The annual congress of the UGCC prison chaplains has been held

Tuesday, 20 November 2012, 12:20

Recently, with the blessing of the Head of The Department of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in Power Structures of Ukraine, Bishop Mykhaylo (Koltun), the annual congress of prison chaplains was taking place. Priests, monks and nuns of the Penitentiary Pastoral Care were gathered in the new retreat house of Sambir-Drohobych Diocese, which is located in the Strilky village. The main goals of this meeting were to develop the proposals for the Synod of Bishops within the context of the UGCC Development Strategy for the period until the year 2020, to share the experience, as well as, to attend and study the course "Confession", which was conducted by the Archpriest Ivan Havanio, who is the Chairman in the Drogobych centre for the Ukrainian Theological Research Society.

On the 12^th of November, during the Divine Liturgy, the introductory speech for the participants of the meeting was delivered by Bishop Mykhaylo, who particularly addressed the chaplains with the following words: "We are the priests, whom God sends to prison. The Church, which is the bearer of the Good News, has developed the strategy of social service. Today it is in the process of development. I urge you not to go astray and to listen to the teachings of the Church, regarding how we should serve those whom we meet in the way of our calling". Knowing about the burdens of priestly ministry in the penitentiary sphere, Bishop encouraged Fathers-Chaplains by saying: "The Virgin has adopted the image of serving God, but today She is serving us also. We are Instruments in the Hands of God. Let us call upon the Blessed Virgin in our prayers, so that She inspires us through Her service and asks God for the protection for all of us".

Bishop Mykhaylo listened to the reports of the diocesan chaplains and took an interest in the problems in their service. The meeting and the stories of Fathers about the previous year, in particular the information about some special blessings, which they experienced together with their wards, provided an inspiration to all chaplains. With interest, all the attendees also listened to the participants of the international event of the Catholic ministry in Popovo (near Warsaw).

The second day chaplains dedicated to the issue of cooperation with the State Penitentiary Service; therefore, they were glad to welcome the employees of Sambir educational colony - Dmytro Nestorivskyi, major, deputy chief of the colony, and Omelyan Leskiv, who is the honored teacher in the organization. Since the central in the ministry of the prison pastor is administering the Sacrament of Penance, in the afternoon there were held the trainings for chaplains, which were conducted by the well-known theologian Fr. Ivan Havan’. At the end of the conference, on the 14^th of November, there was a round table discussion, devoted to the issue of the development of pastoral plan for the next year, as well as to the proposals’ formation for the Synod. Chaplains went to their homes full of new ideas and perspectives of service.

Rev. Kostyantyn Panteley