Moscow, April 10, 2019
Photo: foma.ru
The Russian Orthodox Church is planning to open 70 different projects in 2019 to help pregnant women, women with children in difficult situations, and families in need.
His Grace Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevsk, the head of the Synodal Department for Charity noted in his recent report to the Supreme Church Council that the new project will be opened with funds raised in churches specifically for the purpose of helping to prevent abortions and help women in crisis situations.
“13 new shelters for mothers will be opened with these funds in 2019. One of them has already opened in Kurgan. Thus, 72 such shelters will soon be operating in Russia,” Bp. Panteleimon said.
The center in Kurgan was opened on February 7 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of Kurgan and Belozerskoe under the banner of the diocesan social project “House of Mercy Center for the Protection of Family, Motherhood, and Childhood.” Since, Bp. Panteleimon gave his report, at least one more shelter has been opened, in Urzhum.
In addition to the shelters, 32 new centers of humanitarian aid and 25 other projects for helping women in crisis situations, offering consultative, legal, and psychological help will also open.
“54 already operating projects for helping women will also be able to expand their work this year,” His Grace added.
Bp. Panteleimon also reported that the Church opened 6 such shelters in various dioceses in 2018, and 11 new cities joined the “Save a Life” program that has saved more than 100,000 children from abortion since 2015.
35 new humanitarian centers were opened in 2018, mostly in small towns and villages where the situation is particularly difficult. 11 dioceses opened support centers for drug addicts. 5 new church communities appeared where they provide assistance to the deaf, totaling 71 churches in 45 dioceses that work with the deaf and hard of hearing.
Bp. Panteleimon also outlined a number of other projects the Church undertook in 2018 and which it plans to undertake this year to help people who are suffering in a variety of ways.
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