A historic building in the city would become the local headquarters of Caritas. The promoter of the initiative is the auxiliary bishop, Mons. Nikolai Dubinin. Originally, the place was used as a shelter for homeless Catholics; after being confiscated in the Soviet era, it continued to be used for charity. The new headquarters would help numerous Catholic assistance centers in European Russia, which still often deal with rather precarious legal and logistical conditions.
Saint Petersburg () – The Catholics of the “northern capital” want to revive a large charity center on Vasilyevsky Ostrov Island, in the center of the city. The information was released by Kommersant Sankt-Peterburg. It is an initiative of the diocese of central Russia -based in Moscow- promoted by the auxiliary bishop, Mons. Nikolaj Dubinin, the first Catholic bishop of Russian nationality, currently in charge of the pastoral area of St. Petersburg.
The Catholics presented to the Municipal Council the request for the free restitution of a 19th century building, located in the 14 Vasilevski area. At this time the complex is occupied by two centers inherited from the Soviet era, dedicated to addiction rehabilitation and family support. The initiative aims to transform it into the local Caritas center with various purposes and far-reaching projects.
As the young Franciscan bishop explains, “after the restitution we will be able to allocate the premises according to the statutes of Caritas, for assistance and social purposes, taking into account the historical characteristics of the building, which has been the headquarters of Catholic charity for more than a century.” Dubinin added that “attention will be paid to the current needs and conditions of all citizens of St. Petersburg, Catholic and non-Catholic.”
The clergyman recalled that the building was originally used as a shelter for homeless Catholics. In 1857 a home for orphan girls was also installed and in 1859 the administrators had approved the statute of “Home for the poor of Catholic confession”. The center was managed by a special committee, animated by the parishioners of the Church of Saint Catherine, the architectural jewel of the Dominicans on Nevsky, the main street of the capital of the Russian Empire at that time. “This was the first official charity center for Russian Catholics,” the auxiliary bishop said.
The request for restitution was only possible recently, thanks to the expansion of the regulations on historic ecclesiastical buildings, modified in 2021. In the new text of the regulations, the restitution of goods destined for the material and spiritual assistance of the population is prioritized, such as homes for orphans and soup kitchens. These centers were common in the Orthodox churches of Saint Petersburg, where people came from all over Russia in search of work and help.
The first request from the Catholics was submitted in March of this year, but the authorities considered that the documentation was insufficient. After a thorough analysis, the request was accepted on August 26, and a positive decision is expected from the municipal official, who reported that the property is free of legal or economic impediments.
The large three-storey building has an area of 350 square meters not intended for housing. Currently there is a restaurant, several offices and some apartments that could be vacated. However, the establishments will not be evicted immediately, but will proceed to move them gradually (over a period of six years) until adequate facilities are obtained, avoiding harm to natural and legal persons. In this sense, Dubinin provides peace of mind about the agreements: “The current usufructuaries will be offered more suitable and comfortable alternatives, this is a historic building and it is necessary to carry out works and reforms.”
The deanery of the northwest of the diocese, in charge of Mons. Dubinin has about thirty parishes, out of a total of 67 including central Moscow, plus about twenty in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, the northeastern Catholic deanery. The new Caritas Petersburg would help numerous assistance centers that were opened by Catholics in European Russia -many of them, in rather precarious legal and logistical conditions.
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