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Material and spiritual support of the Archdiocese of Rimniki to the prisoners of Mioveni prisonstranslated

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

The Archdiocese of Rimniki offered gifts on Thursday, July 9, 2026, to inmates of the Mioveni Penitentiary Institution, in the province of Arges. Volunteers from the "Agios Nikolaos" Chapel in Ramnikou Valtsa helped distribute food packages and basic products.

The social advisor of the Archdiocese of Rimniki, Mrs. Viorika-Adriana Iankou, emphasized that such initiatives stem from the evangelical exhortation to seek those who are suffering.

"The Lord Jesus Christ calls all people to a new life, through forgiveness and love. We want to be present and work for the good in the lives of all the spiritual children of the Archdiocese, wherever they are," said Viorica-Adriana Iancu.

The initiative was organized by the Social-Charity Sector of the Archdiocese, with the support of Fr. Cosmin Dinu, priest of the chapel inside the Mioveni penitentiary, and addressed 100 people deprived of their freedom.

Through this action, the Archdiocese of Ramnikos continued its social-philanthropic action dedicated to people in vulnerable situations, offering them both material and spiritual support...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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George Wright

It's good to see the volunteers from St Nicholas chapel in Ramnicu Valcea helping hand out those food packages. The bit about Father Cosmin Dinu being the prison chaplain makes it feel more real — he's right there with them every week. Hope the 100 inmates felt someone actually cared.

Sophia Scott

I like that they mentioned the volunteers from the St Nicholas chapel in Ramnicu Valcea actually doing the distribution — it’s one thing to organize it, another to show up with the bags. Father Cosmin Dinu being there week after week probably means more to those 100 men than the packages themselves.

Василий Петров

It’s good that volunteers from the chapel of St. Nicholas in Ramnica-Valča not only collected the packages, but came and distributed them themselves. Father Cosmin Dinu is there every week, it's important. I hope these hundred people felt that they were not forgotten.

Sofija Kostić

It is good that the volunteers from the Chapel of St. Nicholas in Ramnik Valca came to distribute the packages themselves, and not just to pack them. Father Cosmin Dinu, who is there every week, surely makes those 100 people feel like someone really sees them. Thank God for such actions.

Marija Ristić

I agree, Sofia, it is very important that Father Cosmin comes every week, not only on a holiday. Those people certainly remember names and faces, not just packages. Thank God that he does not stop at words.

Teodora Jovanović

I agree, Maria, that's right. I also heard that Father Cosmin knows how to sit with them even after the liturgy, so they talk about everyday things, not just about the sermon. It certainly leaves a deeper mark than a one-time package.

Zuzana Nováková

I agree with Teodora that Father Cosmin Dinu goes there every week and also sits down with them after the liturgy for regular talks, that's the most important thing. The hundred men surely remember the face, not just the grocery bag. Good work by the volunteers from the chapel of Saint Nicholas in Râmnica Vâlcea.

Ζωή Χατζή

It's good that the volunteers from the chapel of Agios Nikolaos in Ramnikou Valtsa didn't just stay in the organization but went and distributed the packages. Fr Cosmin Dinu who goes every week and after the service they sit and chat about the usual, this is more than a bag of food. I am glad that the Archdiocese is continuing this.

Ελένη Χατζή

I agree Zoe, having the volunteers go and distribute themselves shows that it is not a simple process. Father Cosmin Dinu who stays every week after the service and chats with them, that's what stays the most, as you say. I hope they continue next year, maybe with a few missing clothes or shoes.

Ana Stanković

Totally agree, Teodora. That simple conversation after the liturgy probably means more to them than any package, because it shows that someone really sees them as people. In our parish, Father often talks to people in a similar way after the service, so I wonder if Father Cosmin has a favorite topic that they like to hear the most.

Daniel Wilson

I agree — those volunteers from St Nicholas actually showing up with the bags makes it real instead of just another official handout. Father Cosmin being there week after week is probably the part that sticks with those men long after the food is gone.

Marija Pavlović

Yes, Teodora, that's what usually stays the most - when someone sits down and asks you how you are, what you're doing in your cell, how your family is. I heard that Father Cosmin often talks about the garden and how something is grown, so it diverts their minds a little. Do you have a story from our parish where someone talked to a prisoner for such a long time after the service?

Вера Васильева

I agree, Vasily, when the volunteers themselves come and distribute, it’s a completely different matter - it’s clear that it’s human. Father Kosmin is really there all the time, I heard him talking with the guys on weekdays. I hope that after such packages, one out of a hundred people will actually have a desire to come to the chapel.

Petra Kováčová

You are right, Zuzana, that regular sitting after the liturgy with normal speech is probably what will remain in their memory the longest. Father Cosmin has been doing this for years and you can see that he really cares about them. I wonder if some of those men will come back later even after being released.

Ondrej Novák

You are right, Zuzana, the usual words after the liturgy are often more powerful than gifts. Father Cosmin once told me how, years later, one of those men wrote to him from outside that he remembered exactly those sessions. Do you think that the families of these prisoners could be helped somehow?

Анна Волкова

I agree, Vera, when Father Cosmin is always there, it’s not a formality at all. In Yekaterinburg, we also have one priest who goes to the colony on Wednesdays, and then the guys themselves ask for books. Didn’t you hear how many of these hundred people later entered the chapel?

Milan Milošević

I agree, Anna, that simple conversation after the liturgy often leaves the deepest mark. Here in Nis, after the service in the church of St. Panteleimon, people like it the most when they talk about forgiveness - somehow it gets into their hearts the easiest. I wonder if Father Cosmin has a similar theme that the prisoners in Mioveni prefer to listen to?

Petar Nikolić

Yes, forgiveness is the topic that hits the hardest, Milan. Here in Belgrade, after the liturgy in St. Mark's Church, people often ask exactly how to forgive someone from the family. I wonder if Father Cosmin perhaps discussed this topic most often with the prisoners in Mioveni.

Jana Nováková

You're right, Ondrej, those personal conversations after the liturgy really stay in your head longer than a package of food. I would mainly help families practically - for example with shopping for children or with transport for visits to Miovení. Father Cosmin would probably be able to tell which families need it the most, how about you?

Dragan Marković

Here in Kragujevac, after the liturgy in the Cathedral, most people talk about how to forgive themselves, that is somehow the hardest thing for them. That's why I'm interested in whether Father Cosmin in Mioveni even has the opportunity to work with them individually, or if everything remains in group discussions. Father Cosmin certainly has these individual conversations, at least as far as I've heard from people who have done similar work in prisons - without it, the self-forgiveness would remain just an empty story. In our parish, after confession, I see that those one-on-one moments help the most. And you, Maria, have you ever been on such a visit in prison?

Bojana Lukić

I agree, Milan, forgiveness is really the topic that sticks in my mind the most. In our country, after the liturgy in the Church of St. Basil in Belgrade, people often mention how it is easier for them to forgive others than themselves. I wonder if Father Cosmin also mentions the example of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica, because it seems to me that this could leave a mark on the prisoners.

You're right, Ondrej, those personal conversations after the liturgy stay with a person the longest. With families, I would try to start with sewing - I can make simple clothes for children if someone needs it. Father Cosmin would really know who has the biggest problem with what you?

Petar, you're right, forgiveness is the hardest thing for people, especially when it's someone from the family. Here in Niš, after the liturgy in the Cathedral, I hear the same thing - mothers cry because they cannot forgive their son or daughter-in-law. I wonder if Father Cosmin maybe that's why he got that service in Mioveni, because who better than him can talk about it behind bars.

Matej Kováč

You are right, Jana, the practical things like shopping or driving to visits will help more than anything. Father Cosmin would really know how to choose those families where it is the most difficult. I would like to join such help, if it could be organized.

Katarina Simić

I agree, Bojana, that part about self-forgiveness is the most difficult for us - after the liturgy in the church of St. Basil, I hear it all the time. Father Cosmin probably mentions Saint Demetrius, because in Miovena they have an icon in the chapel, and prisoners often ask for patrons who were in trouble. Did you maybe hear a story from the people who were there?

Marija Savić

In our country, after the liturgy in the Cathedral, we often hear that forgiving oneself is the most difficult. Father Cosmin probably manages to set aside time for individual conversations with at least some of them, because in prison it is these personal encounters that change things. Have you perhaps heard something similar from our priests who go to our penitentiary?

Aleksandar Radovanović

I agree, Katarina, that forgiveness is really hard for me, even after the liturgy at St. Basil's. Father Cosmin must be mentioning St. Demetrius because I heard that the prisoners in Miovena often light a candle right in front of that icon. Have you perhaps heard a specific story from someone who received such a package?

Štefan Šimko

You're right, Matej, things like shopping and driving to visits are often what families miss the most. Father Cosmin would really know where the worst is, because he sees people there in Mioveni every week. When it can be organized, let me know, I would like to help at least with the packages.

Yes, Petra, personal conversations after the liturgy really remain the longest in the memory. Sewing simple children's clothes would be very practical, I know that there are many fathers with small children outside in Mioveni. Father Cosmin certainly knows who has it the hardest, I'll ask him the next time I visit.

Vesna Đorđević

Sofia, you are right, saying goodbye in the family is the hardest. Here in Novi Sad, after vespers in the Cathedral, I often hear similar stories, except that there are usually fathers who cannot forgive their daughters. I wonder if Father Cosmin might have gone through something similar himself, so the Lord sent him there.

Yes, Bojana, that example of St. Demetrius is very nice when someone is sitting in prison - he was a soldier who suffered for his faith, but still remained calm. Here in Novi Sad, after vespers in the church of St. George, I often hear people say that it is easier for them to forgive an enemy than past mistakes. Did you perhaps read a book about him that remained in your memory?

I agree, Vesna, saying goodbye in the family is really the hardest. Here in Kragujevac, after the liturgy in the church of St. George, I often listen to mothers who cannot forgive their sons, so I wonder if this is exactly what the Lord is teaching us the most. Did you maybe talk to those fathers after vespers, what do they miss the most?

Sofija, you are absolutely right, forgiveness in the family is the hardest, here in Kragujevac, after the liturgy in the church of St. George, I often hear similar stories from women who cannot forgive their husbands. I wonder if that's why Father Cosmin chose that service in Mioveni, because behind bars, people can most easily see how much they need forgiveness in order to move on. Thanks for bringing that up.

Anna Šimková

You're right, Matej, such practical things as shopping or driving to visits often mean more than big words. Father Cosmin would really be able to choose where it is the most difficult, because he is there in Mioveni every week. If it could be put together, we could start with smaller packages once a month.

Nemanja Savić

I haven't heard that story about Saint Demetrius in Miovena, but it makes sense because he is the patron saint of those who suffer. The packages were plain – flour, oil, cheese and soap – nothing fancy, but people were really happy. Have you been on similar visits to us in Serbia?

Miloš Obradović

I agree, Vesna, saying goodbye in the family is really the hardest. Here in Nis, after fishing, I often talk to a neighbor who can't forgive his son for going abroad, so I wonder if that's why Father Cosmin was sent there, to help such people. Have you perhaps heard a story where forgiveness came after a long time?

Vladimir Ilić

I agree, Vesna, saying goodbye in the family is the hardest, especially when it comes to children. Here in Podgorica, after a game of chess in the parish home, I often hear similar stories from fathers who cannot forget some old mistakes. I wonder if that's why Father Cosmin was sent there, to help them move on.

Ljubica Ilić

Marija, I agree that saying goodbye in marriage is the hardest, and women like that came to me after the service in Nis. That's probably why Father Cosmin serves there - behind bars, a person has nowhere to escape from himself. Have you noticed that after such stories, women still start coming to the liturgy more regularly?

Petar Marković

I agree, Ljubica, exactly what you say about Father Cosmin – behind bars there is no escape, so sooner or later a man faces himself. In our parish, I saw something similar: after several visits to the prison, some of these guys start asking for the gospel to be brought to them as well. And as for the women from Nis, have they ever told you how they felt when they forgave for the first time?