On Sunday, 14 September 2025, the Church's New Year's Day, after the Divine Liturgy, an open Sunday School class was held at the Cathedral of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg.
A new school period began for our little parishioners after the South African winter holidays. Archpriest Daniel Lugovoy, the rector of the parish, together with Matushka Elena prepared interesting tasks for the children: they had to find answers to questions about the symbolism of the Orthodox Church, the subjects of icons and frescoes right on the walls of the cathedral.
Before the lesson began, a prayer was said for the students and all those gathered were sprinkled with holy water.
The children were fascinated by the images, looking for biblical scenes and recognising the saints. For many it was a real discovery - because behind each icon there is a deep spiritual and historical meaning. The children not only answered questions, but also learnt new knowledge from the presenters' comments.
Parents were also with the children. Many of them confessed that they learnt a lot of new and interesting things about the Orthodox faith.
This format of the lesson made the study similar to a journey: in a short time the cathedral became for children and adults a big living book, which is revealed to those who look and listen attentively.
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