On 1 November 2026, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the wooden church in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi. After six months of construction and embellishment, the church was inaugurated as a place of worship with the Divine Liturgy. Although the works are not yet finished, we have finally reached the moment we have been waiting for, when we can serve inside the church. With hearts full of gratitude, we thank the Orthodox faithful from all over the world for their support. They will now be remembered as the founders of this place at the foot of Mount Fuji. It is a special blessing to have been able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on this land, where it had never been celebrated before. Only God knows how many more Divine Liturgies will be celebrated here in the years to come. We hope that this little church will last until the end of time. Through the Divine Liturgy, sanctification extends to the surrounding area, blessing its inhabitants and those buried in the neighbouring cemetery.
We ask you to continue to support us so that we can complete what we have started. We will bring candelabras from Romania to illuminate the church, as well as a painted crucifix to adorn the iconostasis. At the same time, we will continue to beautify the exterior of the church and the surrounding courtyard. Each of these projects brings us closer to the consecration of the sanctuary and the dedication of the Holy Table, which we hope to perform next year.
Through the intercession of Saint and Righteous Lazarus, who was raised from the dead on the fourth day, and Saint Dimitri the New, the patron saints of the church in Minami-Alps, we pray to God to bless all those who have helped to build and beautify this small piece of heaven in Japan!
