LEICESTER, United Kingdom – The head of Ukrainian Catholics in the UK has called on all to remember Ukraine during Lent as the two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches on 24 February 2024.
During an address to mark the start of Lent, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski of the Eparchy of the Holy Family of London spoke of the plight of Ukraine’s people and the need for small acts of support and mercy in the face of seemingly powerlessness against the forces of war.
“We have an opportunity to make little differences that altogether make big differences,” the bishop said, reportsCrux. “And my prayer, and my wish, for all of us during this time of Lent is that we can become that community of God that we are all called to.”
The bishop highlighted “the families that have been torn apart because of the war in Ukraine, the tens of thousands of young women who have fled to the United Kingdom with their children while their husbands have had to remain behind to defend Ukraine”.
The total number of refugees who have come to Great Britain now number over 260,000. And as the war takes its toll, both in terms of blood, treasure and human relations, Ukraine has seen its divorce rate hit an all-time high since independence.
In discussing the need not to lose hope, the bishop alluded to the classic British weather of “cloudy skies and rainy weather”, pointing out that “when the sun comes out and shines on the British countryside, there’s nothing more glorious than that”.
“And certainly we, people of faith, our job, in many ways, our vocation, is to encourage each other along our journeys and to provide hope, hope that we are not alone, hope that we have not been abandoned,” Nowakowski said.
He noted that while the war in Ukraine has not been in the headlines of the daily news as much as it used to be, “it is still very much part of our mind, our understanding and our thoughts”, while also noting the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“As we’re…in Lent, or as we call it in the Eastern Church, the Great Fast, it’s a time for us to pray more [not just] for peace in Ukraine, but peace throughout the world,” the bishop said. “We see the horrific news coming out of the Holy Land, the suffering that’s happening there, both for the Israelis and Palestinians.”
“We can’t help everybody throughout the world with our limited means, but surely we can pray,” the bishop said. “Pray for peace, pray for justice, pray for those who are alone. Pray for those who are suffering – especially for those who are suffering separation.”
In considering all this, the bishop described how Catholics are “asked three things” during Lent:
“We’re asked to intensify our prayer. We’re asked to abstain or fast. We’re also asked to give alms to remember those who are in need,” he said, adding that Christians should “be those signs of hope for those who feel they have no hope”.
“When we think of the place of candles in our liturgical celebration; when we light a candle, it brings light, it brings warmth, it brings joy where there was darkness before,” Nowakowski said. “When we are journeying towards the Resurrection, to Jesus who is the light Himself, we are also meant to be those candles, or at least reflect that eternal flame that gives us all hope.”
Reflecting on the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the bishop said, gives people an opportunity to pause and consider the last two years of killings, the destruction and the devastation that has been waged against Ukraine by its neighbour Russia.
The bishop also spoke of the need to “support in prayer His Majesty The King, who has been so supportive of Ukrainian people, both here and abroad”.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski speaks with future King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they visit the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London, England, 2 March 2022. (Photo Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images.)
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