UGCC Head Calls Prison Work Cause Pleasing to God

23-06-2008

On June 17-18, 2008, with the blessing of His Beatitude Lubomyr, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in cooperation with the State Department of Ukraine on Questions of the Implementation of Punishments conducted a pilgrimage to Zarvanytsya for personnel of the penitentiary system of Ukraine. The employees of the department and clergy of various Churches took part in this pilgrimage.

The Head of the UGCC in his message to the participants of the pilgrimage, which was read during today's Divine Liturgy, above all expressed his joy that personnel of the State Department accepted the invitation to take part in the pilgrimage. "From my not numerous contacts with penitentiary personnel I am aware how tense and difficult your very responsible job is. Regular interaction with people who are imprisoned but yet burdened by acts deserving of punishment does not remain without a mark on your life. The time spent with them already makes large demands on your balance of spirit. It would be so very desirable for those people to reconsider their life, so they want to become creative, positive members of society, but so much, unfortunately, disappointments under this review. And it does not make your life easy," the Head of the UGCC wrote in particular.

Then His Beatitude Lubomyr, positively estimating the task which in society is executed by penitentiary workers, wrote: "When our Lord promises a reward for those who only will visit a neighbor imprisoned, then more valuable is the one who tries to help the imprisoned one find himself and return to the way of righteousness."

The Head of the UGCC completed his message with wishes and a blessing.

http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;22836/