Churches call on Moldovans to unite through prayer for the ones affected by migration

All the churches and prayer houses of both Orthodox Metropolitan Bishoprics and of the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches from Moldova will perform special services on December 7 on the National Prayer Day for the all the ones affected by migration, Info-Prim Neo reports. For the second time in Moldova, the first Sunday of December will mark the National Prayer Day dedicated to all people affected by migration. The Moldovans are invited to pray for those who are away from home, for those who are left behind as a consequence of migration, for those who have suffered as a result of migration and for the victims of trafficking. . According to a press communique of the organizers, the Moldovan Orthodox Church (Russian Patriarchate), represented by the Social Center AGAPIS, will conduct the main prayer service at the “Intimpinarea Domnului” church (Mateevici str. 60, in the yard of the Moldovan State University) that will conclude with an outdoor candlelight religious procession. In addition, a Christian bookshop will officially open in the premises of the Moldovan State University in Chisinau. The Basarabian Orthodox Church (Romanian Patriarchate), represented by the Social Mission DIACONIA, will setup tents in five district centers (Chisinau, Cantemir, Leova, Stefan Voda, Orhei), where priests and church personnel will distribute informational material on safe migration to raise awareness about the risks of human trafficking. The Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches will organize a concert on the Great National Assembly Square in Chisinau from 14:00 to 16:00, where the main square will be enchanted with songs, poems and sermons. At the same time, a “crying wall” will enable believers to leave a note with the names of their beloved ones affected by migration and upon request will have the opportunity to speak with a social worker and psychologist to receive advice and consolation. To prolong the reflection on migration and human trafficking, the movie Lilya 4-ever will be screened in the framework of the Human Rights Film Festival, a joint United Nations Country Team initiative for Human Rights Protection and Promotion, in Patria cinemas in Chisinau, Cahul (17:00) and Balti (19:30) in the evening. The National Prayer Day is a reminder to the society on the extent and consequences of migration. According to a recent survey by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 25 per cent of the labor force (as many as 450,000 people) was estimated to be living abroad in 2007. At the same time 35,000 of school-age children having both parents’ abroad and 75,000 children have one parent abroad. This project is implemented by the IOM Moldova in partnership the Inter-Confessional Coalition for Prevention of Trafficking of Human Beings with the financial support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the program Strengthening Local Capacity to Prevent and Counteract Trafficking in Human Beings – Moldova. The Inter-confessional Coalition for Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings comprises the following churches: Moldovan Orthodox Church (Russian Patriarchate), the Moldovan Orthodox Church (Romanian Patriarchate), the Union of Christian Evangelical Baptist Churches and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Moldova (ELCRM).