Caritas-Spes Ukraine

On May 29, the ingress of Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk, the President of Cariatas-Spes, as a new Ordinary of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia Diocese took place in Kharkiv.

In Kharkiv Cathedral of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a lot of people gathered for the Holy Mass to share this solemnity with bishop Stanislav, namely – Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson, Chairman of Episcopate of Ukraine Mechyslav Mokshytskyi, Kharkiv-Poltava UAPC Archbishop Ihor Isichenko and Kharkiv-Bohoduhiv UPC Bishop of Kyiv Patriarchate Mytrophan.

Bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and other believers – parishioners as well as guests from different parts of Ukraine and abroad – came to pray for Bishop Stanislav. Representatives of diplomatic corps and local authorities also greeted the new Ordinary. Workers of Caritas-Spes also wanted to be with their chief in this important moment.

Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk in his preach recalled other momentous and touching events, including Consecration in Rome, but he pointed that the happiest day was the one when he became a priest. “It was my aim and it was not easy to reach. After were only responsibilities, duties, and cross, though not heavy one, because God was always next to me”. Bishop Stanislav shared his plans and hopes that he has for serving on the new place. He is sure that plans come from God, that is why his main task is to do His will. Bishop also stressed the equally importance of both pastoral and charitable work: “It’s like an effective work with two hands, like breathing with two lungs, like a bird that flies with two wings”. Ukraine, as bishop says, is now in a great need of the spiritual revival, this is why it is primary “to preach the truth, which can fight against injustice”. Bishop Stanislav asked for the prayer so he could do the God’s will in the serving the Church.

Caritas-Spes team knows about their President’s commitment in serving God and people and they truly believe that Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine will indeed become also “a spiritual smithy” some day.

We are praying that God helps Your Excellency, in this hard, but such a good undertaking!

Sometimes it is no less important to be supported with a word, a talk, understanding than with foods, clothes, and other things. Therefore, besides the material help, Social Center in Kyiv organizes, mainly in pre-holiday period, meetings with its beneficiaries. In April, before the Easter, for the meeting with Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk near twenty lonely, old or sick people gathered in Social Center. Bishop served the Mass, after which everybody participated in agape and got the product packages. People communicated, talked to bishop Stanislav and sister and workers of Social Center and, maybe, this communication brought a bit more love, joy, and faith to their lives.

Caritas-Spes is getting ready to open the season of summer camps for children. This year children from poor and problematic families will have an opportunity to spend summer holidays not only in Yablunytsia, Oleksandrivka or Zarichany as every year, but also in Pulmo that is situated near Shatsky Ozera (lakes). Consideration of applications and allocation of groups for camps took place in the central office of Caritas-Spes in Kyiv on April 9 with a participation of bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk, general secretary f. Viktor Simon, coordinator of the project “Summer Camps” Olena Kava, sister Zofia Pajuk, director of Kinderdorf Jablunytsia Oleh Helemei, and s. Maria Morozovska from Charitable Center “Oleksandrivka”.

This year, as it is planned, more than two thousands children will have a rest in our centers. These are children from different parts of Ukraine coming from different parishes, family homes, orphanages, including Zhytomyr boarding school for the deaf. Besides the children summer camps, we are going organize Oases for married couples and the youth.

Centers will start to accept their guests on May 30, by this day they still have time for preparation to create all the conditions for interesting and comfortable staying there.

Near three thousands of the Crimeans have already left their homes and escaped to the mainland because of Russia’s occupation. They have taken the refuge in 18 regions of Ukraine. Centers of “Caritas-Spes” in Oleksandrivka (Zhytomyr region) and Yablunytsya (Ivano-Frankivsk region) are ready to accept migrants from the occupied territory.

Such an opportunity to use children’s recovery centers as shelters for possible refugees from hotspots of Ukraine was discussed on April 4 by general secretary of Caritas-Spes in Ukraine f. Victor Simon, humanitarian officer of “Caritas Europe” Harald Happel, and president of “Caritas Ukraine” Andriy Vaskovych.

The main issue was a political situation in Ukraine and Caritas response for it, which is, firstly, providing social, medical, and psychological service to the victims of violence. Besides, the development of one of the main “Caritas-Spes” project – Health improvement of children – was agreed and supported as well.

We are very grateful to our colleges from International Caritas Family who are ready to help us in these hard times. ”The challenge for the Caritas network is to anticipate the various possible scenarios in relation to the fast changing political circumstances and to adapt its programming approach in a flexible way”, Harald Happel points and means also an urgent need of physical and psychological rehabilitation of the victims of all sides of the conflict and the support of refugees from Crimea and other possible hotspots in Ukraine.

Winter events, especially those of its last weeks, in Kyiv and whole Ukraine made everyone put off many their usual activities and turn their attention, energy, and activity to Euromaidan. To worry, help, take part, grieve, pray, hope, and act.

When on February 18, St. Oleksandr Church gave a shelter to first protesters who were running away up on the Triokhsviatytelska Street, we couldn’t even imagine that the church would become a hospital for next days where many injured would get a medical aid.

These hard tragic days have already passed, but their consequences seem to be heavy, especially for people who suffered from the violent crackdown in the center of Kyiv. This is why, Caritas-Spes expands and intensifies some of its activities directing it for the support of people who have suffered on Maidan. These are the following activities:

1. Medical aid – providing with medicine and qualified volunteering of nurses and doctors;
2. Social support – targeted assistance by providing food and clothes;
3. Psychological support which is now important for participants, witnesses, volunteers of the protests and the families of
4. Work with children and teenagers that have witnessed violence and turmoil which can be done in the Social Center in Kyiv and in children summer camps in the Centers of Caritas-Spes.

Support will be carried not only in Kyiv, but in other centers of Caritas-Spes in Ukraine.

We express our sincere condolences to everyone who suffered and to the families of people who died and inform about our openness to their needs and problems.