Social

US Orthodox Bishops Assembly releases homelessness guidebook for parishes

A pastoral care and support guide for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their residences has been made available by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States to parishes. Theological insights are included in the publication, which is primarily focused on practical guidance for Orthodox missions that target…

Nov 29, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Philanthropy representatives from the Romanian Patriarchate gather in Chișinău for prayer and interdisciplinary discussions

On Monday evening, the General Assembly of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Filantropia Federation gathered in Chișinău and was marked by a Te Deum service at the chapel of the Eparchial Center. Key attendees included Father Ciprian Ioniță, Patriarchal Advisor and President of the Filantropia Federation; clergy from the Metropolis of Bessarabia; social advisors from various dioceses…

Nov 13, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Mother’s tragedy inspires new Orthodox addiction center blessed in Iași by Metropolitan Teofan

Metropolitan Teofan of Moldova and Bukovina blessed the “Maximilian” Orthodox Addiction Recovery Center, inaugurated last Monday in Iași, Romania, as a ministry of the city’s “St. Basil the Great” Parish. It was inspired by the tragic story of a young addict. The project has been realised with the support of the Archdiocese of Iași, in…

Nov 11, 2024Ștefana Totorcea

Diaconia Mission hosts summer camp for Ukrainian mother-child refugees

In July, the Diaconia Social Mission of the Metropolis of Bessarabia organized a summer camp for Ukrainian mother-child refugee pairs. The camp hosted 47 mothers and 62 children. According to a press release from the Diaconia Social Mission, the “Bridges of Solidarity” camp included activities to strengthen the bond between mothers and children, such as…

Aug 2, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Orthodox Church delegation pays visit to Armenia: Support for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

A delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church met with representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church during an official visit aiming to establish a framework to support Armenian refugees from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The meetings are taking place in the context of a fundraiser organized by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2024 to aid Armenian refugees. The…

Jul 25, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priest offers financial assistance to young couples for weddings

Young people often postpone their weddings due to financial constraints. In this context, a priest from Botoșani in northern Romania has announced that his parish will assist young couples in organizing their weddings without significant economic burden. “The Pacea Church in Botoșani offers free help to future brides and grooms who wish to start a…

Jul 9, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Filantropia Federation of the Romanian Patriarchate becomes a member of Eurodiaconia

On Wednesday, the Filantropia Federation of the Romanian Patriarchate joined Eurodiaconia, a European network of social organisations, expanding an eight-year-old collaboration. The Romanian Patriarchate hosted the General Assembly of Eurodiaconia from May 14 to May 17. Representatives of over 60 member organizations attended this meeting. The national representative of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Eurodiaconia…

May 17, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Teofan officiates Blessing service of the first social hospital in Romania

His Eminence Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina officiated on Friday the Blessing service for the „Veronica” Clinic in Iași, the first socio-medical centre in Romania to offer free medical services to socially vulnerable pregnant women, mothers and their children. The medical institution was established at charity priest Dan Damaschin’s initiative and through the fundraising efforts…

Mar 12, 2024Ștefana Totorcea

In numbers: Support for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova offered by the Diaconia Social Mission

Last month, Diaconia Social Mission published on social media relevant figures for the support it provided in 2023 to vulnerable people in the Republic of Moldova. The organisation also recently detailed the aid it provided last year to Ukrainian refugee mothers and their children. Thousands of adult refugees have received psychological, legal and vocational counselling…

Feb 22, 2024Ștefana Totorcea

Philanthropy in Africa: This is how the Iasi Archdiocese helped Tanzania in 2023

In addition to its philanthropic endeavours in Romania, which totaled more than 8 million Euros (40 million lei), the Archdiocese of Iasi engaged in community service in Africa during the previous year. The Archdiocese of Iaşi provided 10,000 euros in material assistance to Orthodox Christians from the Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania in 2023.…

Feb 20, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

In 2023, Food Bank Moldova recovered food for 250,000 meals offered to the needy

In 2023, Bank of Food Moldova recovered more than 124,480 kg of foods. According to the standards of the European Food Banks Federation – FEBA, they represented 248,960 hot meals, which were distributed by 51 social services throughout the Republic of Moldova. The number of beneficiaries assisted by these centres was approximately 5,000 socially vulnerable…

Jan 11, 2024Ștefana Totorcea