:30, 10, 10:30, 12:15, 13, 14:30, 15, 17:30, 20 hours, Holy Mass for children 11:45, Divine Liturgy according to the Armenian rite at 15: thirty.

Divine services in Russian are held from Monday to Saturday at 8:00, 9:00, on Wednesday at 18:00, from Monday to Thursday, as well as on Friday and Saturday at 19:00, on Sunday at 10:00, 17:30 and 20:00.

Photos of the cathedral

At night, under artificial lighting, the Gothic architecture of the Roman Catholic Cathedral looks especially majestic.


The interior of the cathedral is distinguished by the abundance of columns characteristic of Gothic buildings.


The central facade of the cathedral meets its visitors, as if soaring upwards.

Gate of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Gothic style of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Moscow.

Mosaic in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Icon on the wall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - video

We are watching a small video story about this cathedral. Happy viewing!

Its real name is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But it is precisely by the title of the article that this cathedral is most often searched for in search engines.
This church is the largest Catholic cathedral in Russia and one of two active Catholic cathedrals in Moscow. It is very impressive with its appearance, but most of the city's residents do not even know that there is something similar in Moscow. Personally, I learned about it a few years ago, and for the first time I saw it just the other day and this is for 30 years lived in my hometown.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1901 and ended in 1911. It was consecrated on December 21, 1911. The construction of the cathedral was due to the large number of Catholics in Moscow at the beginning of the 20th century, at that time their community was about 35 thousand people, and the other two existing cathedrals at that time could no longer serve so many parishioners.
After the parishioners had collected the necessary money, the construction project was agreed with the Moscow authorities and the construction of the largest branch of the Catholic Church in Russia began. But already in 1919 the branch became a full-fledged parish.


The cathedral did not serve the parishioners for long, already in 1938 it was closed and looted. And later, the Soviet authorities organized a hostel in it. But that wasn't the worst. During World War II, the cathedral was partially destroyed by bombing. Several towers were lost, as well as collapsed roofs. But even this is not the most deplorable thing that could happen to him. Later, in 1956, the Mosspetspromproekt Scientific Research Institute came to the cathedral. Apparently, such talented designers worked in this special project that they completely changed the entire internal appearance of the cathedral. Instead of one huge hall, 4 floors with flights of stairs were built, which completely destroyed the original interiors of the church. Surprisingly, this predatory organization sat there until 1996, and not only was no one following the building, but it was possible to expel the organization of the Research Institute Mosspetspromproekt only through scandalous lawsuits, and if it were not for the intervention of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, then it is known how much longer the litigation would have dragged on, and they have lasted since 1992.
This is what the Cathedral looked like in 1980, as you can see, there is not a single spire above the entrance:

from 1996 to 1999, global restoration work was carried out in the cathedral, and already on December 12 of the same year, the cathedral was re-consecrated by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
Cathedral during restoration:


In 2011, the centenary of the cathedral was celebrated.
At the moment, masses are held in the cathedral in many languages, most often in Russian, Polish and English. As well as performances and concerts of cultural figures. The schedule of concerts can be found on the official website of the cathedral http://www.catedra.ru

The architecture of the cathedral is a neo-gothic style with many decorative elements. I propose to look at the cathedral from different angles in the daytime and at night:
3) View of the cathedral from the north side during the day:


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7) View of the spiers of the main entrance, from the back:


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10) North side at night:


11) Main entrance to the Cathedral:


12) The entrance is so beautiful that I took several different photos:


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15) The dome, with a light drum, majestically rises above the entire building:


16) From the back, the cathedral has fewer windows and thus resembles an ancient knight's castle:


17) At night, the back is not lit at all:


18) But with a slow shutter speed, you can accumulate enough light to see huge walls and a cross made of bricks.


19) The cathedral has no less huge windows, or rather stained-glass windows. Entirely made of mosaic glass:

20) Stained Glass at Night:


21) and from the inside:

I liked the inside of the church as much as the outside. A different style is already felt here, with massive columns and very high ceilings. By the way, the only church where I was allowed to take pictures inside without any problems.
22) View immediately after entering:


The central part of the cathedral is visually divided into three zones, the so-called naves, separated by columns. In the central part there are benches, and on the sides there are passages leading to prayer areas and the altar.
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25) As I said above, all windows are made of mosaic glass:


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27) This photo captures the colors of the night light passing through the light drum of the dome.


28) The main cross with a sculpture of the crucified Jesus Christ:


The territory of the main Catholic cathedral is not big, but very well-groomed. During the day, children play here, and often leave toys and balls right there. And the next day they come and play with them again and no one touches these things. In the evening, young people and girls from Catholic communities come here and rehearse various performances and productions. The whole area is paved with paving stones and has several monuments:
29) monument "Good Shepherd":


30) Virgin Mary Monument:


31) And of course, the entire temple complex is taken under state protection. It is an extremely rare occurrence when an architectural monument is really protected by the state and is in excellent condition, although I am not sure that this is the merit of the state ...


32) The final, twilight photo of the south side of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

In the end, I want to say that I recommend everyone to visit this place. A wonderful, hospitable place in the center of Moscow for all citizens and religions.
The cathedral will also be of interest to all photographers-architects. In photographic terms, a very difficult building because of its geometry, where the laws of perspective do not play into the hands of the photographer, breaking and distorting the true geometry of the building. Photos are obtained either by barrels in the case of panoramas or a fish eye, or by rockets tapering to the top :) You have to spend a lot of time aligning geometry in editors, but you still can't get rid of all the distortions. Of course, you can move further away to slightly reduce the effect of the rocket, but you won’t go very far, the city is still. A Tilt-Shift lens would help a lot, it will probably be my next lens)

The idea of ​​the composer Alfred Schnittke that any of the Gothic cathedrals is a certain model of the world concerns both the Catholic and Protestant currents. Any of them must be understood as a big city. After all, the very construction of temples provided for the accommodation of the entire population of the city. In other words, every temple must be huge. This task was helped to solve an ingenious solution regarding the construction of vaults.

Art of the Catholic Cathedral

Each Catholic cathedral with its internal volume seemed much larger than from the outside. Another achievement in the construction of Gothic cathedrals is the unity in architecture, in the interior, in decor. But on the other hand, a Gothic cathedral always combines art of different types and times.

In the Gothic style itself, such art forms as sculpture, colored stained-glass windows, decorative design in the form of carvings in wood, stone, bone, and all this with musical accompaniment, developed unusually. The Catholic one is decorated with sculptural works and compositions from them, ornaments of various types, figures of real and fantastic animals. A special iconography of Christian saints always adorns the western portals of the cathedral. And the main entrance is decorated with sculptures of saints. There are up to eight dozen of them. Decoration of the interior space of the Catholic Cathedral - stained-glass windows. The light pouring from them with iridescent shades and a variety of colors creates a feeling of the endless reality of the sky. Sometimes the total area of ​​stained-glass windows of the temple reached two and a half thousand square meters. Separately, you should pay attention to the music in the cathedral. Initially, schools of music were formed in the cathedrals. And these schools have produced many famous organists. Their sounding works, combined with the light passing through the stained-glass windows, create a feeling of an unearthly reality, confirming that the cathedral is indeed a prototype of the whole world.

First of three temples

Catholic churches in Moscow coexist peacefully with Orthodox churches and churches of other faiths. The first of the existing three churches was the Church of Peter and Paul.

It was founded in the German Quarter by the decision of Tsar Peter I at the beginning of the eighteenth century. But his fate was not long-term. Built with the money of the Polish community in Milyutinsky Lane, it existed until the October Revolution. Then the church was closed and rebuilt. The removal of the dome, the installation of interfloor ceilings turned the temple building into an ordinary three-story house. Subsequently, various state institutions began to be placed there. In modern times, there is a research institute. It is difficult to recognize the once majestic church in this simple building. Only a plaque on the wall recalls that there was a Roman Catholic cathedral here.

Second cathedral of the city

The second Catholic Moscow Cathedral was the church of the settlers of Moscow - the French. Saint Louis. Built on Malaya Lubyanka at the end of the eighteenth century.

It has been rebuilt many times, but is still in use today. The current building was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, a French lyceum was opened under him. It should be noted that this Catholic cathedral was not closed in the seventeenth year, like most churches, and there was always a church service in it with short breaks. Already in the nineties of the last century, all the buildings that belonged to it before the revolution were transferred to the church.

Briefly about the most famous cathedral

There is no doubt that the most important among the Moscow cathedrals is the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Its construction went on from the end of the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century along Malaya Gruzinskaya Street in Moscow. The beauty and monumentality of the structure is amazing.

In the thirties of the twentieth century the church was closed. The premises of the church survived World War II without much damage. Therefore, subsequently the premises were used for warehouses. And in 1990 the church was handed over to the Catholics.

The need for discovery

In the middle of the nineteenth century, a petition came to the office of the Moscow province for another church for Catholics. The petition described a significant increase in Polish settlers in the city. Soon the community received permission, but subject to certain conditions. It was ordered to build a temple far from the central buildings of the city, as well as large Orthodox shrines. Above the temple there should not be tower buildings and various sculptures. Sculptor Bogdanovich developed and approved the project. The Catholic Cathedral could accommodate five thousand believers and had external sculptural decorations.

Building history

The main buildings were erected at the beginning of the twentieth century at the expense of the inhabitants of the Polish nationality of the city and all of Russia. It should be said that at that time there were already about thirty thousand Catholics in Moscow. The building itself cost the Poles up to two hundred and seventy thousand, and additional money was collected for the fence and decoration. The finishing went on for a long time.

At the very first persecution of the church, even before the war, it was closed and converted into a hostel. The war destroyed several temple towers. In the sixties of the twentieth century, a research institute was located in the temple. To do this, the internal volume of the room was radically changed. Four floors have been formed. The ninetieth year of the twentieth century returned the Catholic Cathedral in Moscow to the church. After six decades of interruption, the first service was served. Hundreds of believers listened to the service standing on the steps. Only by 1996, after long negotiations and the eviction of the research institute, the Catholic Cathedral was transferred to its intended purpose and consecrated. Malaya Gruzinskaya, a Catholic cathedral, became famous after the world Catholic prayer service through a teleconference and celebrations on the occasion of the centenary of the temple in 2011.

Description of the temple

Legend has it that the prototype of this cathedral was Westminster . The spire of the central tower glorifies the cross, and the spiers of the side towers are the coats of arms of the founders. At the entrance to the cathedral there is a sculpture depicting. In the central hall, benches are placed in two sectors with a passage between them. To the side are rooms for confession. Massive columns are organically arranged in the hall. The ceilings are made in the form of arches with diagonal symmetry, forming vaults in the form of a cross. Windows with sharp upper corners and stained-glass windows. Under the windows - wall bas-reliefs. At a certain height there are choirs, designed for fifty singers. The organ is also there. The entire building of the cathedral from a distance resembles the shape of a cross. The idea of ​​the architect to depict the church as the body of Christ is obvious. A similar layout exists in other churches, and it is called a cruciform. Dark green marble altar.

Massive bells are fixed on the left side of the temple. There are only five of them, from largest to smallest. The mass of the bells starts from nine hundred kilograms with a tendency to gradually reduce the weight of the next bell. The bells are powered by electronics.

Cathedral organ music

The third Catholic Cathedral in Moscow has an organ instrument, which has become the largest in the country. On it, works of different historical eras are performed without problems. It is composed of seventy-three registers, four manuals and five thousand five hundred and sixty-three pipes. The organ is a gift from Switzerland. It was created by craftsmen in 1955. It was transported to Moscow in parts and installed by masters of the German company "Kaufbeuren" free of charge. In 2005, the organ was consecrated.

Festivals and concerts

On Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, the Catholic Cathedral, as a unique architectural monument, is also a concert hall in Moscow. Its walls are filled with music from festivals and concerts. The acoustics of the building creates a special sound of sacred organ music. Here the heart of even the most callous person becomes softer.

Observing the ancient European cultural traditions, the Catholic Cathedral regularly gives concerts and welcomes everyone who wants to enjoy sublime music. Here, all the vaults of the cathedral are filled with the sound of compositions of various musical geniuses from all over the world. A visit to the temple gives you the opportunity to hear modern jazz music performed by the organ simultaneously with the medieval one. Visitors are always offered a large selection of performances and concert programs. The whole family can go to a concert in the afternoon, enjoy festive festivals, evenings of sacred music and medieval mysteries. It is also important that all the money for the purchased tickets is used for repair and restoration work in the church.