55 Ukrainian Children Welcomed in La Seu d'Urgell for Peace Vacation Program
A group of 55 Ukrainian kids and teens begins a restorative week of leisure and integration activities in Spain's La Seu d'Urgell, backed by local leaders and institutions promoting peace.
Key Points
- Group aged 6-16 from war zones arrived Monday, hosted at Church of the Immaculada seminary.
- Week includes city tours, Andorra sanctuary visit, cultural activities for rest and recovery.
- Bishop Josep-Lluís Serrano led reception with mayor, ambassador, consul, and other officials.
- Program by Fundació del Convent de Santa Clara ends with Mass on July 18 in Urgell Cathedral.
Fifty-five Ukrainian children and teenagers aged six to 16 arrived in La Seu d'Urgell on Monday for the "Vacances amb Pau: d'Ucraïna a la Seu d'Urgell" solidarity program, where they received a warm welcome at the Church of the Immaculada in the diocesan seminary.
The group, from war-affected regions and accompanied by adults, will spend a week engaging in cultural, leisure, and local discovery activities to promote rest, emotional recovery, and values of peace and solidarity. Their itinerary features integration sessions on Monday, a tour of La Seu d'Urgell on Tuesday, and a trip to Andorra on Wednesday to visit the Nostra Senyora de Meritxell sanctuary-basilica.
Bishop of Urgell Josep-Lluís Serrano presided over the reception, joined by Sor Lucía Caram, director of the Fundació del Convent de Santa Clara; La Seu d'Urgell mayor Joan Barrera; Vicar General Ignasi Navarri, rector of Sant Ot parish; Vicar General Josep M. Mauri; Spain's ambassador to Andorra Carles Pérez-Desoy; Ukraine's general consul in Barcelona Olena Trónina; and Catalonia's senior police chief Manuel Rodríguez. The children also took part in a hospitality activity run by Spain's National Police.
Ukrainian priest Mn. Taras Kogut, who ministers to Ukrainian communities in Guissona and surrounding areas, offered a prayer for the children and their families. He extended an invitation to the program's closing Mass on Saturday, July 18, at noon in Urgell's Santa Maria Cathedral, led by Bishop Serrano with participation from Guissona's Ukrainian community and choir.
The initiative is driven by the Fundació del Convent de Santa Clara, with support from the Diocese of Urgell, La Seu d'Urgell town council, and various local social and institutional partners.
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