COMMUNITY
As a family
Le Chaim – To Life! – is at once name and programme of the community house in Marpod. ELIJAH’s fire burns in the former „Sachsenhof“. Here the founders Father Georg Sporschill SJ and Ruth Zenkert live with assistants, volunteers and children. Angela King and Fabian Robu support the community on frequent missions. We are open for all emergencies and for children in distress. Here the children can experience what a cultivated and peaceful home can mean. They learn orderliness and live in a structured everyday environment with suitable bedtimes, with no alcohol, energy drinks, or a constant background stream of music or television. In the Social Centre opposite, their homework is supervised.
We live as in a family. All offer what they are able to give and donate their talents. Persons of many ages live together and bring each other gifts: the wisdom of adults and the high spirits of youth.
In the ELIJAH community every person is given a task. Kitchen and household duties are also divided up. We begin the day with morning prayers which the volunteers and children prepare and lead together. After breakfast we go to work – in the Social Centre, in the workshop, kitchen, music school or office. The children attend school. In the evening we celebrate Mass with Father Georg. Often children, friends or staff members participate.
Our guests and benefactors are housed in the community Le Chaim and take part in our lives and our work.
Spirituality
Religious life is the frame of our daily lives at ELIJAH. All children enjoy praying. In the village, children ask the priest: „Is there a liturgy today?“, and urge us to allow them to participate. A music group has formed in the community which rehearses songs for Mass, and which attracts children from the Social Centre as soon as they have learned to play an instrument.
More than 30 ELIJAH staff members attend the fortnightly Bible school. We read the Bible and seek to find questions about life and social work, to discover wider horizons and to let God lead us.
We live ecumenical Christianity. The foremost example is the friendship between Father Călin, Hosman’s Orthodox priest, and Father Georg. Father Călin is our frequent guest, we exchange views and have a meal together.
Our collaboration with the Jesuit community in Cluj is also very gratifying. Father Jani Miklos SJ comes to our workshops regularly with young people and connects us with Romanian volunteers who wish to assist us.
