{"id":17659,"date":"2026-02-25T13:45:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T18:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/?p=17659"},"modified":"2026-02-25T13:45:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T18:45:02","slug":"ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has fundamentally reshaped the Catholic Church\u2019s mission \u2014 turning parishes into shelters, priests into chaplains and charity into daily survival, a Ukrainian bishop and leader of charity efforts told OSV News.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything has changed. The country will never again be what it was before 24 February 2022,\u201d Auxiliary Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, head of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, told OSV News in a conversation marking the anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Ukraine enters a fifth year of war<\/a> amid continued missile attacks, mounting casualties and growing international uncertainty about future aid, church leaders say the conflict has brought the church back to its most basic identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe war revealed the essence of the church \u2014 to be close to those who suffer,\u201d the bishop said. \u201cNot only to preach, but to be present: to listen, to support, to share fear and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion triggered Europe\u2019s largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to U.N. agencies, some 3.7 million Ukrainians remain displaced within the country, while nearly 6.9 million continue to live as refugees across Europe and beyond. Entire communities have been uprooted multiple times as missile and drone attacks repeatedly damage homes, hospitals, schools and energy infrastructure \u2014 forcing reconstruction efforts to begin anew even before previous repairs are completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly four years into the war, humanitarian needs remain massive, with millions still dependent on international aid for basic survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
People take shelter inside a metro station during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, on 22 February 2026. (OSV News photo\/Alina Smutko, Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In that reality, pastoral ministry and humanitarian work<\/a> have become inseparable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince 2022, pastoral care cannot be separated from humanitarian service,\u201d Bishop Yazlovetskiy told OSV News. Caritas organizations in Ukraine<\/a> \u2014 both Roman Catholic Caritas-Spes Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Caritas Ukraine \u2014 rapidly evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom small organizations of social assistance, Caritas became a powerful structure with centers across the country,\u201d Bishop Yazlovetskiy said, crediting support from Caritas Europe, the global Caritas network and church and governmental donors from across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, help is already decreasing, while needs are not,\u201d he said. \u201cMercy has become an everyday, urgent mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church\u2019s transformation is visible in moments of crisis. After Russian strikes destroyed parts of Ukraine\u2019s energy system and cities were plunged into cold and darkness, Catholic parishes opened what were called \u201cpoints of warmth and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe church fed people and kept them warm,\u201d the bishop said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

War also reshaped relations among Christian communities. Pre-war disputes and competition among churches gave way to cooperation through the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, representing the vast majority of believers in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe tragedy of war united us,\u201d the bishop said. \u201cAll churches returned to their primary mission \u2014 helping the vulnerable, both in word and in action.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That visible service has changed how Ukrainians perceive the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere the church truly helps<\/a>, trust grows,\u201d Bishop Yazlovetskiy told OSV News. \u201cThe witness of love became more convincing than any words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed especially to military chaplains serving alongside soldiers and in hospitals. Government approval allowing priests to serve officially with military units has taken clergy closer to front-line realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn this way, the church is also with its soldiers<\/a>,\u201d the bishop said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International solidarity remains essential, particularly assistance from the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerican aid is vital \u2014 humanitarian and military,\u201d he said. \u201cAmericans should know that their support saves lives every day. Without this help, especially military assistance, we will not endure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delays in support quickly translate into loss of life, he added. \u201cEvery delay in aid is later seen in the growing number of funerals of our soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, global spiritual solidarity continues to accompany Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catholic communities around the world marked the anniversary with prayer initiatives promoted by the Commission of the Bishops\u2019 Conferences of the European Union, known as COMECE, and the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, echoing repeated appeals from Pope Leo XIV for peace in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFour years have passed since the beginning of the war against Ukraine,\u201d Pope Leo said during his Angelus prayer on 22 February. \u201cMy heartfelt thoughts remain focused on the tragic situation unfolding before the eyes of the whole world: so many victims, so many lives and families shattered, such immense destruction, such unspeakable suffering!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer gatherings were taking place in many countries, including Rome, where Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna was to preside over a prayer vigil of the Community of Sant\u2019Egidio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such gestures, and prayer, Bishop Yazlovetskiy said, matter deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we hear that the United States and European countries support us, it gives hope and strengthens people,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when someone turns away \u2014 even one political statement \u2014 the burden of war suddenly becomes much heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind geopolitical debates stand deeply personal stories. The bishop recalled a widowed Catholic mother from his hometown who raised six children alone. Two of her sons were killed in the war, while a third now fights at the front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite everything, she continues to come to church,\u201d he said. \u201cShe writes poetry through her pain. People call her \u2018a mother who cries in poems.\u2019 Saints do not look at us only from icons \u2014 they live among us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople pray for a just peace, for soldiers, prisoners, the wounded and the dead,\u201d the bishop said. \u201cNo one prays for victory. Ukrainians pray for peace \u2014 again and again, peace.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Bishop Yazlovetskiy, faith has not eliminated fear but has made endurance possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod never shows us the entire length of the thorny road,\u201d he told OSV News. \u201cHe lights only a few steps ahead, like a flashlight in the darkness. If people had known four years ago how long this war would last, despair would have been unbearable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the bishop insists hope remains stronger than despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe love is stronger than hatred,\u201d he said. \u201cGod is present even where darkness seems to reign. The greatest darkness today is in Ukraine \u2014 and we believe God is with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katarzyna Szalajko writes for OSV News from Warsaw, Poland.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNo one prays for victory. Ukrainians pray for peace \u2014 again and again, peace,\u201d says the head of Caritas-Spes Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70080,"featured_media":17661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3084,70],"class_list":["post-17659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-responding-to-human-needs","category-ukraine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUkrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says | CNEWA Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cNo one prays for victory. Ukrainians pray for peace \u2014 again and again, peace,\u201d says the head of Caritas-Spes Ukraine.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CNEWA Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cnewacanada\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katarzyna Szalajko\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cnewac\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@cnewac\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katarzyna Szalajko\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katarzyna Szalajko\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/929839c5dd14a349dc51af681d8cf7ae\"},\"headline\":\"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1025,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Responding to Human Needs\",\"Ukraine\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says | CNEWA Canada\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy, auxiliary bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, leads Caritas-Spes Ukraine. He is pictured on 24 February 2026, in Kyiv, four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (OSV News photo\\\/courtesy Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/\",\"name\":\"CNEWA Canada\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CNEWA Canada\",\"alternateName\":\"Catholic Near East Welfare Association\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/CNEWA-brand-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/CNEWA-brand-logo.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"CNEWA Canada\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cnewa.org\\\/ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/cnewacanada\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/cnewac\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/cnewa1926\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/TheCNEWA\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Katarzyna Szalajko\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says | CNEWA Canada","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says","og_description":"\u201cNo one prays for victory. Ukrainians pray for peace \u2014 again and again, peace,\u201d says the head of Caritas-Spes Ukraine.","og_site_name":"CNEWA Canada","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cnewacanada\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Katarzyna Szalajko","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@cnewac","twitter_site":"@cnewac","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katarzyna Szalajko","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/"},"author":{"name":"Katarzyna Szalajko","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#\/schema\/person\/929839c5dd14a349dc51af681d8cf7ae"},"headline":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says","datePublished":"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/"},"wordCount":1025,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg","articleSection":["Responding to Human Needs","Ukraine"],"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/","url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/","name":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says | CNEWA Canada","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-25T18:45:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-25T18:45:02+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/20260224T1028-UKRAINE-INVASION-4-ANNIVERSARY-18139701.jpg","width":1280,"height":960,"caption":"Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy, auxiliary bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, leads Caritas-Spes Ukraine. He is pictured on 24 February 2026, in Kyiv, four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (OSV News photo\/courtesy Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/ukrainian-church-transformed-by-4-years-of-war-kyiv-bishop-says\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ukrainian Church Transformed by 4 Years of War, Kyiv Bishop Says"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/","name":"CNEWA Canada","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#organization","name":"CNEWA Canada","alternateName":"Catholic Near East Welfare Association","url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/CNEWA-brand-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/11\/CNEWA-brand-logo.png","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"CNEWA Canada"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cnewacanada\/","https:\/\/x.com\/cnewac","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cnewa1926\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/TheCNEWA"]},{"@type":"Person","name":"Katarzyna Szalajko"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70080"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17659"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17662,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17659\/revisions\/17662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}