The UGCC has presented a new manual «To minister prisoners: professional guidance for ministry in penitentiary institutions»

Presentation of the book «To minister prisoners: professional guidance for ministry in penitentiary institutions» has been held at the Lviv Theological Seminary of the Holy Spirit. This ceremony occurred with the blessing of His Grace Benedict (Oleksiychuk), Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv Archeparchy, and His Grace Michael (Koltun), Bishop of Sokal and Zhovkva, the Head of the PC UGCC Department for Pastoral Care in the Armed Forces and in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine.

In the event have participated representatives of the group of authors of the book Rev. Constantin Panteley and brother Yuri Cousio, priests of the Archeparchy of Lviv, chaplains, seminarians, representatives of the Interdenominational Christian Mission of Prison Ministry and officers of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine in Lviv region.

The book has been published by «Don Bosco» Edition of Salesian Fathers by the efforts of the Department of Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in the Armed Forces and in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine. It is the fruit of many years of cooperation with the Prison Service and as a manual provides professional guidance for ministry in penitentiary institutions. The book will be useful for seminarians, priests and volunteers of this wonderful ministry. Authors who participated in writing the book: psychology Ph.D. Sergey Zamula, Th.M. Yuri Cousio, Fr. Dr. Jaroslav Storonyak, Igor Car, Fr. Basil Pantelyuk, Fr. Emelyan Kolodchak and Fr. Constantine Pantelei – endeavored to share with readers the best achievements in the field of Prison Ministry of the Church.

In the introduction to the book His Grace Bishop Michael (Koltun) said: «The task of the pastor who cares about prisoners is to help them to look at life and people with different eyes. Helping each person found one’s own life based on Christian worldview so that one could, encountering difficulties bravely overcome them, and not try to hide away from them. But on the shoulders of prison chaplains is another responsible ministry to forward thinking of people: not only those that are in prison, but those who live on the other side of the walls».

The presentation has been made by Fr. Constantine Panteley responsible for prison pastoral care. The other speekers were Fr. Gregory Draus, chief chaplain of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, a psychologist and Master of Theology brother Yuri Cousio, Colonel of the internal service Bogdan D. Gedz, Deputy Head of the SPS of Ukraine in Lviv region and major of the internal service Yuri O. Hlopyk Chief of Psychological Service Management. The book will be transferred to the Church’s seminaries, libraries, schools of the SPS of Ukraine. Also, the electronic version will be available on the website: www.kapelanstvo.org.ua.

The UGCC Office for Pastoral Care in Penitentiary System of Ukraine