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НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ • Липень-Серпень 2024 17 Branch 17 Holds Children Praying for Children Event On Sunday, June 9, Branch 17 in Miami, FL, created a sacred space for children to come together in prayer, solidarity, and compassion for children just like them in Ukraine who are affected so deeply by the ongoing war. Spearheaded by branch president Patricia Krysa, our event to support the UNWLA’s Return Ukraine’s Children initiative involved working with a decades-long partner, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Miami, with the church and hall serving as the location for the day’s prayer services and children’s activities. The pastor, Rev. Andrij Romankiv, included special prayers within the Liturgy, and at the conclusion gath- ered the children present and welcomed them to step through the iconostas doors and pray with him at the altar as the rest of the congregation prayed from the pews and choir loft. It was a lovely, spiritual, uplifting sight to see so many of them, holding candles and standing together, sending their prayers to children in Ukraine. Afterwards, snacks were served by branch members in the church hall, and the children took turns drawing inspirational pictures and writing short letters that were delivered to an orphanage in Ukraine this sum- mer. They pinned blue-and-yellow ribbons to a large map of Ukraine created by branch member Karyn Maksymowich. They decorated (and promptly ate) sugar cookies with icing and blue-and-yellow sprinkles, as parish member Oleksandr Veshtebey played Ukrainian children’s songs in the background. It was a typically hot south Florida June day, but that didn’t stop the children from eventually heading outside to blow bubbles as Ms. Krysa read a special prayer. At the conclusion of the prayer, she told the children it was our hope their combined prayers would float up to heaven with the bubbles that danced away with the breeze. Then the children drew dozens of Ukrainian flags, tryzubs, and flowers with sidewalk chalk, all the while sending thoughts of hope and happiness to their counterparts across the ocean from Lviv to Kyiv to Kharkiv to Odesa. Mini ice-cream cones awaited them when they returned indoors, and, little by little, families said their typical Ukrainian good-byes. It was a beautiful, positive event that left everyone with a feeling of warmth, hope, and accomplishment. Hanya Maksymowich , Secretary, Branch 17, Miami, FL Photo: Anna Szczupak Rev. Andrij Romankiv, pastor of Assumption BVM Church in Miami, lead - ing children in prayer at the altar. Foreground: Mila Wenglowskyj and her grandfather, Deacon Paul Galadza. Photo: Hanya Maksymowich Children making cards to send to orphans in Ukraine. Photo: Hanya Maksymowich Children blowing bubbles in the church courtyard.
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