With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, funeral services for those killed in car accidents are held every year on the third Sunday of November in the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Today, November 15, prayers were held for the deceased in Bryanka, Lugansk People's Republic, Volgograd, Lykia Loki, Irkutsk, Orenburg and other cities and towns in Russia. The services were attended by clerics, employees of the state traffic control, public representatives and local residents.
During these days, events were held across the country to commemorate the dead and for road safety. In the Volgograd region, members of the youth army, together with the employees of the state traffic inspection, appealed to drivers to observe the traffic rules. In Irkutsk, young people took to the streets with posters and white cranes in memory of the victims. In Orsk, schoolchildren handed drivers paper cranes and postcards wishing them a safe journey, and in Cheboksary, cadets gave drivers homemade angels, reminding them that everyone is welcome home.
We believe in eternal life, and prayer for the deceased is an expression of love and mercy towards those who have finished their earthly journey. Therefore, it is so important that the memory of the dead live not only in the hearts of relatives and friends, but also in the collective prayer of the entire church.
May God rest the souls of all those who died tragically in road accidents, forgive them for every sin, willingly or unwillingly, and grant them the kingdom of heaven. Eternal memory!