Romanian Church opens addiction therapy center at monastery

The Romanian Orthodox Church opened and blessed a new addiction therapy center on Saturday, located at the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Tisa-Silvestri in northeast Romania.

The Life-Giving Spring center, intended for treatment of both alcohol and drug addictions, operates at the monastery as part of the Siloam Socio-Medical Association. The complex was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Joachim of Bacău, reports the Basilica News Agency.

The new center offers a higher step of treatment-therapy for addiction that complements the work already being carried out at the monastery since 2011, at the Archbishopric’s day center that is accredited by the Ministry of Labor and Social Justice.

In his homily after the service, Abp. Joachim referred to addictions as “wounds of the soul,” noting that while some passions diminish with age, there are others that fight to remain with you until death. “There is for every man a passion that permanently dominates him, which he must wage a spiritual war against,” the archpastor said.

His Eminence also referred to the work of the center as a kind of liturgy after the Liturgy: “If we celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy in the altar, there is a different liturgy in this habitation, that is, the liturgy of the brother, the liturgy of the neighbor… Nothing is done without God. After His public ministry, He said to remain in His love, for without Him we can do nothing! We hope that all who leave here will be touched by the Holy Spirit, Who will give birth to every fruit of love, obedience, well-being, and good will.”

The Life-Giving Spring Center is equipped with 12 rooms with two bed and a bathroom, a television, a refrigerator, air conditioning, a modern kitchen, psychological and spiritual counseling, a medical facility, recreation rooms, a spacious courtyard with a park and green areas, laundry facilities, offices, and various utility spaces.

The members of the center’s team have 9 years of experience with thousands of cases throughout Romania. The center aims to rehabilitate and socially reintegrate those who suffer from various substance addictions.

Source: Orthochristian.com