Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Warsaw (Agenzia Fides) - The events of the war in Ukraine have caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee and seek refuge in neighboring countries: more than a million refugees have arrived in Poland, mostly women and mothers with children who have reached the country on foot or with makeshift means. The Polish Bishops' Conference and Caritas are on the front line to organize the aid, with the precious coordination of the local government. Father Lukasz Zygmunt, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of the diocese of Kielce, welcomed many refugees to the home for the disabled in Piekoszów, of which he is the director. In a video showing refugees crossing the Polish border, Fr Zygmunt sent Fides his dramatic testimony: "It is one o'clock in the morning and people are still walking, my heart breaks at this sight. Let's pray for peace in Ukraine, so that these refugees can find a safe haven". The priest explains that the house is functioning regularly and that additional places are being used, also in anticipation of an increase in the number of refugee guests. The PMS in Poland have not launched a special fundraising campaign for Ukraine, but they help as much as possible by also providing information about reliable organizations working in Poland, so that the money raised can really reach those in need. Father Luca Bovio IMC, National Secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Union in Poland, explains: "The welcome that everyone receives is wide and we can say that the whole country has mobilized in this gigantic humanitarian action. Even the members of our national leadership, priests, religious and lay people, are sensitive to this tragedy and are committed in various ways to bringing relief and consolation, through prayer and through concrete gestures of solidarity, such as collecting basic necessities and, in some cases, true hospitality". In this time of Lent", he concludes, "let us pray for peace and build peace around us". (E.G.) (Agenzia Fides, 12/3/2022)
