On August 23, 2026, the first Congress of the Sisterhoods and Fraternities of Mercy of the Vladimir Archdiocese was held in the Vladimir Regional Scientific Library.
The participants of the congress, which was held under the general name "Day of Mercy", were employees of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service — Archpriest Sergei Klyaev, head of hospital care, Natalia Shakuro, head of hospital service, sisters of mercy from different cities of the Vladimir region, confessors of sisterhoods, heads of diocesan departments for social service, representatives of the brotherhood of mercy, as well as the sisterhoods of the Vladimir, Murom and Alexander dioceses.
On this day, representatives of the St. George Sisterhood of Vladimir, the St. Euphrosyne Sisterhood of Suzdal, the St. Athanasius Sisterhood of Kovrov, the St. Barbara Sisterhood of Gus-Khrustalny, the sisterhood of the Righteous Lazarus Four-Day Sobinka, the St. Catherine Sisterhood of Sudogda, the sisterhood of the Kameshkovsky deanery, the parish sisterhood "With One Heart" of the Holy Resurrection met in Vladimir. the Temple of Vladimir, as well as the brotherhood of Alexander Nevsky.
The congress began with the Divine Liturgy at the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, which was led by Metropolitan Nikander of Vladimir and Suzdal. The head of the Vladimir Archdiocese was co-served by the heads of the social departments of the dioceses of the archdiocese, the confessors of the sisterhoods and the clergy.
The head of the department for work with the deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing of the Vladimir Diocese, Priest Vyacheslav Androsov, performed sign language translation of the divine service into Russian for the deaf and hard of hearing people who also participated in the Liturgy.
A special event of the Day of Mercy was the bringing of the relics of St. Juliana Lazarevskaya to the cathedral. The shrine was greeted before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, after which the sisters of mercy and parishioners were able to prayerfully address the saint, whose life became an example of active Christian love, caring for others and serving those in need.
At the end of the Liturgy, new sisters of mercy were consecrated and confessors and sisters of mercy were awarded, who have been serving in hospitals, social institutions and parishes for many years and are involved in other areas of church assistance to their neighbors.
The day continued with the first congress of the sisterhoods and fraternities of Mercy of the Vladimir Metropolitan Area. One of the main tasks of the congress was to create a space for live communication between the metropolitan sisterhoods, exchange of accumulated experience and discuss issues that the sisters face in their daily ministry.
Before the start of the main program, a photo exhibition "Faces of Mercy" was presented, dedicated to the service of the staff of St. George's Sisterhood of Vladimir. Through the photographs, the participants were able to see the everyday side of nursing service — helping people, caring for those in need, and the work that often remains unnoticed by others. The meeting was moderated by Ekaterina Alekseenko.
The main program of the congress was devoted to the spiritual foundations of the ministry of mercy, the history of the development of sisterhoods in the Vladimir land and the role of the confessor in the life of a sister of mercy.
Priest Rodion Cheban was the first speaker with the report "The Ministry of the Sisters of Mercy: the biblical foundations, the spiritual meaning and the height of the Christian vocation."
Maria Verzilova continued the work of the congress. Her report is "The experience of serving mercy in the Vladimir land. The History of St. George's Sisterhood in Vladimir" was dedicated to the experience of the formation and development of the nursing ministry in the regional center. The participants were able to get acquainted with the history of the St. George's Sisterhood and the practical experience gained over the years of its work.
Special attention was paid to the spiritual support of the sisters. The report "The Confessor in the life of the sisters of Mercy" was delivered by Archpriest Sergiy Klyaev, Head of hospital care at the Synodal Department of Charity.
After the general meeting, the work of the congress continued in sections.
A separate meeting was organized for the confessors of the sisterhoods and the brotherhood of mercy. During the conversation, the clergy were able to discuss the issues of the sisters' pastoral care and the specifics of the spiritual care of those who are constantly in contact with human illness, loneliness and need. The meeting was moderated by Archpriest Sergiy Klyaev.
The Sisters of Mercy section was led by Natalia Shakuro, Head of Hospital Ministry at the Synodal Department of Charity. The main topic of this part of the meeting was the practical experience of service. The sisters spoke about the work of their sisterhoods, areas of assistance, shared established practices and discussed issues they face in daily ministry — how to avoid exhaustion in service, what spiritual guidelines should be.
Live communication became an important part of the congress. Representatives of the sisterhoods who work in different cities of the Vladimir Metropolitan Area were able to hear each other, see the variety of forms of social and hospital services, share experiences and establish new connections for further interaction.