Christmas Shopping for a Good Cause at Columbus Circle

by Miluska Berrospi
December 21, 2009Rebecca Ungarino

Story and photos by Miluska Berrospi

Sister Irina will be running the booth through Dec. 24th. All purchases directly support the convent and its help centers in Belarus.
Sister Irina will be running the booth through Dec. 24th. All purchases directly support the convent and its help centers in Belarus.

The holiday shopping season triggers panic in many shoppers, and the long lines, desperation for merchandise and crowded stores are enough to blur the true meaning of the season. St. Elisabeth’s booth, located in the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle, just might help inject some inspiration into the season.

“Be grateful for everything you have, good and bad,” said Sister Irina of St. Elisabeth’s convent in Belarus, as she stood outside her small booth in the heart of the market, on a blistery cold December day.

Her booth stands out from the rest of the stands, which offer selections of food, clothing and jewelry. Rather than a display of gift items, the booth is filled with hand-crafted religious icons, statues and paintings.

“All of these were made in our workshops in Belarus,” says Sister Irina, her soft voice tinged with a Russian accent.

The proceeds of the sales go to St. Elisabeth’s Convent, in Belarus – a small country between Russia and Poland that was part of the Soviet Union. Founded in 1999, the convent’s purpose, according to a pamphlet on display at the booth, is to “provide spiritual and social help for the sick and the suffering.” The convent does this through various help centers in Belarus; its main center is at the National Psychiatric Hospital in Minsk.

The hospital treats children and adults who suffer from mental and physical illnesses, including alcoholism, depression and physical disabilities. A boarding school cares for children who are orphans or who have been rejected by their parents because they suffer from Down’s syndrome, birth traumas or congenital physical defects.

Most of the religious items sold at St. Elisabeth's booth in the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle are made by the nuns, as well as by the orphans and patients who are supported by the convent in Belarus.
Most of the religious items sold at St. Elisabeth’s booth in the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle are made by the nuns, as well as by the orphans and patients who are supported by the convent in Belarus.

The convent and its centers operate through donations and workshops. The workshops produce woodwork, furniture, metalwork, candlesticks and paintings. The goods are made by nuns, patients, children in the convent and volunteers. All the goods at the Columbus Circle market were shipped straight from the convent in Belarus.

“Not everybody wants these people; they are human beings and there should be someone to take care of them,” says Sister Irina. “We are God’s image. Everything and everyone should have a purpose.”

Many customers stop and marvel at the beautifully carved candlesticks and icons. Some shoppers make their holiday purchases unaware of the impact their money will have. The Holiday Market at Columbus Circle is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m- 8 p.m; Sunday, 10 a.m-7 p.m, through Dec. 24 (The market closes at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24) More information on the convent is available at its Web site, www.obitel-minsk.by.