Beacons of Hope Ukrainian parish social ministries transform lives in times of war text by Anna Klochko with photographs by Konstantin Chernichkin
F
rom the lower level of an unfinished church in the city of Chortkiv, a solemn resonant chant rises. Amid the familiar prayers and hymns, the war ravaging Ukraine seems distant as the Reverend Volodymyr Zabolotnyi celebrates liturgy. Afterward, a few elderly parishioners linger. They walk over to a small kitchen in the multipurpose hall that also serves as a temporary worship space until the main sanctuary dedicated to the new martyrs and saints of the Ukrainian people is completed. They tie on aprons and gather around a large table. It’s time to make pierogi. “Their pierogi are always delicious and never fall apart in the pot,” Father Zabolotnyi says, explaining how many of the women find “comfort in this repetitive work” of making pierogi.
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“Some of them have sons or grandsons serving on the front. Without something meaningful to do, where one can talk, reflect and feel useful again, one could lose one’s mind,” he adds. Singing hymns as they work, those with loved ones on the front raise their voices louder, sealing the dough as they press more firmly and more deliberately. Pierogi-making is at the heart of the parish’s social ministry, which donates copious quantities to the local hospital to feed the war-wounded soldiers undergoing rehabilitation. “The boys will be well fed and recover faster,” Father Zabolotnyi says, noting the parish donated 22 pounds of pierogi that day. The proceeds of pierogi sold in town benefit the construction of the church. Caritas Ternopil hosts a family activity to break the isolation of war.