Rehabilitaion Project in Panara

We went to the new Divine Mercy Project in Panara – two hours south of Vilnius, near the border to Belarus. When we visited it last year I wondered where we were so I brought a map with me this time and one of the brothers in the community marked it on my map for me. Thank you! It is run by Fr Valarius and Pilnu Nama Bendruomene (Full House Community) which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. The brothers of Full House look after alcoholics and Drug addicts. They couldn’t find a place they were welcome in until they found this abandoned land in the middle of the forest. They can only grow herbs so with great difficulty they try to make a living. We were brought on a tour of the camp. We saw some women working in the fields. The brother told us that they were picking berries for us; sure enough we later got the most delicious strawberries to eat.
The people here live in the most simple of conditions. The rooms they live in are so dark and basic, but they area outside is beautiful. There are some wonderful sculptures to be seen. The brother told me that one of the men there had bad legs, but he has “golden hands” – and he does all these sculptures, a bee on a hive, a rose, a snail, roses, a face and many more. He also paints icons, which the brother told me I could see later in the chapel.
The chapel is also very basic and we sat under an awning outside the chapel for Holy Mass. Before Mass I went in to the chapel to have a look rat the icons. They were truly beautiful.
Fr Valarius was the chief celebrant. I think the mass was said in Lithuanian and Latin with a smidgeon of English. One of the young nuns form Vilnius had travelled with us and she translated whenever necessary. For his homily Fr. Valerius asked for any of us that experienced miracles to proclaim them. The one that touched me most was a man who told us that for the first thirty year of his life did not believe in God and hated people who did. When he was thirty he had to undergo a heart operation and before the op he suddenly thought “What if there is a God” his operation was a success. That was nineteen years ago and for seventeen of those years he has been getting to know Jesus day by day.
After Mass we had a healing ceremony. Fr. Valerius told us that anyone who recognised Jesus at the time of death would be saved, no matter what sort of life went before. Even addicts who have been cured and return to addiction will be saved if they turn to God in their despair. The Mercy of God is so wonderful.
Fr. Valerius laid his hands on us all, individually. When he finished praying over me he lifted my face and looked into my eyes with a most wonderful smile. Love and serenity radiates from his face. The brothers in the community also have a serenity and happiness and seem content in their work.
Fr. Valerius told us that a few months ago he was told he only had a few months to live as a result of cancer, but he has been given the all clear. Praise the Lord!!