Relics, icons and crosses are onboard International Space Station, cosmonaut says

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Comments: 11

One of the icons and a cross floating in zero gravity on the ISS. Credit: Roscosmos.

Moscow, Russia, Jan 20, 2010 / 12:11 am (CNA).- The Gospels, four icons, crosses and a relic of the True Cross have been taken aboard the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS), a Russian cosmonaut has reported. A photo taken by the station crew shows an icon and a crucifix floating in zero gravity in the ISS.

Writing on his blog at the website of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Cosmonaut Maksim Suraev responded to readers’ questions about religious symbols on the space station.

“We have four holy icons on the Russia segment. We also have the Gospels and a big cross,” he said, according to a blog entry translated by Russia Today in November 2009.

Russia Today reported that the Lord’s Divine Cross was given to A.N. Merminov, the head of Roscosmos, by the late Patriarch of Moscow Aleksy II. The cross was delivered to the station in 2006 by the crew of Soyuz TMA-8.

Suraev added that he has a reliquary cross in his cabin.

“A priest gave it to me at Baikanur before the launch. Father Job told me a piece of the original cross on which Jesus was crucified is contained in mine.”

He added that his cross was blessed in the major monastery of Sergiev Posad.

“It will be with me the whole expedition and will return with me to Earth,” the cosmonaut wrote.

Holy relics and other objects have been on previous spaceflights. U.S. astronaut Ronald Garan brought a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux with him on the space shuttle Discovery in 2008. He plans to bring another relic of the saint with him on a mission to the ISS in 2011.

Comments: 11

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Todd
Destin, Fl. USA 02/26/2010 09:35 AM EST

Moscow is Orthodoxy's protector. Even when in the Catacombs under the Communists, this was true. Our Lady has never ceased praying for them, and it strengthened them.

Published by: Mary Sharpley
USA 02/25/2010 12:09 PM EST

How wonderful that Russians are free to express their faith in Christ! People forget that although the communists did their best to stamp out Orthodox Christianity and many thousands were persecuted and/or martyred for their faith, the believers were preserved. I'm glad the persecutions ended and the Orthodox Church has emerged from the “catacombs” to the light of day again.

Published by: Edward H.
Sugar Land/TX/USA 02/25/2010 11:20 AM EST

I am happy to know that the Blessed Cross, Icon, and Relic are circuling Earth and protecting the belivers. It would have also been nice if the article mentioned the Russian Orthodox Church.

Published by: John H. R. Pieper
W. Saint Paul, MN, USA 01/21/2010 12:26 PM EST

This has been going on for quite a while. For those who are old enough, who can forget Apollo 8 astronauts reading the first lines of the Book of Genesis on Christmas Eve while seeing the Earth rise above the Moon's horizon.

Published by: Richard
Knoxville TN USA 01/21/2010 07:49 AM EST

Has this story been published in the secular media. I hope it will be. A lot of eyes and hearts could be opened by this.

Published by: ifeanyi nworuh
port harcourt nigeria 01/21/2010 06:06 AM EST

This is a clear testimony that God has taken over socialist Russia,if relic,crucifixes and the likes could be honoured by Russia as protection on jouney to outer space then christainity has overwhelmed the entire world and races. Kudos to the Catholic church.

Published by: John Rayner
Australia 01/20/2010 05:54 PM EST

I have wondered before, if, when Our Lady said that Russia would be converted, it would be to the Catholic Church, or the Orthodox?!

Published by: Doug Carder
Notre Dame, IN 01/20/2010 05:45 PM EST

NASA Astronaut Michael Good took a holy card of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the US into space. He was on the mission to repair the Hubble space telescope last May.

Published by: Mike Rooke
UK 01/20/2010 02:06 PM EST

This is a testimony to how far Russia has returned to the Faith. It was Khrushchev that said, "Gagarin flew into space, but didn't see any God there". Although the words have been attributed to Gagarin Gargarin was baptised into the Orthodox Church a close friend of Gargarin Colonel Valentin Petrov, stated that Gagarin never said such words. Source Wiki.

Published by: Dcn. Channing Fell
Round Rock, TX, USA 01/20/2010 08:56 AM EST

I think this is an excellent use of the ISS an an excellent statement of Faith! Jesus Christ be praised, Forever!

Published by: Bob Lamond
Fairfax/VA/USA 01/20/2010 08:10 AM EST

How ironic! If a US astronaut had done that there would be, pardon me, hell to pay in the United States over the "separation" of Church and State...

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