The Rev. Roman Ostrovsky, rector of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Three Saints Seminary in Kyiv, has heard multiple Ukrainian soldiers express interest in entering consecrated life once the war with Russia comes to an end.
“They have an intention, an idea to serve God at the end of the war,” Father Ostrovsky said during a webinar hosted by the Canadian office of Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). “We received this request, but we hope that the war will be over by the victory of Ukraine. And after that, we will have many soldiers who would like to become (like) Christ.”
However, more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the church continues to focus on standing in prayerful solidarity with the soldiers risking their lives and serving people at risk of devastation each day.
In the webinar 25 February, Father Ostrovsky shed light on yet another difficult winter in the Ukrainian capital city.
“This winter in Ukraine has been incredibly harsh,” said Father Ostrovsky, “with an average temperature of minus 25 degrees (-13F). This would be manageable if it were not for Russia’s attack on critical infrastructure, which led to power outages, lack of heating and the constant fear of prison.
“Our seminary is no exception,” he continued. “We have basic days with no electricity for 24-26 hours straight. This takes a toll on the psychological, moral and even spiritual state of our seminarians. No one is ever truly prepared for such conditions. Despite the darkness, our classes continue by candlelight or battery power.”
Anastasiia Hryniuk, CNEWA’s project manager for Ukraine, provided an update on the pontifical agency’s aid efforts. CNEWA supports recovery programs for veterans and the elderly, particularly through medical and psychological rehabilitation. The travel care program helps orphans and displaced children whose parents died in the war.
CNEWA also supports the work of Father Ostrovsky and the local church in providing clergy formation to serve people affected by the war.
The rector said seminary formation “now includes essential survival and relief skills, such as first aid, practical medicine, including the proper use of food kits, as well as … safety awareness to identify exposure hazards.”
“We are preparing these people … for a silent professional response to their communities,” he said.
Father Ostrovsky said his core message to the dozens of people attending the webinar was that people have not lost sight of God’s presence.
“Our greatest hope today is found neither in the weapons of soldiers so desperately needed, nor in the political alliances and geopolitical maneuvers that remain particularly important,” he said. “Our hope springs from a deep conviction, we believe, that God lives in Ukraine today.
“He is there in the bomb shelter,” he said. “He is being born in old maternity wards targeted by drones and missiles. He is recovering in military hospitals. He is being tortured in Russian prisons. It is our Lord who grants ordinary Ukrainians their wisdom and strength to endure, helping us to hope even where the surrounding darkness becomes unbearably thick. He helps us find joy every morning we wake up alive and gives us the grace to continue praying for our family and our nation.”
Reprinted with permission, The Catholic Register, Toronto