Dnipro, September 12, 2019
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In the Dnipro Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a beautifully-organized event was held for over 4,000 children, including 500 foster families, children’s shelters, and orphanages.
The event, called “Mama and Me” was held on September 9, on the banks of the River Dnipro, in which the peoples of Rus’ received Baptism further upstream in Kiev, in the year 988.
The event was also attended by Vicar Bishop Andrei (Vasylashko), and children from the Zaporozhye Province as well.
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It was a wonderful event, complete with football competitions, creative contests, concerts, talent shows, animation games, family relay races, and arts and crafts workshops for participants and guests of the festival.
All participants were presented with candy, toys, and balloons, and the winners of the competitions were awarded valuable prizes.
During the event, children and their educators were also able to consult with lawyers and psychologists.
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This is all part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s monumental efforts to promote traditional family values, help needy children, and fight against abortion by providing social assistance to mothers and families. Events dedicated to these causes are common in the Ukrainian Church. OrthoChristian previously reported on a similar event for children held in the Mukachevo Diocese of Transcarpathia, called “Moments of Joy.”
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine has always maintained that the Church that he leads is working to unite all of Ukraine into one family in Christ, and programs like this are a physical manifestation of that goal the Metropolitan set early in his primatial service.
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Earlier, the nearby Zaporozhye Diocese held an event for children and faithful called, “We Are the Heirs of the Saints of Zaporozhye,” which encouraged the people to get to know the saints who walked on their lands.
OrthoChristian has presented what is very likely the first English language translation of the lives of those remarkable saints, in the article entitled “Zaporozhye the Unconquered, the Glorious Lives of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Wild Cossack Fields.”
As was plainly evident from the photos of the wonderful event in Dnipro, and the others in Zaporozhye, Mukachevo, and throughout Ukraine, Ukrainian children will always have a mother in their Holy Church.
Matfey Shaheen
