Russia

Russia
Moscov
Prospekt Sowieckij 16a
Ph. (0 03751634) 679 01
e-mail: msf-mos@mail.ru


Holy Family Center in Moscow.

The important project run by sisters in Moscow is the Holy Family Center. It gathers about 25 children from 3-16 years old. They come from very complicated families. They are all Orthodox. Children come to the center from the regional police station. Some of them bring their friends. Sisters contact children's parents or caregivers and get to know the living conditions of these children. Center is open 5 days a week. Children receive two meals, dinner and supper. Sisters and volunteers help children do their homework, devote a lot of their time for individual conversations, lead prayer, and supervise various tasks developing children's intellect, religion, ability to live in society, and culture. Children join in doing different tasks in the center. Once a week, they have religion lesson taught by Orthodox priest. Sometimes, children go for field trips, pilgrimages, theaters, museums, ice skating rinks, etc. Children prepare plays for various occasions such as Christmas or New Year. During summer, they go on vacation for two weeks. Everyday, sisters and volunteers try to devote a lot of their time for individual conversations with children. Besides three sisters, there is also psychologist, educator, and rhythm teacher working in the center.

One of the girls attending the center states: "The center changed my family, my brother, my sisters, and my life. We started praying, read Bible, go to church, and go to confession. Also, our mom was baptized. Sisters teach my siblings to read and write; they helped me to be admitted to school without any documentation. We appreciate the presence of sisters very much."

In Moscow, in the past few years, we had the opportunity to work with Orthodox. One of the sisters is being invited with lectures on spiritual psychology; she does such presentations for Orthodox intelligence. People of other religions attend these presentations. With mother foundress, we have to say that the field of work is very broad.