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How you can help » A minibus for the pastoral and social activities of the Camillian Fathers in Tbilisi
Georgia: A minibus for the pastoral and social activities of the Camillian Fathers in Tbilisi
Handicapped children in the clinic. @ACN
The clinic run by the Camillian Fathers[1] in Tbilisi does not have any wealthy patients. Instead it is the extremely poor and the refugees who come here, because they cannot afford expensive treatment and are grateful for the treatment the brothers provide free of charge. The Camillian Fathers have been running the clinic for 10 years now; it was a gift from Pope John Paul II. Among the regular patients are 36 physically handicapped, most of them young people. They cannot attend school, run around and let off steam, or play with their friends as other children do. "Sometimes there are situations and times in life when everything seemed hopeless and when there seems to be no way forward; where all the means are exhausted and the walls seem to be insuperably high", writes Brother Robert Kukulka. That is how it often feels for the young people he cares for, he tells us.
"People here are not accustomed to dealing with handicapped people; they point at them and comment in amazement. Often handicapped children live like prisoners in their own homes", he explains. "For decades, the handicapped have been neglected in Georgia and have been given neither material or psychological help". Many parents are afraid of social stigma and do not bring the handicapped children to receive the special care they deserve and need. This attitude is also partly a legacy of the communist ideology which regarded the handicapped as worthless and denied them humane treatment. The situation has now improved somewhat, but it is still far from ideal. The social invalidity benefit is just €40 a month. "Can anyone live on that?", asks Brother Kukulka, adding, "Many handicapped people sit outside the churches begging." Because they have no money, the handicapped are often isolated. On top of this most of the homes are not designed for the handicapped and have no lifts for example.
The young patients in the clinic run by the Camillian Fathers are in a more fortunate position, for they have a ‘family’ that looks after them, and the Camillian Fathers care for them with great love and devotion. In the clinic they are given physiotherapy and all the necessary care, without having to pay for the treatment. In any case they could never afford to pay, since they usually come from poor homes. The poorest of them live with their families close to the hospital and come in daily with the others to the House of St Camillus, where they enjoy a caring community environment and all the help they need. There is a wealth of different things to do, indeed "everything the heart could wish for", as Brother Kukulka puts it. The 35 young people can do handicrafts like carving, knitting, cooking, and also take part in art and music therapy sessions. The loving all-round care given by the brothers also includes professional help from psychotherapists and a psychiatrist.
Every morning helpers collect the patients with a minibus from their homes and bring them back again in the evening. On Sundays they are taken to Mass. On Saturdays the brothers put on some kind of a treat for the children of families that were expelled from their homes in the recent war. These include excursions to the seaside or into the mountains, and are funded by the Vatican embassy. And the younger people among the physically handicapped often come along too. Given their disabilities, they often have to stay in more formal settings. All in all, the brothers are the most important stability factor in their lives, a window on the world.
But now the car that the brothers use, and which is in constant use from Mondays through to Sundays, is becoming very battered and often breaks down. The brothers, who are completely dependent on the car, have now turned to ACN to ask for help to buy a new minibus. "In many respects, their happiness depends on you", they write to our benefactors. "For you have the opportunity to help these people who have been rejected by society in Georgia and often even by their own parents… We would like to bring at least a little bit of light and a drop of joy into these wounded souls", they conclude. "At least we can give them a little piece of our hearts, to brighten up their lives."
The Camillian Fathers themselves have managed to get together €10,000 for the minibus. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN has also been able to contribute €10,000 and the brothers have now been able to buy a minibus. It is specially adapted for the handicapped, with a lifting platform, so that the brothers do not have to left the patients bodily into the bus as they have done hitherto. Additionally it is a sturdy vehicle and should be able to cope with the rough road conditions outside the towns. Brother Rambert, who sent us this request, has written to express his heartfelt thanks for the generous kindness of our benefactors and to ask God's blessing on you all. Now he and his fellow brothers can once more transport the patients on a daily basis and take them out on excursions. The happiness and joy it gives these young patients to take part in these outings is written all over their faces.
[1] The Camillians or (Clerks Regular) Ministers to the Sick were founded in Rome between 1582-86 by St . Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614). An order of priests and Brothers, they differ from most traditional monastic orders in that they occasionally dispense with the religious habit and, instead of common choral prayer, engage in pastoral and apostolic activities. They also follow their own statutes. One of the vows taken by the Camillians is to serve the sick, even at the risk of their own lives. The Brothers work as chaplains, social workers, carers, nurses, doctors and psychologists, as well as being active in mission. Around the world the order numbers some 1,100 Camillians.
The clinic run by the Camillian Fathers[1] in Tbilisi does not have any wealthy patients. Instead it is the extremely poor and the refugees who come here, because they cannot afford expensive treatment and are grateful for the treatment the brothers provide free of charge. The Camillian Fathers have been running the clinic for 10 years now; it was a gift from Pope John Paul II. Among the regular patients are 36 physically handicapped, most of them young people. They cannot attend school, run around and let off steam, or play with their friends as other children do. "Sometimes there are situations and times in life when everything seemed hopeless and when there seems to be no way forward; where all the means are exhausted and the walls seem to be insuperably high", writes Brother Robert Kukulka. That is how it often feels for the young people he cares for, he tells us.
"People here are not accustomed to dealing with handicapped people; they point at them and comment in amazement. Often handicapped children live like prisoners in their own homes", he explains. "For decades, the handicapped have been neglected in Georgia and have been given neither material or psychological help". Many parents are afraid of social stigma and do not bring the handicapped children to receive the special care they deserve and need. This attitude is also partly a legacy of the communist ideology which regarded the handicapped as worthless and denied them humane treatment. The situation has now improved somewhat, but it is still far from ideal. The social invalidity benefit is just €40 a month. "Can anyone live on that?", asks Brother Kukulka, adding, "Many handicapped people sit outside the churches begging." Because they have no money, the handicapped are often isolated. On top of this most of the homes are not designed for the handicapped and have no lifts for example.
The young patients in the clinic run by the Camillian Fathers are in a more fortunate position, for they have a ‘family’ that looks after them, and the Camillian Fathers care for them with great love and devotion. In the clinic they are given physiotherapy and all the necessary care, without having to pay for the treatment. In any case they could never afford to pay, since they usually come from poor homes. The poorest of them live with their families close to the hospital and come in daily with the others to the House of St Camillus, where they enjoy a caring community environment and all the help they need. There is a wealth of different things to do, indeed "everything the heart could wish for", as Brother Kukulka puts it. The 35 young people can do handicrafts like carving, knitting, cooking, and also take part in art and music therapy sessions. The loving all-round care given by the brothers also includes professional help from psychotherapists and a psychiatrist.
Every morning helpers collect the patients with a minibus from their homes and bring them back again in the evening. On Sundays they are taken to Mass. On Saturdays the brothers put on some kind of a treat for the children of families that were expelled from their homes in the recent war. These include excursions to the seaside or into the mountains, and are funded by the Vatican embassy. And the younger people among the physically handicapped often come along too. Given their disabilities, they often have to stay in more formal settings. All in all, the brothers are the most important stability factor in their lives, a window on the world.
But now the car that the brothers use, and which is in constant use from Mondays through to Sundays, is becoming very battered and often breaks down. The brothers, who are completely dependent on the car, have now turned to ACN to ask for help to buy a new minibus. "In many respects, their happiness depends on you", they write to our benefactors. "For you have the opportunity to help these people who have been rejected by society in Georgia and often even by their own parents… We would like to bring at least a little bit of light and a drop of joy into these wounded souls", they conclude. "At least we can give them a little piece of our hearts, to brighten up their lives."
The Camillian Fathers themselves have managed to get together €10,000 for the minibus. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN has also been able to contribute €10,000 and the brothers have now been able to buy a minibus. It is specially adapted for the handicapped, with a lifting platform, so that the brothers do not have to left the patients bodily into the bus as they have done hitherto. Additionally it is a sturdy vehicle and should be able to cope with the rough road conditions outside the towns. Brother Rambert, who sent us this request, has written to express his heartfelt thanks for the generous kindness of our benefactors and to ask God's blessing on you all. Now he and his fellow brothers can once more transport the patients on a daily basis and take them out on excursions. The happiness and joy it gives these young patients to take part in these outings is written all over their faces.
[1] The Camillians or (Clerks Regular) Ministers to the Sick were founded in Rome between 1582-86 by St . Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614). An order of priests and Brothers, they differ from most traditional monastic orders in that they occasionally dispense w
The clinic run by the Camillian Fathers[1] in Tbilisi does not have any wealthy patients. Instead it is the extremely poor and the refugees who come here, because they cannot afford expensive treatment and are grateful for the treatment the brothers provide free of charge. The Camillian Fathers have been running the clinic for 10 years now; it was a gift from Pope John Paul II. Among the regular patients are 36 physically handicapped, most of them young people. They cannot attend school, run around and let off steam, or play with their friends as other children do. "Sometimes there are situations and times in life when everything seemed hopeless and when there seems to be no way forward; where all the means are exhausted and the walls seem to be insuperably high", writes Brother Robert Kukulka. That is how it often feels for the young people he cares for, he tells us.
"People here are not accustomed to dealing with handicapped people; they point at them and comment in amazement. Often handicapped children live like prisoners in their own homes", he explains. "For decades, the handicapped have been neglected in Georgia and have been given neither material or psychological help". Many parents are afraid of social stigma and do not bring the handicapped children to receive the special care they deserve and need. This attitude is also partly a legacy of the communist ideology which regarded the handicapped as worthless and denied them humane treatment. The situation has now improved somewhat, but it is still far from ideal. The social invalidity benefit is just €40 a month. "Can anyone live on that?", asks Brother Kukulka, adding, "Many handicapped people sit outside the churches begging." Because they have no money, the handicapped are often isolated. On top of this most of the homes are not designed for the handicapped and have no lifts for example.
The young patients in the clinic run by the Camillian Fathers are in a more fortunate position, for they have a ‘family’ that looks after them, and the Camillian Fathers care for them with great love and devotion. In the clinic they are given physiotherapy and all the necessary care, without having to pay for the treatment. In any case they could never afford to pay, since they usually come from poor homes. The poorest of them live with their families close to the hospital and come in daily with the others to the House of St Camillus, where they enjoy a caring community environment and all the help they need. There is a wealth of different things to do, indeed "everything the heart could wish for", as Brother Kukulka puts it. The 35 young people can do handicrafts like carving, knitting, cooking, and also take part in art and music therapy sessions. The loving all-round care given by the brothers also includes professional help from psychotherapists and a psychiatrist.
Every morning helpers collect the patients with a minibus from their homes and bring them back again in the evening. On Sundays they are taken to Mass. On Saturdays the brothers put on some kind of a treat for the children of families that were expelled from their homes in the recent war. These include excursions to the seaside or into the mountains, and are funded by the Vatican embassy. And the younger people among the physically handicapped often come along too. Given their disabilities, they often have to stay in more formal settings. All in all, the brothers are the most important stability factor in their lives, a window on the world.
But now the car that the brothers use, and which is in constant use from Mondays through to Sundays, is becoming very battered and often breaks down. The brothers, who are completely dependent on the car, have now turned to ACN to ask for help to buy a new minibus. "In many respects, their happiness depends on you", they write to our benefactors. "For you have the opportunity to help these people who have been rejected by society in Georgia and often even by their own parents… We would like to bring at least a little bit of light and a drop of joy into these wounded souls", they conclude. "At least we can give them a little piece of our hearts, to brighten up their lives."
The Camillian Fathers themselves have managed to get together €10,000 for the minibus. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN has also been able to contribute €10,000 and the brothers have now been able to buy a minibus. It is specially adapted for the handicapped, with a lifting platform, so that the brothers do not have to left the patients bodily into the bus as they have done hitherto. Additionally it is a sturdy vehicle and should be able to cope with the rough road conditions outside the towns. Brother Rambert, who sent us this request, has written to express his heartfelt thanks for the generous kindness of our benefactors and to ask God's blessing on you all. Now he and his fellow brothers can once more transport the patients on a daily basis and take them out on excursions. The happiness and joy it gives these young patients to take part in these outings is written all over their faces.
[1] The Camillians or (Clerks Regular) Ministers to the Sick were founded in Rome between 1582-86 by St . Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614). An order of priests and Brothers, they differ from most traditional monastic orders in that they occasionally dispense with the religious habit and, instead of common choral prayer, engage in pastoral and apostolic activities. They also follow their own statutes. One of the vows taken by the Camillians is to serve the sick, even at the risk of their own lives. The Brothers work as chaplains, social workers, carers, nurses, doctors and psychologists, as well as being active in mission. Around the world the order numbers some 1,100 Camillians.
http://www.orden-online.de/wissen/k/kamillianer/
ith the religious habit and, instead of common choral prayer, engage in pastoral and apostolic activities. They also follow their own statutes. One of the vows taken by the Camillians is to serve the sick, even at the risk of their own lives. The Brothers work as chaplains, social workers, carers, nurses, doctors and psychologists, as well as being active in mission. Around the world the order numbers some 1,100 Camillians.
http://www.orden-online.de/wissen/k/kamillianer/
To know about this and many other similar projects in favour of the pastoral needs of the suffering Church, please contact our national offices.