17 parishes brainstormed ideas at the “Child-Friendly Church” workshop

The Ukrainian Catholic University hosted a workshop titled “Child-Friendly Church” organized by the Center for Child Dignity. Its goal was to help parish teams assess their work with children and evaluate how safe and child-friendly the church environment is, as well as to develop project ideas.

This is the Center’s second workshop of its kind. While the previous one covered only parishes of the Lviv Archdiocese, this time we were able to bring together participants from the Lviv, Sokal-Zhovkva, Ternopil-Zboriv, Stryi, Kolomyia, and Ivano-Frankivsk dioceses, the Kyiv Archdiocese, as well as the Odesa and Donetsk Exarchates. In total, 48 participants from 9 (arch)dioceses and exarchates took part in the event. This shows that the need for a safe environment for children in the Church is a common concern across different regions.

“It is important to us that a child in the Church not only be present but also feel accepted and safe. And this depends largely on us, the adults, and on the environment we create around them,” notes Natalia Tarnovska, head of the education department and workshop coordinator.

The workshop was facilitated by Sister Tadeya Yartym, a Redemptorist and staff member of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Office for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons: “During this workshop, participants were able to identify the strengths that already exist in their parishes. At the same time, it was an opportunity to strategize a bit, to see what needs to be strengthened in our work with children, and to better identify the children’s needs.”

The workshop lasted a full day and was structured as a practical workshop. Participants did not start “from scratch,” but through practical exercises analyzed their own activities, discussed challenges, and identified specific areas for developing their work with children. Using a self-assessment tool, the teams analyzed how child-friendly their parishes are, based on 8 indicators:

1. Children are valued members of the parish; they have the same dignity as adults.
2. The parish has a system of policies and procedures in place to protect minors (and vulnerable adults), designed to prevent and respond to incidents of abuse.
3. Staff and volunteers who work with minors are prepared for this work.
4. The church building provides a safe environment.
5. Educational groups are available for children and youth.
6. The church provides support for children under the age of 5.
7. Children and youth are involved in the church community as equal members.
8. The church is working to expand its pastoral capabilities.

Ms. Anastasia, a representative of the Parish of St. Barbara the Great Martyr (Zaporizhzhia), shares: “It was valuable for us to examine our parish from different perspectives: how a child perceives the Church, how the community perceives children, and what we can improve. This helped us see our activities in a new light.”

Part of the training program included a presentation of a section of the study “Child-Friendly Church.” It revealed a high level of agreement among clergy and laypeople regarding the importance of safety. The study participants placed the greatest emphasis on issues of dignity, children’s rights, and adult responsibility. At the same time, more practical aspects, such as the arrangement of space or infrastructure solutions, are currently viewed with more caution, even though these are precisely what shape a child’s daily experience in the church.

A special addition to the workshop program was a lecture by Olesia Luchko, a psychologist at the “Space of Hope” Center at the Ukrainian Catholic University, on the basic emotional needs of children according to age groups. She helped participants better understand how to support children and foster secure attachment through daily interactions: emotion cards, active games, music nights, debates, photo challenges, and craft activities.

“We, as adults, must take responsibility for doing everything we can to ensure that children are safe and feel happy,” notes workshop participant Olesia, a representative of St. Nicholas Parish (Radehiv).

Fr. Roman Demush, a representative of the Youth Christian Space of the Ternopil-Zboriv Archdiocese and a member of the Patriarchal Commission for Youth Affairs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, summed up the workshop experience: “I saw 17 very different and very strong teams that are already doing valuable work in their parishes. For me, it was an experience of stepping out of my ‘bubble’ and seeing the bigger picture—both geographically and in terms of content.”

The next step will be to implement the ideas developed. Based on the workshop’s results, 10 parish teams will receive mini-grants to carry out their projects. In 2022, the initiatives implemented included the creation of safe spaces, playrooms, clubs to engage children, training sessions for parents on nonviolent communication, workshops, and a school for youth leaders.

At the Center for the Dignity of the Child, we are convinced that this workshop will not only serve as a launchpad for new initiatives but also as a foundation for future partnerships and systemic changes in creating a safe environment for children in the church.

Photos: Mari Urban, Sofia Kostenko (Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC for Youth Affairs)