How the charitable Caritas-Spes mission was established.

From 1988 when we got a real possibility to go abroad and see the life of other people and Church we paid our attention to Church activities especially to “Caritas”. After one of such journeys to Poland where the great progress was made by the Catholic Church f. Juriy Nagornyi got blessings from bishop Domin who was the president of “Caritas” in Poland (now he is deceased). As a good and full of optimism priest f. Juriy Nagornyi began to organize “Caritas” in Ukraine. With great difficulties he managed to register in 1990 the public organization “Love and mercy”. That organization was neither ecclesiastica nor religious because the structure of the Catholic Church in Ukraine wasn’t renewed yet. The Church was renewed only in 1991 with nomination of bishops. There were no bishops n Ukraine for more than 80 years. Regestration of the organization “Love and mercy” gave the opportunity to open way for the first humanitarian assistance that actively began to come to Ukraine and was portioned out by this organizaton. A lot of various assistance: clothes, medicine and medical equipment were received. It is known that in those days there was no opportunity to control everything with the help of one organization. That’s why we couldn’t be sure that all the assistance was given only to the poor people. Another great problem was envy of the other structures. A strong desire to work or exactly to divide had not only public servises but also some sly and dexterous people even criminals.

Having seen it philanthropists from abroad who were too trustful from the beginning lessened amounts of their assistance. And legislative authority being satiated by communist mentality and ability to forbid built “more and more perfect” legislative system “ everything for the human’s weal” in order to prevent dispensaton of humanitarian aid. Episcopate of Roman Catholic church in Ukraine understood the situaton that was created around “Caritas” but couldn’t really counteract it because had urgent problems in building up of the church structures which were almost ruined during Soviet regime. The first attempt to do something centralized was made in 1992 when bishop of Zhytomyr Parish Jan Purvinskui was appointed the head of the “Caritas” Roman Catholic church. Decisions to register “Caritas” as religious organizations subordinated to bishops were taken. But then everything was left undecided. During that time in spite of all difficulties and problems haritative activity developed on the basis of the parochial “Caritas” under the control of deans and f. Juriy Nagornui leaded the whole “Caritas” and did his best to develop this activity cooperating with “Caritas” from Austria, France, Netherlands and others.

Situation in Ukraine became more corruptible thus that each time when the aid came the drivers from abroad promised not to come to Ukraine themselvs and and to tell it to the others. All because of bribery, demandings, corruption starting from customs officers on the frontiers and on every state traffic warden post to the bureaucratic formalities in the municipal government.

Since 1995 re-registration of all offices of “Caritas” from public institutions into religious has began. So the new structure that was under control of the church was craeted. This process was completely finished only in 1996. Then Religious “Caritas-Spes” Mission of Roman-Catholic Church was officially registered. In 1996 legislation of Ukraine made it almost impossible to receive humanitarian aid from abroad. Activity of improvement of children’s health abroad and in Ukraine decreased again because of legislative difficulties. Only some small groups of the children who had suffered from the damage at the Chornobyl APP could be sent abroad or to the health resorts in Ukraine to improve their health. Thanks to the offerings of various people, mostly from abroad, such as “Caritas” in Germany, Austria, France and catholic organization Renovabis our activity has grown. Results of Chornobyl damage made us specialize in improvement of children’s health. In 1996 about 230 children improved their health, in 1997 – 700 children, in 1999 – 1800. the children had a rest in haritative camps in Jablunycia (Ivano-Frankivsk region), Poninci (Khmelnitski region), Zarichany (not far from Zhytomyr), Oleksandrivka (Zhytomyr region) and Vorzel (Kyiv region). Apart from these newly-built “Caritas-Spes” recreation centers more than 30 regional “Caritas” centers that actively organize assistance for the poor by creation of charitable dining rooms and social centrs were created.

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