With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Bryansk and Sevsk, representatives of all the sisterhoods of the Bryansk Diocese completed an internship at the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. 20 people took part in the internship — the sisters of mercy of the Orthodox service "White Sails" from Bryansk, the sisters of the parish in honor of the Holy Martyr Elizabeth, as well as sisters from the villages of Vygonichi and Navlya. The trip was led by the head of the Bryansk Diocesan Sisterhood of Mercy, Priest Ilya Burdukov.
The main event of the program was the presentation of certificates of profession "Junior Nurse in Nursing" to the sisters who successfully completed the program of the St. Alexy Hospital Training Center in the newly opened Classroom of the Church Hospital in Bryansk.
"Our experience shows that the blessing of the ruling bishop is important for the organization of the sisterhood of mercy. We are grateful to Metropolitan Alexander for his support at the opening of the Training Class in Bryansk. This gives us hope and confidence that the Bryansk sisterhood will continue to develop and make a significant contribution to the merciful service of our Church," said Alexey Zarov, director and chief physician of St. Alexy's Hospital.
After handing over the certificates, Alexey Zarov conducted a tour of the hospital grounds for the guests. Then the sisters of the Bryansk Diocese visited the hospital church in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The program continued at the Stavropol convent of the Marfo—Mariinsky Monastery of Mercy in Moscow, where the sisters organized a tour of the museum and the monastery grounds.
As part of their training, the Bryansk sisters of Mercy completed an internship in the palliative care unit. They got acquainted with the practices of caring for the seriously ill. The internship participants also discussed plans for further collaboration with St. Alexy's Hospital, the organization of patronage services and palliative care with Anastasia Dumbrava, coordinator of nursing at the palliative department of the Church Hospital, and Elena Kazinova, head of the Elizabethan branch in Zhukovsky.
"The internship at St. Alexy's Hospital was not only a significant event, but also an important stage in the development of the Bryansk sisterhood. For the sisters, this cooperation is of particular importance: the Bryansk region is a border region and is experiencing all the hardships of this situation. The sisters carry out their obedience in the medical institutions of the region, including in the hospital, so the knowledge and experience gained will help them take even better care of the wounded and sick," said Priest Ilya Burdukov, head of the Bryansk Diocesan Sisterhood of Mercy.