His Beatitude Sviatoslav Meets with the “Women of TRO” Association of Families of POWs and Missing Persons
On January 21, 2025, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, met with the mothers and wives of missing and captured soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces at his residence in Kyiv.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the association “Women of the TRO,” (Women of Territorial Defence Forces) which unites families of missing persons and prisoners of war, as well as Fr. Andriy Zelinsky, Deputy Head of the UGCC Department of Military Chaplaincy.
“A great tragedy for all of us is our prisoners of war and missing persons. Until the last of our men is freed from Russian captivity, none of us can stop worrying,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He shared insights on church diplomacy and mediation efforts, including the “All for All” exchange initiative proposed by Pope Francis during Easter last year, and outlined the Church’s cooperation with Ukrainian authorities on these matters.
The representatives of “Women of the TRO” shared their experiences, describing the ongoing pain of waiting for news of their loved ones. They also recounted their recent visit to Pope Francis and their conversation with him. The women presented their efforts to secure the release of their relatives and requested assistance in delivering Bibles and crosses to the prisoners, saying, “This is the only thing that sustains them there, helping them to return to us.”
“We believe and know that our prayer is powerful in supporting them. We consider all the men on these lists alive until we find evidence otherwise and continue fighting for every one of them,” they emphasized.
A special request from the women was to pray together, which His Beatitude Sviatoslav gratefully accepted.
“When we pray, we connect with the living God, drawing strength from Him. When we feel tired, discouraged, and unsure of what to do next, prayer brings light and clarity. It empowers us to endure, heals our wounds, and helps us see a way forward, even in the darkest moments,” the Patriarch said, assuring the women of his daily prayers for the men whose names they had given him. “Where human strength falters, God begins to act,” he added.
Fr. Andriy Zelinsky also spoke about the initiatives of the UGCC Military Chaplaincy Department to support military personnel and their families, inviting the women to take part in these efforts.
At the end of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav presented the women with two books: Ukraine Stands, Ukraine Fights, Ukraine Prays, a collection of daily reflections from the first year of the full-scale war, and Apocrypha: Four Conversations about Lesya Ukrainka.
The UGCC Department for Information
