Паломництво – Підгірці, Броди, Підкамінь
Charitable initiatives
of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center
One of the tasks of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center is charity and support of social initiatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
We do this thanks to the funds from pilgrimages and the support of charities. The scope of social services provided by the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center has significantly increased since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Among our charity projects are
Evacuation and resettlement of persons from regions affected by military operations
Organization of spiritual rehabilitation tours to the shrines of the UGCC
Summer children’s camp “Free Children” for children who lived close to the front line and constantly suffered from shelling
Evacuation and resettlement of persons from regions suffering from military operations
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center started to change its activity to serving. This change was supported by the Patriarchal Foundation ‘Mudra Sprava’ and caring benefactors. On May 6, 2022, on the day of the Holy Great Martyr Yuri the Victorious, our first evacuation bus left.
Each time, the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center of the UGCC tried to improve its services in order to effectively respond to the needs of our beneficiaries.
195 570 km
In 2022, the kilometers of evacuation trips
59 100 km
In 2023, the buses of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center have already overcome
254 670 km
A total
Mostly, we evacuated people from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions
However, a more important indicator is the people we have served
According to the deputy head of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center, Albina Briliantova, people often got into evacuation buses without any personal belongings, with just a small bag over their shoulder, or sometimes with only documents.
We provided everyone with food, water, hygiene products, clothes and other basic necessities.
We provided settlement for all those who wanted to (1,135 people (18% of the evacuees)). Settlements took place through a network of shelters in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. These were the branches of the “Caritas of Ukraine”, monasteries, houses of monastic orders and congregations, retreat houses of dioceses of the UGCC.
The Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center also involved foreign partners (mainly from Poland) in resettlement programs. Other evacuees went to relatives or took care of finding shelter on their own.
Albina Brilliantova notes that in March 2023, the team began distributing food and hygiene kits from the Patriarchal Foundation ‘Mudra Sprava’ in evacuation trips.
These kits included water, canned meat, ready-to-eat porridge, instant soups, condensed milk, cookies, bars, instant coffee in sticks, toothpaste and toothbrush, shampoo, wet wipes, paper towels and disposable utensils.
Spiritual rehabilitation trips for IDPs
The goal of this charitable direction is the rehabilitation and restoration of the mental state of people who have suffered from Russian aggression. Also, the beneficiaries of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center get to know the church and its rich cultural heritage.
Among the most visited places are Marian Spiritual Center “Zarvanytsia”, Krehiv Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Goshiv Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kolomyia, the churches of Zhovkva, Drohobych, Boryslav, Univska Assumption Lavra, Zolochiv Castle, Yaremche and Prykarpattia .
1534 people
participated in spiritual journeys as of the end of 2023
1534 people
participated in spiritual journeys as of the end of 2023
The "Free Children" camps
The "Free Children" charity camp was initiated by the Patriarchal Foundation "Mudra Sprava" in cooperation with the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center of the UGCC. Its goal was to help children who remain in the front-line zone to overcome the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine through the spiritual recovery.
Albina Briliantova
he coordinator of the “Free Children” and deputy head of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center of the UGCC
The idea of the camp
«We decided not to take children of IDPs who are already in safe regions. Many partner funds already organize master classes, one-day trips or field camps for them. We decided to focus on those children who were still on the front line, living under constant shelling, in damaged houses, who were restricted in their movement due to the occupation»
In total, in the summer of 2023, the “Free Children” camp was visited by 200 children (5 visits of 40 children each), who live in close proximity to the front line.
The first race
June 8-18
Location
Retreat House of the Fathers of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists)
м. Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk region
For whom?
for children from de-occupied Kherson region
The second race
July 21 – 30
Location
Monastery of St. Joseph of the Order of St. Basil the Great
village of Bryukhovychi, Lviv region.
For whom?
for children from the Kherson region
Third race
July 31 – August 10
Location
м. Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk region.
For whom?
for children from Pokrovsk and Mirnograd
Fourth race
August 12 – 22
Location
Marian Spiritual Center “Zarvanytsia”
For whom?
for children from the Kherson region
Fifth race
June 8-18
Location
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Retreat and Rest Home of the Redemptorist Fathers in Yamna village
For whom?
mixed group, children from Kherson region
Sixth race
October 18 – 28
Location
Lviv region.
For whom?
for children from Donetsk region – Novohrodivska and Pokrovsko-Myrnohradska communities
Albina Briliantova
The coordinator of the "Free Children" and deputy head of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center of the UGCC
«It is interesting that after the end of the camp we still keep in touch with many children. It is nice when they report on their new achievements, for which the camp was the push. Some are even going to enter animation school! »
Current pilgrimages
Паломництво – Підгірці, Броди, Підкамінь
