Last week, His Eminence Archbishop Irineu visited St Andrew’s residential care home in Bărăbanț, Alba County, which operates under the auspices of Filantropia Ortodoxa Alba Iulia church association. On this occasion, the archbishop announced that the residential care home would be expanded.
The care centre will expand its facilities “so that in the future more elderly people can benefit from optimal conditions, but above all from our pastoral, social and medical assistance,” Archbishop Irineu said during his visit on January 20, 2023.
The Archbishop of Alba Iulia offered gifts and spiritual advice to the residents and emphasised the importance of the staff’s mission.
“The elderly represent a real national heritage because we learned and still learn piety, wisdom, sense of measure and Romanian humanity from them. Therefore, their presence among us is a factor of spiritual balance,” the archbishop noted.
The visit took place in the context of the Solemn Year of the pastoral care of the elderly.
The social settlement dedicated to St Andrew in Bărăbanț is coordinated by Father Mihai Șârău and currently houses 52 older people.
They live in two neighbouring buildings and benefit from accommodation, food, medicine, special care, recreational activities and spiritual support.
Filantropia Ortodoxă Alba Iulia plans to increase the capacity to 150 accommodation places through the vertical expansion of the building’s facilities.
Photography courtesy of the Alba Iulia Archdiocese
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