Kramatorsk, Ukraine, May 6, 2020
In late March, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine called upon all dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to actively participate in measures to help counteract the spread of the coronavirus and upon all monasteries to offer assistance and open their doors to coronavirus patients, if necessary.
Heeding the primate’s call, the Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra in the Donetsk Province continues its social service by periodically providing food, hygiene products, and clothing to the most needy, including the 600-some patients of the psychiatric hospital in Kramatorsk, reports the monastery’s website.
The Lavra is no stranger to humanitarian aid, having opened its doors and housing hundreds of refugees fleeing the war in Eastern Ukraine for several years now.
With the blessing of the abbot, His Eminence Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, charitable assistance was sent to the hospital yesterday, May 5.
In all, about 1.6 tons of food were delivered, including 660 lb. of potatotes, 220 lb. of carrots, 660 lb. of beets, and 1,100 lb. of various grains.
The hospital administration expressed its deep gratitude to Met. Arseny and the Lavra brethren for the help, which was received with special joy during these Paschal days.
The Holy Dormition Lavra in Pochaev has also been feeding patients at a local hospital, and the brothers even finished building the Infections Department at the hospital.
