Ukrainian priest adopts 25 children, creates center for orphans at his church

Odessa, May 24, 2021

Photo: Facebook Photo: Facebook     

A priest of the Odessa Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and his wife have organized an Orthodox children’s center at their church, where 28 children are currently being raised.

At first, Fr. John Goria of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Church and his matushka dreamed of creating an Orthodox kindergarten, but one day, after three young orphans came to the church asking for food, he realized he needed to do more.

Today the children are fed and clothed, and they left, but “what’s next?” Fr. John said in a video on the Vesti Odessa YouTube channel. Thus, he conceived of the idea to build an Orthodox children’s center at his church.

And of the 28 children at the center, 25 of them have been adopted by Fr. John. The adoption process is currently under way for two more children, aged 10 months and 1.5 years.

A Convent of Sts. Martha and Mary was also founded at the Church of the Joy of All Who Sorrow, where the Sisters of Mercy are engaged in charitable and missionary work. For more than 18 years, the parish has operated a dining hall for the homeless, feeding more than 200 people a day. There is also a Sunday School and a large library of spiritual literature.

Fr. John has also been celebrating memorial services for the homeless for more than 10 years.

“Christ and many saints have shown us the way. I would like not only for bishops and priests to help people in need, but everyone. This path is very difficult, but it can be overcome with God’s help. The main thing is to ask God for help. After all, if the Lord is in the first place, then everything else will be in its place. Our motto is the words of the apostle: Be not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11),” Fr. John concluded.

In September, Matushka Maria Lvova-Belova, the mother of 17 children, head of several social and Church projects, and head of the Penza Diocese’s Department for Assistance to People with Disabilities, was honored as a “Leader of Russia.”

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, Parler, MeWe, and Gab!

5/24/2021

See also
Russian Church opens 7 humanitarian centers in a month Russian Church opens 7 humanitarian centers in a month Russian Church opens 7 humanitarian centers in a month Russian Church opens 7 humanitarian centers in a month
The centers help all those who find themselves in difficult situations—large families, single mothers, the homeless, people with disabilities, the elderly, fire victims, etc. The centers provide food, clothing, hygiene kits, strollers, cribs, and other necessary items free of charge. Ukrainian diocese buys house for large family Ukrainian diocese buys house for large family Ukrainian diocese buys house for large family Ukrainian diocese buys house for large family
Thanks to the local diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, one large family now has a suitable place to live and sleep at night. Russian Church spent more than $250,000 to help the poor and homeless in 2020 Russian Church spent more than $250,000 to help the poor and homeless in 2020 Russian Church spent more than $250,000 to help the poor and homeless in 2020 Russian Church spent more than $250,000 to help the poor and homeless in 2020
“This year, there was a rise in social services. Many people had the desire to do good, to help others,” the department head, His Grace Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo, told journalists last week.
Comments
Editor5/28/2021 6:30 pm
For those wishing to contact Fr. John, you can try opening the Telegram page for his church and leaving a message. The orphanage is on Vkontakte and Youtube. Please see the links at the bottom of this page: http://radosti.od.ua/%d1%86%d0%b5%d0%bd%d1%82%d1%80-%d0%b4%d0%bb%d1%8f-%d0%b4%d0%b5%d1%82%d0%b5%d0%b9-%d1%81%d0%b8%d1%80%d0%be%d1%82/ Whether or not he knows other languages we don't know, but he could have your inquiries translated.
Evangelia Dimitriou5/27/2021 11:11 pm
Good evening from Paris. I would also like to contact Fr John, could you please advise me on how I can get in touch with him and if he speaks English Greek or French? With love in Christ, Evangelia
oscar ricor5/24/2021 8:25 pm
Good afternoon from Alicante. Spain, could you please advise me how can I contact the father by email or facebook? does he speak english? thank you very much in anticipation. Oscar
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×