MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Chelyabinsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church said on Tuesday it would organize mass prayers on Thursday evening to thank God that no deaths occurred during the recent meteorite blast.

Windows were shattered and walls were damaged by shockwaves in thousands of mostly residential buildings, as the meteorite streaked through the sky over the Chelyabinsk Region on February 15 and exploded in the atmosphere. Over 1,500 people were injured, most by flying glass shards.

“God saved Chelyabinsk and other cities and towns in the Urals from a terrible disaster. The meteorite blast claimed no human lives,” the Chelyabinsk diocese said in a statement posted on its website.

That’s why believers will gather on Thursday in Chelyabinsk churches to thank the Creator for preventing the possible catastrophe,” the statement reads.

Prayers will begin at 6:30 p.m. local time (12.30 GMT).