The construction of the Church Palliative Care Center “St. Panteleimon” has begun in the Romanian diocese of Maramures and Szatmár. The association “Philanthropy of Maramures” announced that the goal of the center is to provide support, care and comfort to suffering people and their families in the spirit of Christian care and compassion. The center will have treatment rooms, consultation rooms, relaxation areas, a dining room, a kitchen and a chapel. The preparation of the project for the center and the organization began in 2024, which the Romanian Patriarchate declared the Year of Pastoral Care and Care for the Sick.
All dioceses of the Romanian Church have “Philanthropy” associations, united in one “Philanthropy” Association, which coordinates charitable church activity. These church organizations attract Christian volunteers who mainly participate in social activities, but also specialists in various fields, without whom such activity is unthinkable.
The Romanian Patriarchate, through various dioceses and the Church Association “Philanthropy”, manages several palliative care centers and medical institutions that offer care for the elderly and infirm. The exact number of units dedicated exclusively to palliative care varies depending on the years and new projects. Among the most famous palliative care centers (hospices) of the Romanian Orthodox Church are:
1) “Saint Nektarios” Palliative Care Center in Bucharest, opened in 2012, with a capacity of 28 beds (Archdiocese of Bucharest).
2) “Saint Nektarios” Palliative Care Center in Cluj-Napoca (Archdiocese of Văd, Feleac and Cluj).
3) “St. Luke of Crimea” Palliative Care Hospital in Deva (Diocese of Deva and Hunedoara).
4) “St. Irene” Palliative Care Center (Voluntari, Ilfov).
5) “St. Anne” Medical Care and Rehabilitation Center (Iași).
In addition, the Romanian Patriarchate has recently announced new projects, including: “St. Christopher” Children’s Palliative Care Center in Northern Romania (opened at the end of 2025) and is working on a new center within the Archdiocese of Suceava and Raduți. This also includes the construction of the Palliative Care Center of the Diocese of Maramures.
According to official data, the Romanian Orthodox Church is a leading player in the provision of social and medical services in Romania, with over 45 medical and pharmaceutical institutions in its network, which include care centers, nursing homes and palliative care centers.
The Church sees the provision of palliative care as its primary task, because it is needed by people who are about to be born into eternity, but whom society often ignores as already “useless” for its functions.
