His Beatitude Sviatoslav Met with the Needy at the Patriarchal Cathedral
On November 16, the Universal Church celebrates World Day of the Poor. To mark this day, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, met with people in need and their families who are under the care of the volunteer community “Sobor. Help,” which operates at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
The meeting took place in the Cathedral Hall, during which His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed those present with words of support and hope. He emphasized that the Church constantly prays for everyone who is undergoing life’s difficulties and seeking spiritual and material support. At the end, the Patriarch gave his blessing to those present and handed out food packages provided by the Caritas-Kyiv Charitable Foundation.
The Sobor. Help community has long supported families who face a lack of basic necessities and need fraternal care. Every month, they receive the necessary assistance, which is also a practical fulfillment of the Gospel words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The volunteers then invited those present to a warm meal, where they were treated to homemade delicacies, pies, hot tea, and coffee. The atmosphere of the meeting was marked by sincere communication, attention, and support.
The administrator of the Patriarchal Cathedral, Fr. Andriy Bodnaruk, thanked His Beatitude Sviatoslav for his presence alongside those who are hungry, thirsty, or in need of human warmth. He expressed special words of gratitude to the volunteers of the community, the Caritas-Kyiv Charitable Foundation, and its director, Roman Syrotych.
“Thank you to all the faithful who come to our cathedral with their simple but profound prayers. These are the people we have the opportunity to meet, to have a sincere conversation about life, about everything that concerns them, and, most importantly, to serve them not only with advice or support, but with concrete action. Because a community is only alive when it feels being a part of something greater, where God’s love becomes visible through our actions,” said Fr. Andriy.
