VOLGOGRAD, Russia,
- An Orthodox priest in the Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) region of
Russia has been commended by the Russian Ministry of Health for his work
in reducing the number of abortions in his district. His personal
efforts in counseling and helping women to keep their babies has reduced
the abortion rate in the Volgograd region by 25 percent over the past
five years.
Father Alexis Tarasov began
his life saving work in his own parish in the town of Voljsk, where he
said he spent hours talking with women who were considering abortion. He
expanded his pro-life work with visits to the local hospital. Then, he
and other like-minded priests, established a crisis pregnancy center.
With the support of his diocese, he approached the local authorities for help to expand the project.
“The program was approved in 2002 by the administration of Voljsk,”
said Father Alexis. “Then the idea developed to create a regional
center, with the support of the administration of Volgograd.”
The result was the creation of the Center for the Protection of
Motherhood and Childhood, under the supervision the Archangel Raphael
Orthodox Medical Society.
According to the Department of Health, more than 2,000 Volgograd
women have chosen to abandon their original intention to have an
abortion since that time.
Father Alexis explained that the focus of his project is simple: to
provide women with trained and sympathetic listeners who will hear their
concerns, give them full information on the abortion procedure and its
potential effects on their own health and well-being, and offer them the
material help they need.
“Quite often, the only thing needed to dissuade a mother from this
terrible decision is simply to talk to someone with an open heart,”
Father Alexis said.
(Click “like” if you want to end abortion! )
Natalia Ermishkina, 31, is one of the women that Father Alexis
dissuaded from abortion. The young mother said she had lost her room in
subsidized housing after being abandoned by the man who promised to
marry her and raise their child. Out of desperation, Natalia decided to
get rid of the child.
“The psychologist in prenatal listened to me and advised me to speak
to Father Alexis,” said Natalia. “I went to him and I do not regret it. I
gave birth to Alexandra, and the Center helped me with housing and
clothes for the child. I have a daughter, and now begin to believe in
and look forward to a better life.”
“Today, all women seeking abortions are sent by gynecologists for
consultation with the psychologist working at each prenatal hospital,”
said Nikolai Zarkin, head physician of Volgograd’s Central Maternity
Hospital № 2.
Zarkin said after these consultations, 20 percent of women refuse abortion and give birth to their children.
Father Alexis has organized help for mothers after their children are
born by providing legal aid as well as clothing at the Center for the
Protection of Motherhood and Childhood, and looks forward to providing
more housing.
“Wherever possible, we strive to help women in need. There is now an
acute need for the establishment of more homes for moms who need
housing. It is essential to build homes and equip them so that women can
live with their children until their housing problem is resolved,” said
Father Alexis. “But it is difficult without help from the authorities
and, without benefactors, we can not do it.”
Pravoslavie News reports that Father Alexis has been given an award
by the World Congress of Families for his many years of pro-life work.
No comments:
Post a Comment