Charitable events for the Nativity of Christ held in UOC eparchies

Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv visited the “Perspektiva” Centre for Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities. Photo: news.church.ua

On January 8, Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv visited the “Perspektiva” Center for Physical and Social Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities in Cherkasy, where members of the theatre studio of special actors “Rampa” presented a Christmas nativity scene. After the speech, Metropolitan Theodosy wished everyone a Merry Christmas and presented the children with sweet gifts, reports the UOC Information and Education Department citing the press services of the eparchies.

Since January 9, the sisters of the department of the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy in Cherkasy have organized charitable lunches on the territory of the Archangel Michael Cathedral. Hot meals were received by low-income people who are in difficult life circumstances. In the Cherkasy Eparchy, everyone is encouraged to join the good deed.

Meals will be prepared and distributed at the Cherkasy Cathedral regularly at weekends after the Divine Liturgy (every Saturday and Sunday), and in the near future – daily.

On Christmas Day, after the festive Divine service, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa and Izmail visited the Odessa Regional Children's Clinical Hospital, where he congratulated little patients on Christmas, presented them with gifts, and also on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church handed over more than 100 boxes of antibiotics.

On the same day, the eparchy gave gifts to all children who are being treated in all children's hospitals in the city of Odessa.

On January 8, at the “Foma” Spiritual and Educational Centre in Kharkiv, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kharkiv and Bogodukhiv congratulated children from low-income families, children with disabilities, and pupils of Sunday schools on Christmas.

On January 7, Metropolitan Joasaph of Kirovohrad and Novomirhorod, together with the clergy of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, congratulated the patients and staff of the “Merciful Samaritan” nursing home in Kropyvnytskyi on the feast.

On January 9, Metropolitan Filaret of Lviv and Galicia visited the pupils of the Bilas family orphanage in the village of Stoyaniv, congratulated the children with a difficult life story on the Nativity of Christ and presented gifts from benefactors.

The head of the Missionary Department of the Lviv Eparchy, Archpriest Dionisy Burenko, congratulated the pupils of the "Ariana" orphanage, as well as sponsored large and low-income families, including 5 Roma large families, on the occasion. The clerics of the eparchy and volunteers of the NGO "Delicia" brought gifts to the patients of the Drohobych Regional Children's Hospital.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, about 750 gift sets of sweets and fruits were delivered to neuropsychiatric boarding schools and homes for the disabled in the Zaporizhzhia region by truck.

In the Tauride House of Disabled People in Zaporizhzhia, the parishioners of the St Andrew Cathedral met with the pupils to congratulate them and present them with clothes, food, and handicraft kits. A Christmas meal for the homeless and those in need prepared by the clergy families, as well as parishioners, was held at the St Nickolas Church of the Zaporizhzhia Eparchy.

On January 7, with the blessing of Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluki, Priest Petro Goncharenko, a cleric of the Ichnia Deanery, visited the “Fortuna” nursing home in the village of Yuzhne, Chernihiv region, where he congratulated the residents of the house on the great feast and presented gifts while the deanery choir sang Christmas carols.

On January 6, with the blessing of Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and Mirhorod, hegumen Afanasy (Bedny) with the clerics of the eparchy visited the Oncohaematology Department of the Poltava City Pediatric Clinical Hospital. The priests gave the children Christmas gifts, which were prepared by the volunteers of the “Blago” Orthodox Centre.

On January 6, Archpriest John Serkhovets visited a nursing home in the village of Domanivka in the Ascension Eparchy, where he congratulated the residents on Christmas, confessed them and gave Holy Communion.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Elisha of Izium and Kupiansk, head of the Social Service Department of the Izium Eparchy, Archimandrite Simeon (Negretsky), visited the little patients of the Izium Central City Hospital of the Peschanskaya (Peski) Mother of God and gave Christmas sweet gifts.

On Christman Eve, the cleric of the Epiphany Cathedral in Horlivka, Hieromonk Agafodor (Poliakov), handed over Christmas gifts from Metropolitan Mitrofan of Horlivka and Slaviansk to the orphanage in Uglegorsk.

The Panteleimon parish at Сity Hospital №2 in Horlivka purchased 100 gifts for the patients of the hospital, and on Christmas Day, the rector of the church, Archpriest Mikhail Fomenko, handed them over and congratulated children and adults on the feast. Archpriest Georgy Barakhtenko, the rector of the St Basil Church, brought gifts from the community to a boarding school for the elderly and disabled in the village of Kondrativka.

On January 9, in the town of Druzhkovka, the Horlivka Eparchy, Archpriest Nikolai Melnichuk, priests and the “Favor” youth group gave Christmas joy to children with disabilities, patients of the Mother and Child Centre, and children who suffered from domestic violence.

On the bright feast of Christmas, adult parishioners and pupils of the “Agnitsa” Sunday School of the Panteleimon Church in Zheleznoye visited the Toretsk Rehabilitation Centre, where they organized a game programme, after which they presented children with gifts from the “Nadezhda” parish charitable service and caring residents of Toretsk.

On Christmas Eve, January 6, the Children's Traumatology Department in Donetsk was filled with an atmosphere of joy and warmth. The rector of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the territory of the hospital, Archpriest Oleg Shmilik, thanked the medical staff and benefactors for helping their neighbours and gave gifts to the little patients of the hospital.

In Dobropolye, Donetsk region, pupils of Sunday schools congratulated children from a city orphanage, showing a theatrical performance about a Christmas miracle and how important love, kindness and obedience are in every person's life. Following the performance, the children were presented with sweet treats from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine sent from the capital by the Primate himself.

As reported, traditional "Metropolitan Christmas parties" are being held in the UOC eparchies.

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