On June 4, 2024, when Ukraine marks the Day of Remembrance of Children Who Died as a Result of the Armed Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a memorial service was held at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Vinnytsia, led by Archpriest Vitaly Goloskevich.
The prayer, which was attended by the parishioners of the Cathedral and employees of the Service for Children of the Vinnytsia City Council, remembered Ukrainian children who died from enemy shelling, bombing, torture and abuse by the Russian occupiers since 2014 and after February 24, 2022. According to the official data of the Prosecutor General's Office alone, 550 children have been killed by the enemy since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and more than 1300 have been injured.
In the sermon that Archpriest Vitaly delivered after the prayer, the priest, in particular, mentioned three children who died in Vinnytsia from a rocket attack on July 14, 2022. Among them was four-year-old Liza Dmitrieva, whom Archpriest Vitaly then performed the funeral service for in the Cathedral.
"God does not start wars, people start them," the priest emphasized, "so the blame for the deaths of innocent children lies with the Russian occupiers and their compatriots who support and justify this terrible war.
Archpriest Vitaliy called for prayer for all those who died at the hands of the Russian aggressor - soldiers-defenders of Ukraine, civilians, and especially for children who today, as pure angelic souls, stand before the Throne of God and pray for Ukraine, for Ukraine's victory and a just peace.
At the end of the memorial service, employees of the Service for Children placed lighted candles in front of the central icon of the church in memory of the fallen Ukrainian children.
Press service of the Diocese of Vinnytsia and Bar of the UOC (OCU)
