Caritas' prayer and concrete solidarity for war-torn Ukraine
By Svitlana Dukhovych
In an atmosphere marked by sorrow, hope, and solidarity, a prayer initiative took place on Tuesday, February 24, at the Greek-Catholic Cathedral of the Resurrection in Kyiv.
The event was promoted by Caritas Ukraine (Greek-Catholic Church) and Caritas-Spes Ukraine (Roman Catholic Church), together with partners from Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa, on the occasion of the National Day of Prayer, observed on the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Among those present were Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine; Monsignor Oleksandr Yazlovetskyi, President of Caritas-Spes Ukraine; Father Vyacheslav Hrynevych, Executive Director of Caritas-Spes Ukraine; and Father Andriy Nahirniak, Director for Network and Identity of Caritas Ukraine.
Representatives of international partners, along with delegates from Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa, also participated both in person and online, bearing witness to a network of charity that continues to steadfastly support the population affected by the conflict through prayer and concrete action.
The “true” Caritas
At the beginning of the prayer service, the Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, Alistair Dutton, addressed the gathering via video message. He expressed profound gratitude to all those working within Caritas structures in Ukraine for their tireless and faithful service in responding to the needs of the population throughout these four very difficult years.
“I am convinced that many of us remember where we were when we heard the news that Russia had once again invaded Ukraine. Once more, war erupted on Europe’s eastern borders, and our Ukrainian friends, our brothers and sisters, have endured great suffering,” he continued. “With deep pain and sadness, we mark four years of war in Ukraine. None of us can fully express the depth of this suffering, but we can show our closeness and our desire to remain by your side in solidarity.”
Emphasizing the spirit and courage of the Ukrainian people, Dutton highlighted how Caritas represents a concrete response to the needs generated by the war. “You are the true Caritas,” he affirmed, “and you are truly good news for the poor and for those who suffer most because of what is happening in your country.”
Active love and prayer
Maria Nyman, Secretary General of Caritas Europa, also assured Ukrainian partners of her closeness and that of the entire European network. “Today,” she said in a video message, “we remember all those who have lost their lives, their homes, and their loved ones. We pray for all those wounded in body and spirit. We pray for divided families and for those who, in these difficult hours, long for peace. We are with you in prayer. We stand beside you with unwavering dedication, supporting Caritas staff and volunteers in Ukraine.”
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, underlined that Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes are among the most active organizations in the country in the field of humanitarian aid.
He noted that the prayer gathering organized by Caritas brings together two dimensions: active love and prayer. “It is very important,” he said, “to have a day that unites all of us in prayer.” He then invited those present to pray for people living in the occupied territories, for prisoners, for doctors working in extremely difficult conditions, for the wounded, and for those who have died in this war.
This is not normal
Following the common prayer, Hryhoriy Seleshchuk, Vice President of Caritas Ukraine, spoke about his son who just recently turned 14. “I suddenly realized that he does not remember life in our country at peace. This is not normal. At least here in Kyiv, he has the opportunity to attend school, unlike half a million children in other regions of Ukraine who do not have this opportunity.”
“When an elderly person living alone dies in their apartment in the 21st century, this too cannot be considered normal,” the Vice President noted, “Nor is it normal that more than one million people in Kyiv have been left without heating, and that tens of thousands of people in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and many other cities are still in these conditions today.”
Expressing hope, after crossing the four-year threshold, that the war may come to an end, Seleshchuk concluded: “I would like to wish all of us—and ask God for—the perseverance needed to continue our service in the face of Ukraine’s immense needs. We are speaking of another 11 million people who are still living in need today.”
The stories behind the eyes
The Executive Director of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, Father Vyacheslav Hrynevych, SAC, also reflected on his experiences during these last four years of conflict. “I remember the many eyes I have met. Eyes that look at you but no longer see the world; gazes you would like to bring back to life, but you cannot, because you feel powerless. They are the eyes of a child born in a metro station in Kharkiv, who looks and does not yet understand, but perhaps already senses something.”
The Executive Director continued, “They are the eyes of a grandmother who finds herself at the border, uprooted from her land, no longer knowing toward which horizon to direct her gaze. They are the many eyes to which we have tried to restore hope. Tired eyes, which have the right to weep; eyes that smile, that express gratitude, that embrace. But they are also, in a mysterious and real way, the eyes of the Lord. They are the eyes that truly build the hope we so greatly need today. I wish to remember and thank in prayer all those who do not lower their gaze, but lift it upward, aware that there lies our strength: the Lord sees everything and sustains us with His steadfast hand.”
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