Archipriest Maxim Obukhow, was a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church , president of the Life Center and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Protection of Family and Life. He was a great defender of life and a devoted preacher of the teachings of Christ and the Gospel of Life. He confirmed his openness to life as a father of nine children.
He was the first proposing to carry the Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa along the largest global front line - starting from Vladivostok in the intention of defending life. We told him about the experience of the Polish Catholic Church and the peregrination of the Częstochowa Icon through Poland with the intention of protecting the faith. Father Maksym referred to the old Christian tradition of carrying the Icon of the Theotokos to the front line to ask for God's help in the fight against the attacking evil. This tradition dates back to the times of the Old Testament.
A bit provocatively, I asked Father Obukhov - show me this front line on the map! Then he smiled, spread his arms and said: - I'm afraid she has to travel across the whole world.
He kept his word. Thanks to his help and involvement, Our Lady in the Częstochowa Icon has already traveled approximately 200,000 kilometers. km starting in the Far East of Asia, throughout Russia and another 28 countries on 5 continents.
Father Maksim, in addition to his theological education as an Orthodox priest, was also a pharmacist and had extensive medical knowledge. He headed the largest pan-Russian pro-life organization "Life". Unfortunately, since the war in Ukraine, our contacts have weakened.
I received the last message from Father Maksim on April 18, 2023. He wrote: I will have surgery, please pray!
I know he has been struggling with cancer for many years. I took the lack of news as a positive one. Only recently I learned that Father Maxim Obukhov died on April 25 at 12:20. His friends wrote: This is an irreparable loss for all of us who knew him.
On May 3 (Wednesday) at 12:00, a funeral service was held for the late. Father Maksim in the church of Boris and Gleb in the Degunino district of Moscow, followed by the funeral at 15:00 at the Dolgo-Prudnensky cemetery.
May he rest in God's Peace!
For us Poles, May 3 is a special feast of the Mother of God, I trust that the Mother of God, whom he served, took him by the hand and led him to Her Son.
Please pray for the soul of such a devoted defender of life!
Lech Kowalewski - on behalf of the committee of the International Coalition of the Peregrination of the Częstochowa Icon "From Ocean to Ocean" through the World in Defense of Life.