As part of the charity event “Bethlehem feast” students of the Ukrainian Catholic University invited 600 homeless people to spend Christmas Eve together.
As part of the charity event “Bethlehem feast” students of the Ukrainian Catholic University invited 600 homeless people to spend Christmas Eve together.
A similar event is held at the university for the twentieth consecutive time, the press service of the Ukrainian Catholic University reports. It was Metropolitan Andrey who came up with the idea first. Already on the premises of Lviv Theological Academy he handed out Christmas gifts to needy people of the city. There were not only Christians, but Jewish children as well.
Organizers say that both homeless and needy and lonely people are invited to the entertainment.
“The needy are not only those who need financial support, but also the people who have limited communication,” believes Peter Nazar, graduate student of church history of the UCU and the event organizer. “Therefore we would like to spent this time together while waiting for the Savior's birth and to create a large Christian family at the Catholic University.”
According to him, every year the number of event visitors increases. 8 years ago it was attended by 100 people, and this year by 600 people.
The entertainment for the homeless will take place in four different locations in Lviv: on the premises of the UCU at Khutorivka 35 for more than 200 people, at the regional mental hospital on Kulparkivska street for over 200 people, in a military hospital for 200 people and at the Hospital of Andrey Sheptytsky for 50 people.
As Nazariy Petriv reports, the people are being gathered on Christmas Eve through the Center of Social Protection, which registered homeless. Some people, who are not registered for various reasons, can be found through charities or parishes working with this category of society. The homeless also help to do it on their own.
For over 20 years, some homeless people have learnt that such action is carried out and work as a good radio passing information from one to another, says Nazariy. According to him, 600 guests is the actual number of people who are going to come to a charity dinner on the results of the polls at the Center for Social Protection, parishes and certain charities.
“Interestingly enough, on Christmas Eve an ecumenical action is held for the needy, because not only UCU students, but also people from various charities - Roman Catholic or Protestant churches (Baptists and Pentecostals) come to work as volunteers. There are people who do not belong to Christian denominations and even non-Christians, who just have a good will and desire. Usually we rely on 35-40 volunteers,” the UCU student notes.
Participating in the charity event are both volunteers from Ukraine (Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk) and from abroad - Poland, USA and Australia.
Usually the Christmas Eve starts at 14.00 with carols or the Nativity performance. This year, the holiday prayers will be followed by dinner at 16.00.
“Charity dinner is sponsored by private persons who make their donations in a private manner. Therefore, the action is held in the manner “from people to people”. Sometimes we get donations in a very interesting way. One person annually makes donations on his way to work. It's very motivating, because it is a sign of confidence in our students and the Catholic University,” Nazariy Petriv says.