{"id":462,"date":"2024-11-14T13:21:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T13:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caritas.test\/?post_type=program&p=462"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:54:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:54:47","slug":"strengthening-brsocial-cohesion","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/www.caritas-che.com.ua\/en\/programs\/strengthening-brsocial-cohesion\/","title":{"rendered":"Social service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Social service <\/div>\n
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Social ministry is an activity aimed at addressing social issues and promoting social justice. It encompasses the full spectrum of social engagement, including volunteer assistance, charitable work, and organized forms of social services provided to individuals and groups in need to support their holistic development. The foundation and driving force of the Church’s social ministry is religious faith, reflecting the diaconal nature of the Church. It is an integral part of the Church’s threefold mission: proclaiming the Good News (Kerygma), sanctifying (Liturgy), and serving (Diakonia).<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) has developed a comprehensive approach to social ministry. As outlined in the Synod of Bishops’ strategy \u201cThe Vibrant Parish \u2013 a Place to Encounter the Living Christ\u201d: \u201cThe parish level should serve as the foundation upon which the ministry to one\u2019s neighbour is built and carried out. Only then can we consider ourselves living Christians when our parishes become places where care for orphans is provided, advocacy for widows is practiced, the poor are assisted, and suffering is shared with the sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2016, the UGCC approved the Social Ministry Strategy, specifically designed to foster the development of social ministry at the community level. Caritas, the nationwide network of charitable organizations established by the UGCC, has adopted and actively implements this strategy through its projects and programs.<\/p>\n

The development of social ministry within UGCC parishes is a program aimed at strengthening the social cohesion of civil society at the local community level. This is achieved by activating and enhancing the capacity of parish communities in Ukraine to engage in social ministry.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \r\n\r\n

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Stages of Project Development<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"The development of social ministry in UGCC parishes is a project by Caritas Ukraine, initiated in 2017, encompassing all eparchies and exarchates of the UGCC in Ukraine. It includes several key stages:<\/p>\n

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  1. Pilot Project<\/span><\/strong>
    \nFocused on developing a methodology to activate social ministry at the community level, the primary outcome was the creation and dissemination of the Parish Social Ministry Guidebook: \u201cServe One Another in Love\u201d. This guide serves as a practical tool for eparchial animators, parish priests, and others.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \r\n\r\n
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    2. Project: Increasing Social Responsibility of Parishes and Their Engagement in Local Community Life (2017\u20132020)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n