Andy Drozdziak
A Ukrainian priest says he is seeing signs of hope and is calling on UK Catholics to not forget about the people of Ukraine.
Reflecting on the second anniversary of the start of the war, Father Vitaliy Novak CM, CEO of Depaul International, told the Universe: “The signs of hope are that we are still here after two years of brutal aggression. We can stand against the brutal evil of the war. Evil is not bigger than our resilience and our wish to have our freedom and to protect our values, and families and life.
“This is the hope because at the beginning nobody believed that we could survive even two or three weeks as a country and as a nation. Now we are still here and we know that, in the solidarity and in the unity, we can protect (against) this aggression and invasion for our country.”
Father Vitaliy‘s words came as the Government announced that it will close the Ukraine family scheme on Monday. The decision to close the Ukraine family scheme, which allowed applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK, was announced among a series of changes to immigration rules set out in a policy document.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has this week expressed frustration at the slowness of promised aid deliveries, especially since signs of war fatigue have emerged. “They (the Russians) are taking advantage of delays in aid to Ukraine,” he said after visiting the command post in the area of Kupiansk, in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Father Vitaliy also shared how bombing continues in Kharkiv, making people feel vulnerable and insecure. He said: “Even now in Kharkiv, our parish, we see the artillery and shelling coming.
“In our parish, a bomb destroyed the main door in our parish house. In Kharkiv, they are thinking of packing suitcases. In the last few days, we lost another city, Avdiivka.
“There are over 100,000 Russian troops pushing and pushing-thousands of army and weapons on our border and frontline to see if it will be broken, so people do not feel secure at all. We see missiles and bombing all around Ukraine.”
Fr Vitality sees signs of hope in the incessant prayer-especially from women. “People from the parish say they are ready to stand and fight in spiritual ways, spending time in 24/7 prayer. Wives, daughters say they are holding the spiritual front line for our husbands and our brothers,” he said.
“Victoria, our neighbour, she gets up at 2am for prayer. Now it is at 4am too.”
He also shared how a parishioner avoided death-even though 5 grenades went off around him, who was unable to explain how he survived.
When asked how UK Catholics can support Ukraine, he pointed to the fact that all are connected in the church.
“If you are very strong in your faith, then you know what to do to help us. If you can pray, you pray. If you can donate, you will donate. if you can influence the political decisions, then you are going to do that,” he said.
“if you care in a healthy way, you know how to act.”
He shared how DePaul has created a mobile team of professionals who are helping people to deal with the trauma of war and its effects.
“Our mobile team goes from village to village to talk with people, to help them to accept this new reality. We have centres for children, for refugees and displaced people. If we lose this generation because of trauma, then we lose our future as well,” he said.