The Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Kyiv-Halych and the Ukrainian Embassy to the Holy See said they had received information that Russia planned airstrikes on the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Kyiv-Halych and the Ukrainian Embassy to the Holy See said they had received information that Russia planned airstrikes on the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv.
As palm fronds burned in a crackling fire at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, Atonement Father Jim Gardiner called attention to a more sinister fire burning in another part of the world.
Ukrainian Father Iurii Stasiuk was appointed as rector of the Greek Catholic Church parish in Barcelona two weeks ago. Yet on Thursday, Feb. 24, soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, the young priest was on the first plane to Poland. After landing, he walked nine miles to Ukraine.
As half a million Ukrainians crossed the borders into neighboring countries to flee the war, the European Ukrainian diaspora and ordinary citizens turned out to welcome and help transport, feed and house them.
Vironika Giacchi isn’t getting much sleep these days. And who could blame her? Giacchi, a Ukrainian living on Staten Island, is desperately worried about her family and friends back home.
Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori offered solidarity with the Ukrainian community, greeting parishioners prior to morning worship and listening to harrowing stories of family members besieged in Ukraine. He strongly condemned the invasion.
Pope Francis knows his appeals for an end to the war in Ukraine carry little weight with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he also knows he has an obligation to continue speaking out and rallying others to join him in praying for peace.
Wars always have wildly unforeseen consequences, eviscerating a status quo and violently shaping new realities. While most pundits are pondering the geopolitical, diplomatic and military fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s war also seems destined to have important consequences on the religious scene.
Just before Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York left St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church in lower Manhattan on Feb. 27, he put his arm around Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, and said, “you let me know how we can help.”
As tanks rolled across the Ukraine border and Russian missiles bombarded major cities, the Catholic faithful in parishes across the Diocese of Brooklyn held prayerful Masses for the Ukrainian people this past weekend to offer hope and support for the war-ravaged European nation.