UOC eparchies see in Children’s Protection Day with prayer and charity (PHOTO)

On the International Day for the Protection of Children in eparchies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church held festive moleben services and solemn events with participation of the clergy, writes the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

On June 1, the Children's Day, Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Bar Simeon visited Vinnytsia regional center of social and psychological rehabilitation of children. Together with the bishop representatives of public organizations also visited the institution. The students of the rehabilitation center welcomed the guests with poems and songs.

In his turn, Metropolitan Simeon congratulated the children on their holiday, thanked Protopriest Maxim Melnichuk, who provides spiritual guidance for the institution’s inmates, distributed sweet gifts to children, and also handed over to the director of the institution A. Kuz the material assistance collected.

In addition, Vinnitsa eparchy has joined charity events on the occasion of the Children's Day, while they are being held in the ATO zone.

In Zaporozhye Dean of Melitopol district deanery Hegumen Makariy (Shadrin) visited the inmates of kindergartens in Konstantinovka town and Mirnoye village. The priest congratulated the children on the holiday, gave them sweets and sprinkled all with holy water.

A few days earlier, head of the Department of Charity and Social Service of Kirovohrad eparchy, Archpriest Andrei Bobrik, took part in an open series dedicated to the International Children's Day, in a specialized school No. 1. For schoolchildren, the priest conducted a lesson on the theme of the holiday.

Upon the blessing of the Archbishop of Mukacheve and Uzhgorod Theodore, a festive moleben was held in Peter and Paul church in the village of Mukacheve district, commemorating the Children's Day. Small parishioners of the temple – children of preschool and school age – took part in the joint prayer.

On May 31, upon the blessing of Metropolitan of Poltava and Mirgorod Philip, clergyman of the Holy Trinity Church in Kotelev village Archpriest Roman Dovganich together with representatives of the Center for Social Services for the Family, Children and Youth of the State Archive on the eve of the Children's Day congratulated the sick children currently in treatment in the village hospital. The priest wished everybody strong spiritual and physical health, peace and love. Besides, small patients received the "Blessing of Children" icons, coloring books, pencils and sweet gifts.

On June 1, with the blessing of Metropolitan of Kherson and Tavria John, Archimandrite Antony (Malkov), head of the Department of Charity and Social Ministry of Kherson eparchy visited a House of the Child in Kherson region. The priest congratulated the children and their caregivers on the Children's Day and took part in its celebration.

On the eve of the holiday, the clergymen of the Holy Spiritual Cathedral of Kherson handed over to the institution another material aid – air conditioning, as well as household chemicals.