Ukrainians find solace in Polish church
Mar 31, 2022 by Chris Herlinger
Ministry
This article appears in the War in Ukraine feature series. View the full series.
Sr. Evphrosynia Senyk, a member of the Congregation of the St. Joseph’s Sisters of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, lights a candle in the sanctuary of the Greek Catholic Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, formerly the Church of St. Norbert, in Krakow, Poland. The Ukrainian church has become a haven for Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine. (GSR photo/Chris Herlinger)
KRAKOW, POLAND — They arrive with searing memories: the bombing of schools, theaters and hospitals; unburied bodies in the street; children huddled with their mothers in crowded basements; rumors of Russian soldiers committing “assaults” against women, a common euphemism for rape.
In the face of such recollections, the new arrivals to Poland from Ukraine find comfort and hope, solace and strength in part at church, where they experience the rhythms of prayer and ancient rite, shared singing and Communion, the recitation of the Divine Liturgy in a common language, and even the familiar and bracing whiff of incense.
“It’s precious because you’ve left something precious,” said Sr. Evphrosynia Senyk, a member of the Congregation of the St. Joseph’s Sisters of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Senyk left Ukraine in early March with her sister and two other women because of the war. She is currently ministering at the Greek Catholic Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, formerly the Church of St. Norbert, not far from the city’s old center.
Spending a few hours together on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning to pray and experience solace and solidarity with fellow Ukrainians can feel like an act of healing in the context of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine that began Feb. 24.
Parishioners exit a Sunday morning service March 13 at the Greek Catholic Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Krakow, Poland. The church has become not only a place of worship but a locale where people fleeing the war in Ukraine come to seek news and contacts and to pick up donated food and clothing. (GSR photo/Chris Herlinger)
The war has forced over 10 million Ukrainians to leave their homes. More than 4 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries, and of those, more than 2.3 million went to Poland, to Ukraine’s immediate west. The new arrivals are joining about 630,000 Ukrainians already living and working in Poland who found job opportunities there before the war.
The Greek Catholic Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has become not only a place of worship but a locale where arrivals come to seek news and contacts and to pick up donated food and clothing.
“You feel good when everybody is supporting you,” said Ludmyla Opanasuk, 45, who arrived in Krakow on March 8 with her sister-in-law and her 13-year-old son and has found a warm welcome at the church. “We feel grateful.” https://www.globalsistersreport.org/ncr-feature-series/war-ukraine
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