Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry held for the first time in Moscow a five-day training seminar for those responsible for social ministry in all dioceses in the Luhansk People's Republic, Donetsk People's Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. 17 people from Luhansk, Rovenkivska, Severodonetsk, Berdyansk, Skadivska, Novokakhovska, Gorlovsk and Donetsk dioceses, as well as from the bordering Rostov and Voronezh dioceses.
The seminar participants met with Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, interim chairman of the Synodal Department for Charity, and met with the heads of key areas of the Synodal Department for Charity. They also visited church social and medical institutions in Moscow: the humanitarian aid center and the church headquarters for refugees of the Synodal Charity Department. Charity Department, the center for helping the homeless «Hangar of Salvation», Hospital of St. Alexis, Spiridonievsky Almshouse, Sophia House for children and adults with multiple developmental disabilities, projects of Marfa-Maryinsky Monastery. During the seminar, the participants discussed the issues of systemic assistance to the needy, affected civilians, refugees, former participants of military operations.html">Marfa-Marina Monastery. During the seminar, participants discussed issues of systemic assistance to the needy, injured civilians, former participants of military operations, refugees, homeless people, lonely elderly people, adults and children with disabilities, seriously ill, and orphans.
The seminar participants discussed the issues of systemic assistance to the needy, injured civilians, former participants of military operations, refugees, homeless people, lonely elderly people, adults and children with disabilities, seriously ill people, and orphans.
«We managed to gather in Moscow those who are responsible for the development of social ministry in all dioceses in the territory of the Lugansk and Donetsk Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. They met with the staff of the Synodal Department, who are involved in organizing church social assistance, and met with volunteers who travel to help in the conflict zone. The representatives of the dioceses also learned about the possibility of raising funds for the development of social projects and the "Let's Help" platform of the Synodal Department for Charity on the website mirom.help. But above all, they were able to get to know each other, as the representatives of these dioceses had not had this opportunity before to meet together and discuss the issues that concern them specifically, based on the specifics of their ministry» — noted the coordinator of social assistance in the conflict zone of the Synodal Department for Charity Deacon Igor Kulikov.
The seminar program consisted of several thematic meetings on the organization and coordination of social ministry at the diocesan level, work with petitioners, hospital ministry, fundraising basics, and media coverage of church social work.
The seminar participants also met with Moscow volunteers who are helping in the Donbass. During the meeting Archpriest Mikhail Potokin spoke about the support that the Synodal Department for Charity can provide in organizing aid to the needy in dioceses. At the meeting they discussed the realization of joint humanitarian projects on the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
On the last day of the seminar, on the day of the memory of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, representatives of the dioceses of the conflict zone took part in the Divine Liturgy in the Knyaz-Vladimirsky Church of the main church building of the Orthodox Svyato-Tikhonovsky Humanitarian University. The service was led by the Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolitanate Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna.
After the service, the seminar participants had a tour of the Moscow Metropolitan Church.
After the service, the seminar participants were given a tour of the Moscow Diocesan House and the largest educational institution of the Russian Orthodox Church — PSTSU. Representatives of the university told about the enrollment campaign for students from the dioceses of the conflict zone.
Since 2011, the Synodal Department for Charity has conducted more than 150 internships for representatives of diocesan social departments and parish social workers. In total, more than 4,000 people have been trained in full-time and distance learning. Over the years, course graduates have launched more than 1,800 new church social projects.
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