Russian prisoners
21 November 1998 09:23
A few weeks ago I forwarded to the list a letter from Fr. Philip Andrews, an Irish Salesian priest working in Russia, to whose web site I have provided a link on the TLIG site. I’m forwarding a slightly modified letter again below, this time with some contact details for those who may wish to respond in a specific way.
The Queen of The Apostles Mission Association is a long standing charity which provides considerable help to a variety of areas in Russia. The nature of this charity is best illustrated by copying here an excerpt from its latest newsletter.
“The purpose of this newsletter is to share with you the joy, the hope and the mystery of working for Mary in Russia. The mission is not to raise money for Russia but to pray for the conversion of Russia, believing that in the end Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph and Russia will convert.
Mary tells us prayer is the currency of heaven. We will not convert
Russia with money or by shipping rosaries. But through consecration
to Her Immaculate Heart, through prayer and sacrifices, we enable Her to
touch hearts and to dispense graces. The world does not understand this
Divine Economy.”
Despite the spiritual orientation, the Association has and will continue to support Fr. Philip and others with material help. I’m sure Matt Werner, whose email address is quoted below, will be happy to send a copy of the colourful newsletter (printing and distribution is donated to the apostolate) to anyone who requests it.
David Armitage
ADMINISTRATIO APOSTOLICAE LATINORUM RUSSIAE EUROPEAE
CAPPELLANIA SANCTAE FAMILIAE IN MORDOVIAE
Dear Friends,
As you know I have been working in Russia as a priest for over three years now. In the last year I have been visiting foreigners who are serving time in Russia’s prison for foreigners. Many have converted to the faith and soon we will be laying the foundation for a chapel within this prison.
However at the moment we are worried about the prisoners. The Government does not have any money to allocate to the prisons and consequently the prisoners are suffering from the lack of food and warm clothes.
Last week I was in Moscow and the Orthodox Bishop, Bishop Saba, responsible for the pastoral care of prisoners and soldiers, asked me to try and organise humanitarian help in the way of food for the prisoners. He is very worried and really so.
Two days later I went to the prisons which I visit and entering one prison I noticed that all the guys were unusually sad and depressed, even the ones of a joyful and hilarious character. So I asked them what was wrong and they said the food; they have nothing to eat except water and bread.
They receive a small slice of bread three times a day and hot water with a few leaves of cabbage in it, which although called soup is actually just hot water. There is no nutrition and no vitamins, and yet they must now face the hard winter and demanding physical work. In the next months their sad faces will become even more frightening as the food will even get worse and the temperatures drop to minus ten and twenty. As you might know there is also a serious situation of tubercolosis in the prisons in Russia and this has its causes in bad nutrition, depression and tiredness.
Is there any chance of helping feed the prisoners, because they are not free or able to feed themselves?
Although these people are in jail for crimes committed it does not mean that they ought to be put into situations in which they are in danger of death. I met one prisoner, Joseph from Zaire. He is now in the hospital prison with a serious case of developed tubercolosis. He is subjected to the same type of food, he has no winter clothes and neither the hospital nor the worried doctors have got all the equipment nor the medicines to treat his TB properly. Joseph received a two year sentence for stealing a 100$ coat in Moscow. He stole the coat to keep himself warm in the Russian winter two years ago. In his two years in prison he has contracted TB, soon he will be released, but without the proper help he will be set free to die.
To feed the prisoners we need large quantities of foods, to be used in the prison kitchens rather than to be given to individual prisoners.
Can we give the prisoners food to make it through the winter and a nice meal for Christmas?
With special prayers
Fr. Philip Andrews
If you would like to help in this relief effort, you can make a financial donation either by check or money order payable to QAMA and making reference to Fr. Philip Andrews.
- Address
- Queen of The Apostles Mission Association 8035 South Quebec Englewood, CO 80112
Or Contact: Matt Werner: e-mail: [email protected]
There is a Toll-free phone no: 1-800-7-FATIMA
Thank you for your gift and God bless!
“I was in prison, and you came to me” St. Matthew: 25.36