The opening began with an ecumenical prayer led by Bishop Josyph Milian, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Kiev Church.

The ecumenical prayer was attended by:

- Rev. Dr. Bohdan Prakh, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University

- Rev. Dr. Iwan Dacko, President of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies at UCU

- Rev. Vasyl Sahan, Mitered Archpriest, Dean of Zolochevska UAOC, Rector of St. Sofia Church

- Rev. Hryhorii Draus, Rector of the John Paul II Roman Catholic Parish in Lviv and Prison Chaplain of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine          
- Armen Hakobyan, Deacon at the Assumption Cathedral (Armenian Apostolic Church)

- Rev. Pavlo Drozdiak, Spokesman for the Lviv Archdiocese, Lviv city council Chaplain

In the welcoming speech, President of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies, Rev. Dr. Iwan Dacko greeted participants and guests with the opening and shared the plans of the ESW’s organizers to attract more participants to the Forum and next year to hold this event also in Kyiv.

Rev. Dr. Bohdan Prakh, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, noted the personal dimension of migration issues, in particular that everyone has their worries and problems, but it can be solved.

Rev. Hryhorii Draus said that "the Lord himself was a migrant and came down to the earth" and encouraged the ESW participants to the inspired work.

Andrii Sadovyi, Lviv Mayor, so welcomed the participants of the Forum:

 "The expulsion, migration, occupation - we lived for centuries. We got a very strong smite. We spend a lot of time to prove our truth. We have to stay together." Also, city mayor noted that the highest power is mercy and we need to learn to help each other. "We do not choose the people, we do not choose the time when to be born.

We choose whether to be humans. I wish we were them,"- said the mayor of Lviv.

Dr. Antoine Arjakovsky, Founding Director of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies, delivered a welcoming speech from the Dominique Quinio, President of Social Weeks of France.

Nataliia Likhnovska

Photos by Iryna  Ivanets and Valentyna Yevtushok