Deacon Peter Ekhtermaer, chairman of the European representative office of the International Commission for Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC-EUROPE), recently made a visit to Kyiv. His visit included a meeting with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Lubomyr with the participation of Reverend Bishop Bohdan (Dziurakh), the head of Patriarchal Administration, and Deacon Kostiantyn Pantelei, referent of the UGCC for the penitentiary system of Ukraine. During the meeting, Patriarch Lubomyr expressed his gratitude for the significant help of ICCPPC-EUROPE in cherishing the prison pastoral mission of the UGCC in Ukraine and abroad. Deacon Peter Ekhtermaer informed Patriarch Lubomyr about his impression from the meeting with chaplains, and also about the development of cooperation of the commission with the pastoral service of the UGCC for imprisoned citizens. The Information Department of the UGCC posted this story on 15 December, 2009.

"The prison remains, so to say, the mirror of society, which on the background of the ideology of rapid enrichment and consumption becomes colder and crueller, and it is immediately manifested on the state of justice and the penitentiary system,” said Patriarch Lubomyr to the guest. “The Church feels the obligation to better serve for the sake of cherishing justice and mercy in the society.” At the end the patriarch wished the guest a Merry Christmas.