The term “almshouse” seems to demand that it be broken down into several others: “God” and “to act” or “give alms for God”. Caring for lonely, frail elderly people is truly a mission of mercy and love. Before me, I envision grandmothers in polka-dot scarves, windowsills adorned with geraniums, and the steady ticking of clocks... But let me jump ahead and say that our conversation with Nun Anfisa (Ostapchuk) has altered my perception of the monastic almshouse, whose construction will begin soon.
Mother Anfisa is one of the first residents of our Convent. She was among the first Sisters of Mercy who went to the psychiatric hospital in the Novinki suburb on the outskirts of Minsk to assist those suffering. Now, she oversees the service of our Sisters of Mercy at the National Centre for Mental Health, serves as the coordinator-manager of the sisterhood association across the entire Belarusian Orthodox Church, and leads the rehabilitation art studio “Blessed Heaven”.
— Mother Anfisa, would you say that the almshouse, which is about to begin construction, is unique in its kind?
— I believe so. The primary mission of our almshouse is to welcome people, care for them, and do everything possible to ensure they depart this world with God’s grace.
Additionally, we anticipate that a rehabilitation centre will operate alongside the almshouse for individuals who have undergone or are undergoing treatment at the National Mental Health Centre.
— Why did this idea come about?
— Some mental illnesses lead to a gradual onset of disability. Medical professionals often don’t expect these people to recover. However, miracles do happen. Over the past five years, many patients from the hospital have passed through our “Blessed Heaven” workshop. Our workshop’s mission was to enable people to avoid becoming disabled and to maintain their dignity. The focus of rehabilitation was primarily to empower them to fight, not give up, experience the zest for life, and the beauty of communion with God. Our experience to date shows that occupational therapy, interaction, self-improvement, prayer, and the sacraments of the Church have a positive effect on those in need.
Nun Anfisa with a charge in the “Blessed Heaven” workshop
Let me share the story of a young woman who was admitted to the hospital with acute psychosis. She was on strong medications, which also had side effects, one being attention deficit. When she first came to us, all she could do was walk from one corner of the workshop to another. Gradually, she began to help out a little. At some point, she felt that she needed to be there. I dedicated my evenings to her — it was all about talking. Two years later, she began to recover little by little. She didn’t find herself in handicrafts, but it was important for her to be in a space filled with beauty, acceptance, and love. After three years, we started discussing her need to find employment. She sometimes went to confession and communion. The maturation of the soul can take two, three, or four years. It took her five years. Now she has the desire to work and is ready to join us in a different capacity — as an employee. And this is her desire, not ours.
— It seems that rehabilitation requires a lot of time and emotional energy. What is the most important aspect of this service?
— Initially, it must be the individual’s desire — if not to become healthy, then at least to strive towards self-improvement and avoid becoming disabled. Sometimes you see that a person has potential and could be pulled out of their illness, but they no longer want to try. They have resigned themselves to being disabled, and they are content with that. Unfortunately, this decision is common.
It’s painful when choices leaning towards disability are dictated by relatives to receive benefits. We had a very talented young woman who had every chance of overcoming her illness, but her family decided otherwise.
Nun Anfisa (Ostapchuk)
— Can you persuade or inspire someone?
— You need to give people the chance to believe that they can recover. And it’s not just about occupational therapy. In the 1990s, psychiatric hospitals had farms, gardens, greenhouses, and sewing workshops where patients could work while receiving treatment.
But I’d like to emphasize the importance of helping an individual to reflect on themselves. This aspect is crucial. What happened to them before, and what is happening now? Ordinary conversations don’t suffice. In personal discussions, it’s critical to engage them on specific issues: “Why do you feel this way? What do you need it for? Where will this lead you?” This encourages them to evaluate their words and experiences and analyze what brought them here. Initially, people may resist; they might express sarcasm, and all of this must be endured.
People need the opportunity to reconcile with God. After all, when someone falls out of society due to illness and their condition, and then tries to return to life based on their previous standards, they inevitably find themselves out of place: understanding with family and society is disrupted, they are no longer understood or accepted. I don’t deny that there are illnesses that necessitate residential care, but even there, transformation occurs. I recall two women: one was a brilliant mathematician, the other a civic leader. Outwardly, they met the highest standards of beauty, but internally, they were scarred. Vanity and pride had led them to the hospital. Over time, however, a transformation occurred: they continue to live in the institution, but they have become entirely different people.
— What else is needed to help such people?
— When a person starts to appreciate a different kind of beauty, Divine Grace becomes key. But until they reconnect with it and understand it, they might even resist it. When they come to a believer, say a sister of mercy, a conversation can happen, and they might begin to critically assess their actions and conditions. The sister helps them see themselves from a different perspective, to accept themselves as they are.
Sometimes you even notice in yourself — if you’ve judged or been outraged, then the phrase “How can this be!” emerges. As soon as you hear this phrase — it means you’ve already fallen. But you don’t realize it immediately; you recognize it through such markers. When the phrase appears, you must understand that it’s time to raise your hands to heaven and ask for God’s help. What am I getting at? It’s very difficult to accept oneself, and the task is to learn humility.
We must do something for the glory of God, for God himself, and try our hardest to cling to God and help our neighbour do the same. That’s the most important thing. But it’s a tremendous effort.
Nun Anfisa in the “Blessed Heaven” workshop at St. Elisabeth Convent in Minsk
— Surely your chargés also need praise?
— Praise should be given for actions. When someone is on the right path, when they take the correct steps, the Lord grants them an immense amount of grace. The soul understands this.
Our workshop is creative. For instance, we work with sculpture: we cast it, polish it, paint it. The curator’s task is to structure the work so that the final product is something that pleases both the creator and others. It’s important for everyone to feel that they’ve done something useful and beautiful. Such activity, not just praise, creates dignity in a person: I made it, people like it, they place orders, and I earn a salary — I earned it!
One aspect is that there’s always a place for people to come to. They aren’t strangers here. If they face coldness, hunger, or confusion in their lives, they know where they are welcomed. The rehabilitation workshop is primarily about creating an atmosphere.
— Who funds your workshop?
— Our workshop exists thanks to the monastery. It’s a social project, but the monastery still invests a significant amount of resources. For instance, there was a young woman who couldn’t work for two years, but we supported her and gave her a small amount of money so she could afford to buy something for herself. She didn’t earn this money, but she needed it to stay connected to life. Even a bit of social interaction is very important.
The almshouse and rehabilitation centre that we plan to open next to it represent a major social project of the monastery and, undoubtedly, a God-pleasing endeavour.
Nun Anfisa with fellow workers at the convent
— What kind of workshops will be at the almshouse?
— We plan to establish rehabilitation workshops for people who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals and are not considered disabled.
There’s a significant difference between working with disabled individuals and those who are still striving for a socially healthy existence. These two groups should undergo rehabilitation separately. It’s a fundamental issue.
The fact is that people with psychoneurological disabilities often cannot and do not want to work — they simply need social interaction. With them, you can sing, have tea, paint. It’s more about entertainment. They can be educated and prepared for confession and communion. You can feed them so they don’t leave hungry, help them mend something, or teach them to cook something by themselves. That’s the kind of work needed with disabled individuals.
However discharged patients are a different group, and their rehabilitation is different too. These are people who can be taught something new, given a profession, taught to work on themselves, and helped to find a foothold in life using the gifts generously provided by the Orthodox Church.
Also, I thought it would be beneficial to bring people undergoing treatment in the hospital to rehabilitation — to create a place where they could come to the workshop and do something. This is another separate block.
— What activities could be done in these workshops?
— I would like the rehabilitation centre to offer music sessions so that people could come and sing. Music therapy is wonderful. For this, you don’t need much: just an instrument, a room, and soundproofing.
People could also paint with watercolours and other paints. This is rehabilitation through creativity.
They could engage in crafts like working with wool or decoupage.
I also dream of having equipment for sand drawing — sand art.
It’s essential to carefully select our activities to ensure they truly benefit people. Not everyone is suited for manual work. Some need intellectual activities. Each person is unique, and each requires an individual approach. The same goes for elderly people. I want them to have leisure activities that suit their interests and abilities.
— What’s most important on an emotional level?
Nun Anfisa in the workshop of the “Blessed Heaven” art studio
— It’s essential for a person to be immersed in beauty, purity, and comfort. Our workshop, “Blessed Heaven,” is located beneath the altar of St. John of Shanghai Church. The space is aesthetically pleasing and includes a small kitchen so people can enjoy a cup of tea. When someone steps into this cosy atmosphere, scented with mint tea, it’s transformative. These elements are crucial; the environment itself heals.
Emotions are particularly significant for our chargés, whose emotional states are often severely disrupted. We strive to create an atmosphere filled with beauty, joy, and possibilities, to breathe new life into them, shifting their focus from sorrowful thoughts and experiences to a more positive outlook.
I remember when, after renovations at the National Mental Health Centre, they reopened the 12th ward where elderly ladies reside. The place was clean and beautiful, and it visibly revitalized the ladies. Observing this, I realised how vital it is for our workshops to have a healing atmosphere. We need to foster a creative, emotionally healthy environment that helps people distract themselves from grim realities and see the beauty of God’s world.
The elderly, the sick, and those who will work in the almshouse equally need God’s help, and we hope that the Lord will not forsake us in His guidance.
Interviewer: Elena Romanenkova
Photographs by Maxim Chernogolov
Also read: From loneliness to love: building a haven for the infirm
