La Salettes ministering in the Ukraine in March 2022

On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, in Łanowice, people went to sleep as usual, with the thought that we were more than 1,300 km (807 miles) away from Donbas and the “troubles”.

Feb. 24, 2022 – the following day changed everything

Although for the eighth year now, a fight has been waged in the Ukraine in which people were regularly killed, only the dramatic events of the last few days have stripped us of all illusions. Open combat, the bombing of cities, thousands of dead and injured on both sides of the conflict, tanks on the streets, general panic, empty store shelves, no fuel at gas stations, no water, electricity, and heating, and problems with the cellular network – this is the dark reality of our country today.

It is not surprising that so many Ukrainians seek refuge in the western part of their homeland, or Poland, or other neighboring countries. Many cities located in the Eastern part of the Ukraine leave their homes in a panic, often leaving all their belongings.

There are Dante-like scenes in the country and the drama of thousands of mothers who spend up to four days at border crossings with their children in their arms when the temperature is freezing. General stress, panic, a sea of tears, unimaginable destruction, and death - this is today's dark reality of our country.

Our parishes are in conflict areas of the Ukraine

St Stanislaus Catholic Church in Busk, Ukraine : image provided by ЯдвигаВереск from Wiki CommonsWe La Salettes work in six locations in Ukraine, both in the East and in the West: in Zaporizhzhia, Nikopol, Krzywy Róg, Brajłow, Busk, and Łanowice. Virtually none of these places is peaceful. In Krzywy Róg, Nikopol, and Zaporizhzhia, constant bomb sirens force our co-workers to take refuge in their cellars. The fight for the Solar Power Plant, located near our parish in Nikopol, is still going on.

In Brajłow and Busk, towns located in the central and western part of the country, they listen to distant eruptions. Near these places, there are military bases that are under attack.

Even Łanowice, an inconspicuous little village situated among farmlands only 60 km (37 miles) from the Polish border, has experienced its moments of terror. On the first day of the conflict, a nearby military base was attacked in the morning. A series of outbursts brought all the local inhabitants to their feet. According to official reports, five rockets were fired at the base.

For a long time, from the windows of our religious house, one could observe the smoke from the burning base and the explosions of the ammunition stored there. Even though there is a regular conflict going on in the streets of many cities in the Ukraine, we do not think about the danger.

First All-Ukrainian Catholic Eucharistic Congress began on May 26, 2012 in Kyiv and continued in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on May 30, 2012Although the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for leaving the country, we want to stay in our parishes with the faithful whom the Church has entrusted to our spiritual protection. Despite the risk, the enormity of the tragedy we observe outside the window does not allow us to sit idly. We carry out our pastoral ministry uninterruptedly in all parishes. We accept refugees where possible. We coordinate evacuations from the most endangered areas and organize nutritional assistance. In Krzywy Róg alone, we distributed 600 loaves of bread at a time.

Many today are asking how they can help. In the face of the overwhelming misfortune of so many people in our country, it is most necessary to pray for peace. Money is also needed to buy food, medicines, clothing, dressings and help evacuate women and children from the zone of armed operations. We are asking for solidarity because, in the face of such a great crime, political — declarations are not enough; we also need fraternal prayer and unity.