On April 24-26, 2007 the first Caritas Europa conference on HIV & AIDS in Europe was held in Kyiv.
The title of the Conference was “Stigma or Solidarity? New challenges for the Church responses to HIV & AIDS in Europe”. The Conference was supported financially by Renovabis, Catholic Relief Services (Europe & Middle East Regional Office), Deutscher Caritasverband and Caritas Vlaanderen.
One of the main objectives of the Conference was to raise awareness among Church leaders and leaders of church organizations regarding the need of response on HIV & AIDS: poverty is often a root cause of vulnerability to HIV infection, HIV & AIDS often leads to social exclusion, and social exclusion often leads to poverty (the ‘vicious cycle’). This social dimension of HIV & AIDS is a particular domain of Caritas organizations. There is the need to address these issues in a strategic, structured, well coordinated and trans-national approach, with specific emphasis on the social dimension of the problem.
During the conference several projects on HIV/AIDS subjects were presented. Particularly the project run by Caritas-Spes “Training for priests, social workers and volunteers on HIV/AIDS problem and prevention of discrimination and exclusion” was presented by rev. Viktor Simon, Secretary General of Caritas-Spes. Representatives Caritas form different countries, Caritas Europa, and Caritas Internationalis participated in this Conference; also Bishop Stansilaw Shyrokoradiuk, the president of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, took participation in it.
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A new social project “Children know – children can” have started its work in Mykolajiv.
The project description: resocialization and adaptation of children from poor Romany families. During project realization discussions on different topics were held, especially on life and health protection, Christian morality, children rights, delinquencies preventive measures, HIV/AIDS, outward things, and family and marriage. Different lessons are conducted with children for increasing their knowledge level needed for social adaptation. Also excursions, games and theatrical performances are organized for children.
Since January 2007 next social projects have been realizing in Mykolajiv:
1. Children know – children can: resocialization and adaptation of children from poor Romany families;
2. “Garden of joy” for children from a department of early social rehabilitation of a territorial center of Karabelny region;
3. Social and psychological help to children with oncological disease;
4. Step to the future: social and psychological adaptation of orphans from specialized boarding school #13;
5. Sound silhouette of a book: organizing of audio places for readers (people with limited physical abilities) at the Central Library named after M. L. Kropivnitskij;
6. Legal clinic for city dwellers (people with limited physical abilities).
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11 February – XVth World Day of the Sick
11 February the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of the Sick. This day was instituted in 1992
by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He wrote about this day: “I decided to institute the World Day of the Sick,
which will be celebrated every year on the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes.”
In Message for the fifteenth world day of the sick the Holy Father reminded that the Church turns her eyes
to those who suffer and calls attention to the incurably ill, many of whom are dying from terminal diseases.
Sickness inevitably brings with it a moment of crisis and sober confrontation with one’s own personal situation.
Advances in the health sciences often provide the means necessary to meet this challenge, at least with
regard to its physical aspects. Human life, however, has intrinsic limitations, and sooner or later it ends in death.
This is an experience to which each human being is called, and one for which he or she must be prepared.
Despite the advances of science, a cure cannot be found for every illness, and thus, in hospitals,
hospices and homes throughout the world we encounter the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters
who are incurably and often terminally ill. In addition, many millions of people in our world still
experience insanitary living conditions and lack access to much-needed medical resources,
often of the most basic kind, with the result that the number of human beings considered “incurable” is greatly increased.
Also, the Holy Father encourages sick people to contemplate the sufferings of Christ crucified,
and, in union with him, to turn to the Father with complete trust that all life, and your lives in particular,
are in his hands. “Trust that your sufferings, united to those of Christ, will prove fruitful for the needs
of the Church and the world. I ask the Lord to strengthen your faith in his love, especially during
these trials that you are experiencing. It is my hope that, wherever you are, you will always find
the spiritual encouragement and strength needed to nourish your faith and bring you closer to the Father of Life”.
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Action “Children help to children”.
This action was held in homes of family type. At first children produced by their hands different souvenirs
and drew pictures. Then with the help of teachers, children did “sale” of goods made by own hands.
Presents for children from orphanage were bought on money that was gained. The children were happy
to receive that presents. Also children from Bortnychi presented an electric mincing machine, which was bought
on collected money by children, to boarding school.
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On January, 5 the holiday for children from the poverty-stricken and large families,
boarding schools, and also from children’s homes of the family type was organized.
Thanks to gathered money during the action “Christmas Help to Children”,
On January 5, 2007 the Religious Mission “Caritas-Spes” organized the holiday for orphans
(from boarding schools and children’s homes of the family type) and for children
from the poverty stricken and large families. The children were invited to the St. Alexander cathedral in Kyiv,
where a small theatrical performance with the participation of St. Nickolas was arranged.
After it the children received their long-awaited presents.
More than 300 children came at this holiday with their parents or tutors.
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Action “Christmas assistance for children” is being held by Caritas-Spes in Ukraine.
Caritas-Spes has been helding the action “Christmas assistance for children” for several years.
The thing is that before Christmas volunteers and workers of Caritas-Spes distribute in the catholic
churches of Ukraine so-called vigilijni candels. Especially active was the youth from
St. Aleksander’s parish (Kyiv). They agreed to help the central Caritas-Spes office in distributing
the candels in the church during the whole day on Sunday 3 December and we are obliged to them very much.
On the Christmas Eve 24 December people light up these candles on their tables and the candles symbolize
that Christ is coming, Christ who is the Light of the world. All money from this action will be spent on
Christmas and New Year presents for children-ororphans (from the boarding schools and family type houses)
and children from poor families and families where there are many children.
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On Saturday November 11, the organizational meeting took place in Zarichany.
On Saturday November 11, in Zarichany that is near Zhytomyr, the organizational meeting of the responsible
for children’s home of family type was held. The meeting was held with participation of Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradyuk,
the president of Caritas-Spes.
Several grand questions were discussed, in particular: how effectively to organize functioning of the houses
and how optimally to conduct educational process of the children. As a result of this meeting it was decided
that it should be organized training seminar for sisters who work at that children’s houses. Also the possibility
of carrying out of the action “Children help to children” was considered.
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On 6 October, 2006 was the meeting of the committee of directors of the religious mission “Caritas-Spes”.
On 6 October, 2006 the meeting of the committee of directors of the religious mission “Caritas-Spes” headed
by Bishop Stanislaw Shyrokoradyuk, the president of the religious mission took place in its central office.
In the framework of the meeting The Report about the Caritas-Spes activity on 2005-2006 and the near-term outlooks
for the development of the charitable organization were presented.
Bishop Stanislaw Shyrokoradyuk paid main attention to the questions of the organization of cultural rest
for children in Ivano-Frankivsk, Zhytomyr, Kiev, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts. In the presidents speech was emphasized necessity
of wider bringing in students of pedagogical universities and methodical workers of these regions to the cooperation.
During the constructive discussion the concrete propositions about changes in forming of developed programs
and professional improvement of the staff of the rest centers were sounded. In particular, it was a question
of more effective bringing in priests, nuns and Christian youth to this process.
During the meeting f. Viktor Simon, the Secretary General of Caritas Spes, analyzed the condition of execution
of present projects, marked a number of problem questions and the lines of development about their realization.
4 directors of the centers of the children rest and rehabilitation also took part in this meeting and in detail
reported about their activity.
A number of the organizational questions also were taken up during the meeting.
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25 – 28 June, in the framework of realization of the Caritas-Spes project, the regular seminar-training devoted to
the problems of HIV/AIDS and work with people was held in Odessa
Religious sisters of the Roman Catholic Church who were interested in the problem of HIV/AIDS and getting skills
in working with HIV-infected people participated in the seminar. The seminar on this topic was the fourth;
previous was with the participation of priests from different dioceses.
After conducted seminars there are some conclusions. First of all it should be emphasized that the auditory
of priests and nuns is the most attentive and disciplined therefore the work with them was easy and interesting.
Perhaps at the beginning it was imagined that this knowledge is useless, but after good active work everybody was contented.
The examination on HIV/AIDS topic was conducted and showed that the knowledge level was low and was based only
on underestimate of the situation which is in Ukraine. As it turned out during every seminar practically every
participator had met in his activity HIV-infected people or people who died because of AIDS.
It should not be forgotten that the one of the riskiest group of HIV carriers and spreaders is drug addicts.
Unfortunately, it has become a reality for many parishes in which there are families that had suffered from this disease.
That’s why the question of a special training of people who work with such people or meet them in their activity
is very important.
After seminar participators have got good experience and knowledge through participation in discussions, topical games
and also big interest in this topic. Therefore it is not the end, so the received knowledge should be improved and extended.
And also the activity on this direction should be widened in all parishes of the Roman-Catholic Church, and first
of all – in the framework of the Caritas activity and service.
Stanishewsky M.I.
Manager of the profile research laboratory of psychology of addiction and addicted behavior
Stanishevska Z.
Senior research officer of the profile research laboratory of psychology of addiction and addicted behavior
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