(ANS – Lviv) – Yesterday, 26 September, the President of the Ukraine, Viktor Yuschenko, paid a visit to the family home for orphans and street children attached to the Salesian House of Blessed Philip Rinaldi, also the headquarters of the Byzantine-Ukraine Rite Salesian Delegation. At present the family home, opened last June, has  10 youngsters between 7 and 12 years of age.

President Yuschenko, who in these days is on a visit to the western region of the country, was welcomed by the Vice Superior of the Delegation, Fr Andrii Platosh, and by the Rector of the house  Fr Mykhaylo Chaban. The two priests explained to the President the work that the Salesians are doing in Ukraine in general and in the family house in Lviv in particular. The President thanked the Salesians for the work they are doing and spoke about the valuable contribution that the Church is making in the social field.

The President wanted to speak personally with the youngasters in the family home and hear about their backgrounds. In their turn the youngsters wanted to honour their illustrious guest by singing for him. As he concluded his visit President Yuschenko gave the youngsters some presents including a minibus in which for the first trip he drove them around himself.

Published 27/09/2007