Church Launches First Mother-and-Child Addiction Treatment Center in Nizhny Novgorod Province

Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Province, Russia, January 17, 2025

Photo: nne.ru     

Yesterday, a diocesan center for women suffering from chemical dependencies opened in Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Province. The opening ceremony began with the consecration of the premises by His Grace Bishop Gedeon of Vyksa and Pavlovo.

The new center, under the patronage of St. Barnabas of Gethsemane Skete, is the first of its kind for the province, reports the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolitanate.

The event was attended by various Church, public, and social organization representatives.

After the consecration, Bp. Gedeon addressed those present with an archpastoral message:

This center is designed to support those who suffer from addiction that poisons their body, soul, and life. These people are in such a state that they can no longer get out of it on their own. They need help from specialists, psychologists, counselors—those who understand how to overcome this addiction and return a person to a full life. And, of course, they need spiritual support, without which this path would be incomplete.

The center’s key feature is allowing women to undergo addiction treatment while living with their children, both infants and school-age. Children will continue their normal activities like school while receiving psychological support alongside their mothers, recognizing the crucial importance of maintaining the mother-child bond during recovery.

The center also offers professional psychological counseling and spiritual support, welcoming women of all backgrounds who wish to overcome addiction while keeping their families intact. The facility was established through funding from the Timchenko Foundation and the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service, which covered renovation costs and equipment.

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