On September 19, 2026, on the feast of the memory of the miracle of Archangel Michael, who was in the Monastery (Colossae), a meeting of the new bishop of the Skadovsky diocese, Bishop Joseph of Skadovsky and Alyoshkin, took place in the Sergievsky Church in Skadovsk.
The Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Filaret of Novokakhovsky and Genichesky, co-served by Bishop Joseph and the clergy of the Skadovo diocese. The head of the Skadovsky district, A.P. Dudka, and numerous lay people prayed in the temple.
The newly appointed bishop was greeted by staff and volunteers of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission's assistance center, who came from Kirov, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow and Simferopol to help residents of the Kherson region.
After the Liturgy, representatives of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission met with Bishop Joseph. Vladyka listened to each volunteer and shared the experience of his previous ministry. Vladyka paid special attention to the spiritual care of the volunteers.
Larisa Lee, coordinator of the assistance center, spoke about the main tasks of the Mission. The activities of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission in the Kherson region are diverse: volunteers provide targeted social assistance to residents of the region, including home care for people with limited mobility, support for patients in medical institutions and work with children in Sunday school. When the operational situation allows, humanitarian trips are made to other settlements of the region. This work is carried out in close cooperation with the diocese and parish churches. The Special Humanitarian Center of the Crimean Archdiocese provides regular support.
The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission's Assistance Center has been operating in Skadovsk since January 2025, during which time over 7,900 requests have been processed, and more than 190 volunteers from different regions of Russia have participated in providing assistance.
The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission was established by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church with the aim of coordinating and systematically developing assistance to civilians in the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as well as providing assistance to wounded servicemen.