Abbess Juliana - Chile

[Kybihetz21]

Does anyone have any information about Mother Juliana or Father Benjamin in Chile? I have not heard from Abbess Juliana since Mother Martha reposed, and that was a few years ago. I have tried to contact her to inquire about her health, state of the church affairs, and to buy some of the books that she translated into Spanish, but I have never received any answers (I do have a few e-mail addresses for her, but none of them seem to work). I will really appreciate your help, so if anyone knows anything about her, or if some could direct me to a place where I could acquire those books and materials translated by Father Juan (may his memory be eternal!) or Mother Juliana, and published by the convent/orphanage (Horologion, etc.) please let me know.

Thanks beforehand for any help or information.

[Catherine5]

Oh Phew!
Glad that this was not an announcement of her repose. I was so nervous when I saw the headline, right after the repose of another old-time classic of ROCOR back from the good old days, Fr Vladimir Shishkoff.

I was in contact some months ago; she was very destitute and I was trying to - don't laugh - but I heard of a present MP-ROCOR person who was leaving his estate to those questionable nuns in the Holy Land - they even look worse after the recent events & that letter, give me a break!
Anyway, I was trying to assess her needs and make a good case that if he wants to leave valuable real estate or whatever he is rumored to be bequeathing to the MP nuns he should give to those in REAL need. Even if he doesn't support the Convent in Chile's politics; or as many ROCOR-MPs, is ambivalent or even completely uncaring about policy vis a vis ze old "motherland", cough cough.

She was fine, tired because of all the work for the orphanage. She said that it's the same almost to prepare for 5 or 6 girls as it for 50!
However, she was in excellent spiritual spirits, basking in the ligth of the Church services, and being humble about the burdens that she said God has placed on her shoulders.

At last hearing Fr Benjamin was still there and they were loosely affiliated with ROCiE, but suffered from the disorganization at the Parent Corp and the isolation.

I have been on the verge emailing her for a few weeks now, but so much has intervened. I plan to do that, God willing, very soon.
I haven't turned up any results as I have not been able to make the case to that elderly person yet, and I wanted to give her some good news, so I thought I would wait but time stretches on.

I have more to say in a second post on this.

[Kybihetz21]

I have received a message from Mother Juliana. A while ago she was struck down by a car that was speeding and she ended up on the hood of the automobile and then was thrown on the road. She spent 10 days in the hospital and was given 10 days of full rest to recuperate in the convent. Thanks to God, Mother Juliana didn’t suffer any broken bones or as she stated it, there has been no “memory loss”, but she does have pain, mainly in her head and hip, as it was a serious accident. Please pray for the health and recuperation of Abbess Juliana, and for the restoration of the life in the Convent and in the Orphanage, which up to date have not been re built due to lack of funds and help (most of the nuns have reposed during the last years, and Mother Juliana is virtually alone in her struggle). May God bless you all for your kindness, both spiritual and material, since they are both needed in these difficult by Abbess Juliana and her community.

This is the site of the orphanage:

http://www.fundacionsanjuankronstadt.org/

[Catherine5]

Oh how sad about the accident!

Maybe someone skilled in these subjects would be able to help her set up the PayPal system for donation.
I think that place is kind of a pain but it's familiar and people feel safe donating through that if they already have account set up and have used it
Her donations might exponentially increase if that were operative.
The orphanage site has said "PayPal coming soon" for a year now or so- maybe some help could be offered to speed up the process, anybody out there? Time is of the essence!
It's also difficult sometimes to access that site, I have found.
Furthermore, the bank account number she has listed doesn't work at all for people donating by depositing money in a B of A branch wherever they are; the number should be longer and they have no record of an account in that name, tellers at B of A shrug and insist each time I have tried.
So the only way to help her at present is to mail a check directly to her address in Santiago.
Due to probably hefty bank fees, it's better to make it at least around $150, Abbess Juliana has mentioned.
That sounds like a lot sometimes, but think how far it would go in Chile.
Chile is one of the most special countries in South America, but life is not easy for Russian Orthodox who don't go with the official MP group, I'm sure!
Please help, remembering her powerful role in standing up to bad forces through her life and especially during her tenures as Abbess-- appointed directly by Met Vitaly -- for the Holy Land convent.

[Catherine5]

It's the Day of Sts Anne and Joachim, so I feel it to be a special time to implore people's rather uninterested hearts to reach out to help the poor Abbess. She tries to make the best out of all adversity in the most admirable way.
If you know about anyone who might consider even a temporary stay there in beautiful Santiago to learn about monastic life , please suggest this to that person or persons. I fear Americans are too spoiled to be interested to rough it a bit. Perhaps some of the Serbian TOC people might read this and have compassionate hearts?
As well, too, maybe someone who has technical knowledge could upgrade her computer system - there are many such with computer skills at their fingertips in the former East Bloc countries; please consider this.
[Don't ask a bad example of this, a guy who calls himself russianhackersz or something unpalatable. His attitudes are straight out of a Soviet patriotic textbook. See comment he made about the General Vlasov controversy if don't believe me!]

---

Back to the subject: Abbess Juliana probably has some old relic of a computer, which no doubt lumbers along for her at the pace of a Tyrannosaurus, or maybe a Tyrantasaurus>
Wouldn't it be wonderful to ease her elderly years after all she did for ROCOR and her loyalty to its Hierarchy up til the last minute possible -?

[Catherine5]

With the Feast of the Nativity coming up now just around the corner,
what about a wonderful donation to the convent/orphanage of St John of Kronstadt, one of whose feast days must be the repose of St John in 1909 in early January, the 2nd I believe.
So with both of these occasions near, read over previous suggestions if you feel like it, about help with their ccomputer system, website organization [it never changes, so they could stand updates!] or encouragement of True Orthodox or even Undecided Orthodox to go down to Chile to learn from her and at the same time, help her out with the Church.

One can email to her at:

abbjuliana@fundacionsanjuankronstadt.org
or telephone too.
If you want to send a plain old check, which would be very nice to do, even a lovely Nativity card or even general notepaper with a kind message -- anything at all to cheer her up and remind her that people remember her and care -- here's the mailing address of the Convent/orphanage:

Casilla 27010
Las Condes, Santiago
Chile