Ecclesiastical Services

Sacrament of Repentance (Confession)

Participation in the Sacrament of Repentance is part of Orthodox life. It is desirable for everyone to have their own spiritual father, with whom they regularly go to confession. Confession is often also associated with pilgrimage. In Valamo Monastery, Orthodox Christians can participate in the Sacrament of Repentance upon request. Often during the Vigil, one of the priests comes to hear confession. Most commonly, confession is heard in the so-called winter church, which is a smaller church connected to the main church. If the door to the winter church is closed, it usually means that confession is currently taking place in the winter church.

Baptism and Chrismation

Baptisms are also performed at the monastery. However, it is most natural for baptism to be performed in the parish where the person being baptized will become a member. Baptisms are most commonly performed in the so-called winter church, sometimes also in the main church. Baptism is aimed to be performed by immersion, and therefore adults are sometimes baptized in the lake as well. If a person joining the Orthodox Church has already been baptized three times by immersion or affusion in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, they can be received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation. Receptions into the Church are also performed at the monastery, for example, if the person in question has done volunteer work at the monastery and has become close to it.

Intercessory Prayer Requests

In churches, there are commemoration slips for intercessory prayer requests, where one can write the names of people for whom they wish to request prayers. In their memory, a particle of the Eucharistic bread is taken during the Proskomedia, before the start of the Liturgy or Eucharistic service. Only the first name is written on the slips, preferably in its ecclesiastical form. Slips for the living usually have red text, and slips for the departed have black (or blue) text. It is also possible to request commemoration during the Proskomedia for 40 days, half a year, or one year. For these longer commemorations, a donation is given to the monastery: 10 euros for 40 days, 50 euros for half a year, and 100 euros for one year. Intercessory prayers are also read by name in prayer services, or molebens. Those participating in a prayer service can bring their own commemoration slips to the officiating priest at the start of the service, on which they have written the names of the persons for whom they wish to pray during the service.

Panihida

In a Panihida, or memorial service, prayers are offered for the salvation of the departed. A Panihida is typically performed immediately after death, 40 days after death, and on the anniversaries of death. A Panihida can also be requested at the monastery. It is customary to give a donation to the monastery in connection with a Panihida. Panihidas are not performed during Bright Week after Easter, up until Thomas Tuesday, and preferably not on Sundays.

Funeral Service

Members of the brotherhood are buried in the Monastery Cemetery, but occasionally also laypeople who, during their lives, have been close to the monastery in one way or another and have arranged with the monastery for burial in the monastery cemetery. Funeral services are held in the cemetery chapel and in the monastery church, depending on the season and the number of mourners. In an Orthodox funeral service, the deceased rests in the middle of the church in an open coffin, dressed in festive attire, with their feet towards the altar area. The mourners stand around the coffin with lit tapers in their hands. The color of the funeral is white, symbolizing the Resurrection. The central message of the prayers and hymns is intercession for the soul of the departed and firm trust in the Resurrection through Christ.

According to Orthodox tradition, the deceased should be buried three days after death, because Christ rose from the dead on the third day. The deceased is laid with their feet facing east, so that in the Resurrection their face will be towards the east. Immediately after death, a memorial service, or panihida, is performed, which should also be performed on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after death, and annually on the anniversary of death.

Sacrament of Marriage

Weddings are not performed in monasteries. Wedding services are more naturally suited to parish churches than to a monastery, which is consecrated to a different way of life.

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Valamo Monastery is open year-round. Services' visiting hours vary by season.

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