Days of Spiritual Renewal for Released Captives Held in Ukraine for the First Time
From October 10 to 14, the first spiritual renewal days in Ukraine for Ukrainians released from Russian captivity and their families took place at the Monastery of St. Joseph of the Redemptorist Fathers in Ivano-Frankivsk. The event was a unique spiritual experience for 78 participants from different regions of Ukraine, from Zaporizhzhia to Lviv. The initiative was launched by Fr. Bohdan Heleta, a Redemptorist priest who himself spent almost a year and eight months in captivity.
Father Bohdan Heleta spoke about the significance of this experience for its participants in an interview for the website Spiritual Grandeur of Lviv.
The days of spiritual renewal were held under the theme “God’s Path to Man and Man’s Path to God.”
“My idea was conceived while I was still in captivity,” said Fr. Bohdan Heleta. The priest noted that initially, they had planned to hold the event only for those released from captivity, but the participants wanted to be together with their families. Among the 78 participants, there were more than 20 men; the rest were their wives and children.
The spiritual renewal program included joint prayers, Liturgies, Confession, personal spiritual conversations, art therapy, and a meeting with a violinist. The Redemptorist Sisters and Fr. Sava, a Studite monk, joined in organizing the event.
Despite the varying levels of religious commitment among the participants, many received the Sacrament of Confession and Holy Communion for the first time. “They saw the practice of faith and wanted to pursue a spiritual life. We gave them what we could, and God will lead them further,” said the priest.
“It was a wonderful event that gave an inner spiritual impetus. People became quiet within themselves and set spiritual goals. After imprisonment, a person always needs something internal, something spiritual. Thank God, we managed to do that,” shared Fr. Bohdan.
The sense of community and the opportunity to share the pain they had experienced were of particular value during these days. Many participants spoke openly about their experience of captivity for the first time.
“It’s not easy to draw out the pain you’ve experienced. But when people start sharing, God heals them through it. We must not isolate ourselves, because one person’s testimony can heal another,” said Fr. Bohdan.
According to the priest, what brought the participants the most joy was that they had been sitting at home for months or even years, unable to share their experiences with others. “And here they met as brothers and told each other what they had been through. It was as if a wound had been cut open, the pus had drained out, and it had been washed with clean water. Then the wound was bandaged, and they felt better,” Fr. Bohdan described figuratively.
When asked about the hardest moments for those who returned from captivity, Father Bohdan said:
“The thorniest thing is feeling like nobody needs me. I gave my life, my health, shed blood, got hurt, walk around with shrapnel in my body — and society doesn’t accept me. Indifference. There is no love. There is no mercy. That’s the hardest thing.”
The priest warned that because of society’s coldness, many people released from captivity shut themselves away at home, isolate themselves, and do not reintegrate with others. “This destroys a person. Because then a person asks himself: why did I live and do all this?” Father Bohdan emphasized.
His advice for those going through such difficult situations:
“I would advise you to set goals in your life — spiritual goals, goals that nourish your soul, your peace, your emotions. And to start fighting against your own sin — to cleanse yourself, to tear that darkness, that sin, out of your soul, your body — to change and build a new life, to become a new person. And that heals you.”
The participants exchanged contact information and created a group chat where they continue to communicate, support each other, and share photos and impressions. Even those who were released from captivity on October 2 have already joined the group.
Due to high demand, a second group of participants has already been formed. The organizers plan to hold the next days of spiritual renewal after the New Year.
