The Belarusian Peace Foundation has announced a fundraising campaign to construct a chapel on the burial site of St. Valentina of Minsk, the only canonized blessed saint of Belarus, according to the website of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The chapel is planned to be built at the cemetery in the village of Koski, Dzerzhinsky District, Minsk Region, where the saint is buried. This site has long been a center of pilgrimage for believers from Belarus and neighboring countries. Prayer services are held there every Sunday, and on major church holidays, her grave is adorned with fresh flowers.
St. Valentina of Minsk is renowned for her humility and prayerful assistance to people. For over 30 years, she remained bedridden yet healed the suffering and foretold events, including the beginning of World War II. She was canonized in 2006, and her grave in Koski became a place of pilgrimage. St. Valentina told her visitors, “I will die, but come to me as if I were alive, and I will help you.” This promise continues to be fulfilled, as evidenced by numerous testimonies of miraculous assistance through her prayers.
In Christianity, blessed saints are deeply faithful individuals known for their holiness, humility, and service to God. Among the most well-known blessed saints are St. Xenia of St. Petersburg and St. Basil the Blessed.
Blessed saints fall into two main categories: Those Living the Beatitudes: These individuals embody the teachings of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount. Their happiness stems not from worldly pleasures but from spiritual closeness to the Creator. They represent the ideal Christian life, rooted in humility, mercy, purity of heart, and devotion to God. Fools for Christ: These saints voluntarily take on the appearance of "madness," renouncing worldly goods, fame, and comfort. Their unconventional behavior, while appearing irrational to society, exposes societal sins. Their ultimate goal is spiritual growth and closeness to God.