Across Ukraine, and for the first time in Kyiv Cave Monastery, a prayer for orphans was held on November 10. The event brought together 18,000 Christian communities of different faiths.
Kyivans had the opportunity to join the first national Ukrainian event in the Holy Dormition Cathedral, located in the Kyiv Cave Monastery. This year’s event at the Kyiv Cave Monastery was blessed by Metropolitan Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-MP and the prayer was led by the monastery’s superior Bishop Pavel, said Roman Korniyko, president of the Alliance for Ukraine without Orphans and the main organizer of a national prayer for the orphans.
According to the organizers, each community took the responsibility to care for at least one child who has no family. It should not be forced adoption, merely helping orphans have a better future and helping in his or her development.
One hundred and twenty orphans, as well as many families who previously took responsibility and become parents for the children, joined the prayer in the monastery.
Dozens of deputies, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, were invited to the event, but most of them were unable to come. However, the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Yurii Pavlenko attended and he prayed with the faithful of Holy Protection Church in Lutsk.
As noted by the organizers, this year's national prayer for orphans gathered almost twice as many religious communities as last year (there were 10,000). “We hope that this action will have practical implications for all children who dream and wait for their new parents,” said Korniyko.