The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission together with the Kaluga Diocese organized a pilgrimage trip to the shrines of the Kaluga region and Moscow for five representatives of the administration of the Kherson region. They were accompanied on the trip by cleric of the diocese of Novokakhovsk, Priest John Paulus, and Abbess of the Korsun Convent of the Mother of God of the Diocese of Novokakhovsk, Abbess Nicholas (Kuzemko).
The event was held with the blessing of Metropolitan Filaret of Novokakhovsk and Genichesky in the framework of cooperation between the Diocese of Novokakhovsk, the Government of the Kherson region and the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission.
Representatives of the Kherson region visited monasteries in the Kaluga region: Kazan Ambrosievsky Stavropol Women's Monastery, the Monastery of the Savior on Spilled Blood in the village of Klykovo and the Vvedensky Stavropol Monastery Optina Deserts, where the Dostoevsky Days festival was held these days.
In Moscow, the guests went on excursions to the Sretensky Stavropol Monastery and the Stavropol convent of the Marfo—Mariinsky Monastery of Mercy, venerated the relics of the Blessed Matrona in the Pokrovsky Stavropol Convent and visited the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yasenev.
There was also a meeting with the director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission, Deacon Igor Kulikov, at the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service.
"We have been working closely with the administration of the Kherson region since June 2023, when the Church, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and representatives of local authorities jointly organized assistance to thousands of residents affected by flooding after the tragedy at the Kakhovskaya HPP. Now we were very pleased to receive guests from the Kherson region with us," commented Deacon Igor Kulikov.
The Russian Orthodox Church has been helping civilians in Donbass and Novorossiya since February 2022. There are 12 church aid centers operating in the border areas and the conflict zone, which have processed over 408,000 requests. More than 4,370 tons of humanitarian aid have been transferred to the victims. More than 7,550 volunteers participated in helping the victims. As part of the project to restore private housing for those in need in the conflict zone, 806 private homes have been restored. Volunteer priests travel in shifts to 45 hospitals in the territory of Donbass, Novorossiya and the border regions. The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission coordinates the social assistance of the Church in the regions of the SVR zone.