Head of chaplains in Ukraine: 'We help soldiers and families heal'
By Svitlana Dukhovych
“A person who has been to war will never return home the same, but they can transform that profound experience into one that seeks to bring peace.”
Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn is Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Stryi in Western Ukraine and head of the Military Chaplaincy Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this in an interview with Vatican Media at the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome.
The Synod, in which the Bishop participated, took place from June 30 to July 10, on the theme “Family Pastoral Care in the Context of War.”
“Today, we chaplains—as well as volunteers, doctors, and families of military personnel," he shared in the interview, "are those standing on the line between peace and war. And we must ensure that people do not bring the war home with them.”
“The indispensable condition for accompanying these families and others in difficulty,” he emphasized, “is the awareness that we are the ones who need them: by serving them, we discover how Christian we truly are, how close we are to God, how much we feel loved and know how to love.”
Projects, initiatives, and training courses
Among the initiatives of the Military Chaplaincy Department to support the families of military personnel is the project “The Women of Heroes,” led by Natalia Dubchak, herself a former soldier and mother of a fallen soldier.
The initiative offers training courses and gatherings, but above all the creation of communities: there are already over 27 such family circles—communities of soldiers’ families.
“We are trying," explained Bishop Manyshyn, "to find methods and approaches to help these people heal from the wounds of war, to give themselves time to grieve, and to remember that even when we are hurting, we can still help someone who is worse off. That will help lift us up.”
Fundraising for psychological counseling
The Eparchy itself, the Bishop continued, also seeks to support the families of those missing or fallen in battle.
“In 2016, we launched a Lenten initiative to collect donations for a fund through which we offer assistance, including psychological counseling for both adults and children. We run support groups and organize pilgrimages. It is important to make the relatives of soldiers feel that their sacrifice is not in vain, that someone is walking alongside them and saying, ‘We want to enter into your life and share in your sacrifice—a sacrifice that is not meaningless.’”
Giving meaning to suffering
For those who have lost loved ones, finding meaning in their pain is essential, stressed Bishop Manyshyn.
“No one can escape suffering," he said, "but a person for whom faith is a relationship with God," he continued, "can prepare to cross the threshold of hope—as John Paul II said—and then the threshold of eternity.”
“Every suffering is the birth of something new,” the Bishop noted, “but we are the ones who must find its meaning. If we do not, we fall into despair. And yet we should not reject what is human, for God created us with emotions and with tears.
A time of mourning
"The time Ukraine is living through is a time of mourning, and we must be able to live it," he said, "But it is essential not to leave those experiencing loss alone—we must offer them support. Often, it is enough simply to be present.”
Deborah Castellano Lubov contributed to this report
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