Russia is exploring how to be an inclusive Church with an event, “A Church where everyone feels at home: pastoral care and special parishioners”, that opened in Saint Petersburg on 12 January and will end tomorrow. The Higher Theological Seminary, the Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences and the Catechetical Commission of the Archdiocese of Moscow brought together 40 participants from all over Russia. According to a statement on the Archdiocese’s website, the starting point was “the Christian understanding of illness and disability, common misconceptions about people with special needs, accessibility in churches, overcoming architectural and psychological barriers, and the specific traits of special catechesis and inclusion”. Personal experiences shared by priests, monks, pastoral workers, experts and parents, and thematic workshops such as the one on alternative and augmentative communication, are engaging the participants. The meeting will end tomorrow with a celebration in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “Everyone can be themselves and participate in their own way”, the invitation reads: “Move around, make sounds, participate actively, or simply be present in silence”. The meeting will produce a draft of the guiding instrument for the pastoral care of people with special needs, which will be finalised by the Russian Bishops’ Conference.