On December 23, 2019, Archpriest Sergei Dragus reposed in the Lord following a serious, prolonged illness. His wife, Matushka Eugenia, was left taking care of three children by herself.

Matushka and the children are going through a very hard time now without their father and supporter. Matushka’s parents are long dead and she has no one but her children.

They had many difficulties at the time of Father’s death due to his prolonged illness. The operations and treatment were quite expensive and they had to take out loans to cover them. But their debts actually began even before Fr. Sergei got sick when their eldest daughter was diagnosed with cancer, which required long-term treatment and rehabilitation.

But before the family had time to recover from one tragedy, God allowed another, even more serious, to happen to Fr. Sergei. When he died, Matushka became responsible to pay back all their loans, on a salary that can’t even feed the children.

The eldest daughter will soon be of age, though she won’t be able to help anytime soon because she is in college and needs financial assistance herself. Matushka also has two other children who need math and English tutors. Vanya also plays sports and dreams of having his own skis.

The family lives in a small village in the Lipetsk Oblast in an unfinished house. It still needs to be insulated, the outside needs to be finished, and it still needs a fence, all of which is up to Matushka to take care of. Life would be very difficult where they live without a car, but theirs constantly needs work. There are no buses, so Matushka has to take the children to music school, sports practices, clubs, etc.

As winter is coming, Matushka is also worried about getting clothes and shoes for her children.

Sergei Dragus was born on February 7, 1977 in Ukraine. He was brought to faith by his grandmother, though it was a very difficult path. He finally, meaningfully came to God much later. Moreover, the dream of becoming a monk settled into his heart.

Later, he often liked to joke that until he met his matushka, he dreamed of dedicating his life to God in monasticism, but the Lord sent him along the familial path. It was love at first sight when he met Eugenia. Fr. Sergei had already gone through school, service in the army, and school again, and he proposed very quickly. They were married two months after they met.

After they got married, they decided to go live and serve in Russia. They had both dreamed of living there since they were children. Thus, the couple ended up in far away Mordovia, near St. Seraphim.

Fr. Sergei’s priestly ministry began in 2001 when he was appointed rector of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in a remote village. Father and Matushka were both young and full of life and feared no difficulties.

After serving there for four years, they moved to the Lipetsk Oblast, where Fr. Sergei was appointed rector of the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Krasnoe, where he served 14 years until his very death.

Everything would have been fine with the family. The Lord gave the couple great love and understanding, but one thing grieved them—they had no children. They were constantly worried and prayed for children, but God willed otherwise. After 13 years of marriage, Father and Matushka adopted a wonderful girl named Sonya from an orphanage. They cherished her as their daughter from the very first day.

They later took in two more children, giving them the parental love and care that they themselves had not known.

In 2001, Fr. Sergei was diagnosed with diabetes. It progressed over the years and was quite severe by the end of his life. He was literally tormented his last two years, having to undergo about ten operations.

Now the children support and comfort their mother, helping her not to pine away crying, and Matushka Eugenia tries with all her might not to let her children see her tears. It is thanks to them that she finds the strength to tell the Lord every day: “Thank You for giving me three children. Thank you for being so kind and loving.”

Fr. Sergei was buried behind the altar of the church to which he devoted the majority of his priestly life.

Священник: Archpriest Sergei Dragus
Матушка: Matushka Eugenia Dragus
Место жительства: Lipetsk region. Krasninsky district, Krasninsky village, Russia