In Beryslav, the enemy damaged the kitchen that fed people every day: Head of the UGCC on the 86th week of the war
The constant strikes and air raids have damaged our church, the home of our priest, and the charity kitchen that feeds hundreds of needy people every day. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this in a traditional video address on the 86th week of the full-scale war that the Russian occupier brought to Ukrainian land.
Charity kitchen at the UGCC parish in Beryslav
“It was a week of cynical war crimes by the Russians. Our military noted a new tactic of attacking our homeland from the sky with missiles and other weapons. The enemy is launching missiles along the border lines between Ukraine and other states, making them harder to destroy. In the south of our homeland, it systematically destroys grain facilities. Therefore, the goal of the Russians is to take away from Ukraine and the world the bread with which we want to feed the hungry,” said the Primate.
However, he emphasized that the tragedy in the village of Groza, Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region, shocked Ukraine and the world the most over the past week.
“A Russian missile hit the place,” said the Head of the Church, “where people held a memorial service for their deceased fellow villager. Fifty-two people were killed. Among the dead was a six-year-old boy. Since the beginning of the war, 300 people have lived in this village. So, the criminal Russian hand killed every sixth resident of this village. This makes it impossible to comprehend the tragedy of this village today.”
We also hear a voice of pain from our heroic Beryslav, located on the banks of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. “Due to constant strikes and air raids, our church, the home of our priest, and the charity kitchen that fed hundreds of needy people every day were damaged. Our community, together with the priest of this heroic city, asks for prayer and help,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
“But in the midst of this pain, fire, tears and blood, we want the world to hear: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!” the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
He also informed that a significant global event began this week as the Vatican hosted the regular assembly of the Pontifical Synod. The Pope himself uniquely outlined its content as a moment when the entire Catholic Church stopped to listen.
“The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church delegation is giving a powerful testimony of the suffering, pain, struggle, and hope of Ukraine. We find tremendous support. We feel in the bosom of this assembly that the entire Catholic Church supports us. All those we met today condemned Russia’s crimes against the Ukrainian people with a single voice,” the Head of the Church noted.
“The Holy Father,” said the Primate, “in a personal conversation with me, said that he would never get tired of speaking about the martyrdom of Ukraine, awakening the conscience of modern Christians, so that no one becomes accustomed to this criminal war and does not weary of it; so that support and assistance to Ukraine would never diminish.”
The UGCC Department for Information
