One day, when 87 y.o. Svetlana Belikow was gardening in her yard in Buenos Aires, she slipped and fell off a ladder. Her pinky got caught in between the metal steps and was torn off. She was immediately rushed to the hospital.
If you’ve ever been hospitalized, you know the extent of sadness and despair that can settle on you, when you are alone and in excruciating pain.
But this didn’t happen to Svetlana. Because her priest Fr. Sergio Silva dropped what he was doing to be with the Belikows – bringing them consolation, hope, and company. For the length of Svetlana’s stay at the hospital, Fr. Sergio came daily to visit and spend time with her, take her confession, bring her Holy Communion, talk to her and showed her moral and spiritual comfort.
It was thanks to the kindness of generous people like you. He is there thanks to the great generosity of donors like you. For three years now, we have been providing Fr. Sergio with a small stipend that has enabled him to serve the parish full-time and very modestly provide for his family.
In the three years that he’s been here, Fr. Sergio has become a vital part of the lives of his parishioners. He is with them every step of their lives – from birth, to marriage, to funeral. They need him to be there. Some live as far away as Colombia, but travel to Buenos Aires for services with Fr. Sergio.
Parishioners are so grateful to you and others who have allowed us to do this! They even made a short touching video you can watch here.
Unfortunately, the money is running out.
We have just one month to collect the money that would enable Fr. Sergio to stay in Argentina and keep serving at the Holy Resurrection cathedral.
If we do not manage to collect a sufficient sum, he will have to leave the country.
Fr. Sergio does not have a work permit that would enable him to find a permanent secular position and stay in Argentina. In any case, a full-time job would prevent him from serving his parish at the level that his parishioners have come to expect him to.
If we do not manage to collect the needed sum, Svetlana’s greatest fear may be realized.
“We are afraid that there will be no priest to bury us,” she says.
Imagine what it’s like to have these thoughts when you are 87. It’s not just the threat of loneliness that causes great concern. Following a hospital stay, illness, or bereavement, it is hard for older people to manage.
If Fr. Sergio leaves, another priest may not necessarily be assigned. The parish may have to be closed.
Please find it in your heart to support Fr. Sergio. He deserves it. Parishioners need it. Svetlana hopes and prays for it.
If you make a donation now, Fr. Sergio will be able to stay in Argentina and lead his parish. Parishioners like Svetlana will be spared the ordeal of losing another close friend. Young parishioners will continue to gather around him for guidance and wisdom.
You will keep this parish alive.
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