ARCHIVE
CASE STUDY: Young Woman with a Severely Injured Knee
Polina hurt her knee so badly that she could not go to school. Thanks to our generous donors her knee could be repaired and she is back in school.
Polina with her mother and grandmother
FROM OPPRESSION TO HOPE
Prior to the October Revolution in 1917, the Russian Orthodox Church, as the Catholic Church in the West, had a strong tradition of charity work. With the advent of Soviet rule, all of this was forbidden and the church was subject to periods of severe repression, including physical liquidation of its clergy and prominent lay leaders, and the destruction or seizing of many of its churches by the state.
With the fall of Soviet power, the Russian Orthodox Church was again freed to engage in is former activities and to rebuild its churches. It has had to do so, however with greatly limited resources and unprecedented needs of an impoverished population. Since 1992, the Danish social worker Connie Meyer, Supported by the Danish Lutheran St. Paul Society, has been working under the aegis of the Russian Orthodox Church with Father Pavel Vishnevsky, a Moscow-based Russian Orthodox priest.
Over several years, a number of Ann Arborites have
become acquainted with Father Pavel and Connie Meyer
and their work with the church and the poor in Russia.
RUSSIA WITH LOVE was initiated in response to a concern
to help in a process of church renewal and outreach to
the poor.
The monies raised by RUSSIA WITH LOVE have gone to
support Fr. Pavel and Connie Meyer's mission church
renewal and outreach to the needs of the poor in Russia.