From the English section of Polish Radio: Christmas Candle Campaign launched

The annual national Christmas candle campaign launches today at all churches and denominations in Poland.

For 14 years now, the Polish Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches have joined in a fund-raising campaign for children, selling special candles which are traditionally lit at the table on Christmas Eve.

This year the organizers are also drawing special attention to the problem of “euro-orphans” —“ children whose parents have gone to work abroad.

Also, part of the proceeds this year will be going towards helping children in Africa.

The program’s principal sponsor is Caritas.

An ecumenical prayer service and concert kicked-off this year’s campaign. The concert and service was held on November 30th at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church in Warsaw. Bishops Henryk Hozer and Tadeusz Pikus of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishops Ryszard Bogusz and Ryszard Borski of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland and Bishop JERZY Pańkowski of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland represented their respective denominations. The children’s choir —žŚwiatełko— from St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Parish in Siedlcach, the choir from Ascension of the Lord Evangelical-Augsburgian Parish in Warsaw, and the Choir from the host parish, St. Mary Magdalene’s each performed.