Care for Ukraine By: Father Jonathan Bannon
The Blessed Surgeon
Prayer Vigil
W
hen the Russian Army invaded Ukraine it shocked the world. Some were not surprised as the annexation of Crimea is still fresh in our minds. Within 48 hours, hundreds of missiles hit causing millions of women and children to leave their beloved country and seek refuge in the neighboring countries of Poland and Romania. Serving the Parish of Christ the Saviour Church in Rockford, Illinois, founded by Belarusian, Polish and Ukrainian refugees who have first hand experiences of losing their homes to Soviet armies and living in labor camps with uncertain futures, I knew I had to check in with 2023
our founding members. I was concerned the images shown on TV might bring back difficult memories for our founders who were just children when split up from their families, some watching their villages be lit on fire so I began to call all of them just to say hello. One parishioner shared back in Belarus her mother would cut flowers and give them to her as a little girl to throw to the tanks that would drive past her house because it was so common to have their country occupied. Her mother taught her to at least offer a sign of peace as a new army came to take over. This peaceful response to violence would be an example to the choices our Parish would
Diocesan Yearbook
229
