EUROPE/UKRAINE - Representatives of the US Pontifical Mission Societies visit the country: "We want to share suffering and pain"

Tuesday, 26 April 2022 easter   pontifical mission societies  

Kyev (Agenzia Fides) - In Ukraine, the Pontifical Mission Societies of the United States not only want to provide material aid, but also to share the suffering of the people and their pain: with this spirit, the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States organized a visit to Ukraine in recent days, during the liturgical celebrations of the Orthodox Holy Week and Easter celebrations, which was celebrated on April 24th. "We did not want to limit ourselves to promoting humanitarian aid - says Mgr. Kieran Harrington, National Director of the PMS USA - We wanted to show people that they are not suffering alone and that we have not abandoned them". The representatives of the Pontifical Mission Societies visited parishes of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Poland, which cares for those displaced by the war accompanied those suffering from the war on their journey through the liturgical celebrations of the Paschal Mystery", explains Mgr. Harrington -. In the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Ternopil we celebrated Holy Thursday. The liturgical gesture of the washing of the feet was a symbolic but very real representation of the care that displaced people receive in places such as the Seminary of St. Joseph and the monastery of the Basilian Fathers".
In Kyev, the liturgy of the Lord's Passion was celebrated on Good Friday with the Major Archbishop. "Here we witnessed the evil and devastating effects of the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, here we touched the body of the suffering Christ as we kissed the Holy Shroud", said the director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. We celebrated Easter in Lviv. It was an experience of great joy and deep hope in the midst of suffering. Here people realized that evil exists, but that the glory of God will prevail". (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 26/4/2022)


Share: