Visit of Russian Orthodox Sister

This morning Sister Photinia, a nun from the Russian Orthodox Convent of St Elizabeth the New Martyr in Minsk, Belarus, came to speak about their work for various marginalized groups and to appeal for donations for their expanding work and church building.

From a letter I received asking if they could come:

The Convent was founded in Minsk in 1999. It grew up from the Sisterhood. Sisters of mercy have been serving disabled people at the Republican Psychiatrist Hospital, a children’s and adults’ asylum and one of the city’s hospitals.

Everything began in 1994, when the first sisters of mercy, who were parishioners of St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Minsk went to the psychiatrist hospital willing to take care of the patients. Sisters started coming to disabled people in order to share their compassion and love which they had received from the Church and its sacraments. In 1997 the construction of a church started nearby the Hospital. In 1999 first sisters of mercy took their veils.

At present over 85 nuns live in the Convent. The construction of the churches is still in process, the work carried out in the hospitals and charitable project is still growing..

We have got an estate about 30 kilometers far from Minsk where many homeless people, former prisoners, drug and alcohol addicts find shelter and work, where they have got a chance to start a new life.

We have got plenty of workshops on the premises of our Convent in which we produce candles, ceramics, paint icons, sew priests’ vestments, make embroidery, wood and metalwork. Some laic people are former patients of the hospitals who want to serve God. There is a publishing office as well in which we publish homilies, lives of saints, etc.

Sister told us that the 85 sisters in the convent range in age from 20 to 40. It is remarkable (or is it?) that this community is gaining such young vocations to a way of life that is contrary to the world and so clearly consecrated to God. In the Catholic Church this is happening in those communities that give a clear and distinctive witness to consecrated life e.g. the wearing of a religious habit, strong contemplative and community life, etc.

Sister showed me the work the brothers and sisters do in church construction and design. When I asked her what she thought about our modern Catholic church architecture, she was eloquently silent.

Take a look at their photoalbum.

Here are a few photographs of her visit, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Aid to the Church in Need

Today we welcomed John Grieg from Aid to the Church in Need. He set up his stall and gave a brief talk at the end of Mass to introduce the parish Lenten Appeal that will be made in support of the work of ACN. Many bishops in troubled parts of the world depend on ACN's help to train seminarians and provide formation for religious brothers and sisters. The Church is being persecuted in many places, not least in China.

Our Parish Advent & Christmas Appeal - Father Constantine's HIV/AIDS Orphans in Maseru, Lesotho

Father Constantine Mosuoe, priest of the Archdiocese of Maseru in Lesotho, supplied in this parish while I was on holiday a couple of years ago. He moved me with his account of the plight of HIV/AIDS orphans in his parish. For a male to live beyond the age of 35 is an exception. Here's why.

Many of the men folk work in the mines in South Africa which surrounds land-locked Lesotho. Regrettably, during their long absences from home, they engage in sexual activity with prostitutes and others and become infected with the AIDS virus. They come home and infect their wives, resulting in children who are also infected.

Without any prompting from me, both he and a colleague of his, Father Paul Moshe, who also supplied here, said that the abundant supply of condoms is at the heart of the problem. Whereas the Church is trying to instil faithfulness, the easy availability of condoms provides little incentive to truly live a safe and moral sexual lifestyle. On the contrary, it contributes to a promiscuous lifestyle with the consequent lack of self control, risk taking and inevitable infections.

So, the children's fathers and mothers die young and the children end up staying with their grandparents who, of course, are not able to afford to look after them.

Every week, those people in the parishes who can afford it contribute money to enable members of the parish council to buy food, medication and clothing so that the day to day needs of these orphans are met. At an official level, Church and State are investing in educational programmes to increase awareness of the HIV/AIDS problem, but no funding is received for the supply of these day to day needs which are only met through parish initiatives like Father Constantine's.

Every Sunday during Christmas and Advent, starting next Sunday, there will be a second collection and the money raised will be sent to Father Constantine, care of the diocesan bank account. I am absolutely confident that the money raised will go to the intended beneficiaries.

If you would like to contribute, you can send a cheque payable to St Simon Stock (South Ashford) to me. You can also donate by paypal by clicking the button below.