Month: March 2022

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Mayor Vitali Klitschko of Kyiv, Ukraine’s besieged capital, has invited Pope Francis and other religious leaders to come to the city and witness for peace.

“The Holy Father has received the letter from the mayor of the Ukrainian capital and is close to the suffering of the city, its people, those who had to flee from it and those who are called to administer it,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office.

“He prays to the Lord that they will be protected from violence,” Bruni said March 15, adding that the pope repeats his call for an end to “the unacceptable armed aggression before it reduces cities to cemeteries.”

In a letter to the pope dated March 8, Klitschko said, “We believe that the world religious leaders’ presence in person in Kyiv is key for saving lives and paving the path to peace in our city, country and beyond.”

The mayor offered “help on whatever might be needed” to get the pope to Kyiv, and said, “if a journey to Kyiv is not possible, we kindly ask for a joint video conference to be recorded or broadcast live,” including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We appeal to you, as a spiritual leader, to show your compassion, to stand with the Ukrainian people by jointly spreading the call for peace,” the letter said.

Klitschko wrote to the pope three days after appealing in a video on Twitter for religious leaders to come to the beleaguered city.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (CNS) – As thousands of refugees from Ukraine continue to cross over the Hungarian border, Budapest’s Keleti train station has become a central hub on their paths to escape violence and search for some sense of normalcy amid the chaos.

For the past two weeks, religious and other charitable organizations such as Caritas Hungary, the Knights of Malta and the Red Cross have distributed food, clothing and other items to the continuous waves of refugees coming through the station, which is always crowded.

The hustle and bustle at the station was no different March 12, as the various charities distributed much-needed food and basic materials not only to refugees from Ukraine, but also to the city’s poor and homeless who arrived at the station seeking help.

“No one is denied help here,” said Mark, a volunteer working at the station for Caritas Hungary, who preferred to give only his first name.

A group of volunteers speedily handed out bags of food and other goods to those who approached. A young Roma girl standing near the table, however, had her eye on a small plush toy but remained silent. Noticing the girl, one volunteer smiled and handed her the toy along with some candy that she happily accepted.

Mark told Catholic News Service that the crisis was far from being a burden for Hungarians who stepped up to help those in need. Volunteers who offered to help, he said, “have to wait their turn because every job is taken until the end of March.”

BALTIMORE (CNS) – In response to more than 2 million refugees, primarily women and children, fleeing the conflict in Ukraine in recent weeks, the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services said it is “alarming to see the scale of the suffering” in the region.

In a statement, Sean Callahan said CRS partners and staff inside Ukraine and in Moldova and Poland have “heard of children dragging bulky luggage, their faces wet from tears” and also have heard of “crowds huddling inside bus terminals for shelter, knee-deep in their belongings.”

“The weight of the trauma lives on the faces of young and old alike,” he added.

Callahan also noted that CRS, the U.S. bishops’ relief and development agency, has seen “tremendous acts of solidarity and generosity” from countries receiving refugees and from those donating to CRS and Caritas partners that are providing food, shelter, relief items, counseling and information services to displaced people in Ukraine and refugees in Moldova, Poland and Romania.

“With all of this in mind, we join the pope in calling for an immediate end to the fighting,” he said, adding that wars in Syria and elsewhere have demonstrated that “people will continue to suffer until there is peace.”

During this time of conflict in Ukraine, CRS has been supporting Caritas agencies in Eastern Europe who are helping Ukrainian refugees with the following:

• Field kitchens providing hot lunches and snacks.
• Reception services at Caritas offices, train stations and other locations for displaced people with clothing, information, referrals, food, water, hygiene items and counseling services.
• Transportation of displaced families to friends, families and local social services.
• Evacuation centers providing shelter, food and counseling services for displaced families.

CRS is assisting Caritas Moldova in providing food and relief items to refugees at government-run reception centers and plans to establish additional centers.

The Baltimore-based agency also is helping transport refugees from the Ukraine border and mobilizing hosts to provide homes for refugee families.

In Romania, Caritas agencies with CRS support have mobilized volunteers, equipped facilities and helped refugee centers, currently at capacity, in serving hundreds of refugee families crossing the borders.

Caritas Poland is similarly providing assistance to arriving Ukrainians at multiple border-crossing points and supporting the shipment of relief supplies into Ukraine.

CRS is assisting the agency to prepare a cash assistance program to reach an estimated 300,000 households. It also is providing shelter to refugee orphans in coordination with the Polish government.

GAYLORD, Mich. – Seventy-three days after Pope Francis appointed Father Jeffrey J. Walsh as the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, the Scranton native was ordained and installed at a Mass at Saint Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral.

Hundreds of family, friends, clergy, religious and lay faithful attended the joyous Cathedral Mass.

“What was once a gift in Scranton is now a gift in Gaylord,” said the Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, who served as principal ordaining bishop and celebrant. “He is a remarkably accomplished parish priest and he brings all of that to you.”

Drawing upon the parable of the owner and vineyard workers from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, which was proclaimed during the Ordination Mass, Archbishop Vigneron said Bishop Walsh is now being sent into a new vineyard – in the Diocese of Gaylord – which is near to Jesus’ heart.

“Bishop Walsh does not come to you as some sort of mere generic laborer. He is the man who he is with individual gifts and talents, with a history of discipleship, all of which receives a new quality, a new character, a new consecration, a new stamp today,” he said.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, and the Most Rev. Walter A. Hurley, Apostolic Administrator of Gaylord, were co-ordaining bishops.

Concelebrants were the many bishops and priests in attendance, including Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. Several of Bishop Walsh’s brother priests from the Diocese of Scranton also made the trip to Michigan for the Ordination Mass.

In his homily, Archbishop Vigneron encouraged everyone in the Cathedral to immerse themselves in the grace being poured forth by the Holy Spirit.

“We are here, in the Cathedral today, not as witnesses, not as spectators, but as participants in something that the Holy Spirit accomplishes beyond any human agency,” the Archbishop explained. “We want our hearts to be on fire with praise and thanksgiving.”

The Archbishop used the closing moments of his homily to speak to Bishop Walsh directly, saying he was chosen for episcopal office because he is a friend of Jesus – and urged him to “seize this grace, this hour.”

The homily followed the presentation of Bishop-elect Walsh and the reading of the apostolic letter from Pope Francis by Archbishop Pierre, calling the Bishop-elect to episcopal ministry.

The homily was followed by the Promise of the Elect in which the Bishop-elect declared his resolve to uphold the faith and to discharge his duties with fidelity, and the Litany of Supplication where the Bishop-elect laid face down in the Cathedral as names of saints were sung in prayer.

In the Laying on of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination, Archbishop Vigneron placed his hands on Bishop-elect Walsh without speaking and was followed by all of the other bishops present doing the same to signify the unity of the Apostolic College.

Archbishop Vigneron also anointed the head of Bishop Walsh, presented him with a Book of the Gospels, placed a ring on his right hand and presented him with a miter and crosier.

“Receive the Gospel, and preach the word of God with all patience and sound teaching,” the Archbishop said in presenting the Book of Gospels.

After the closing prayer, the newly ordained bishop walked through the aisles of the Gaylord Cathedral to offer blessings to all before delivering his first remarks as bishop.

Calling the Mass “uplifting,” he expressed gratitude to everyone for attending.

“The Church has what the world needs,” Bishop Walsh said. “Prayer and the Sacraments are what make our faith come alive and help us stay close to Christ and be the best that we can be.”

Bishop Walsh said he is eager to go around the Diocese of Gaylord with “missionary zeal,” saying he is looking forward to not only enjoying the beauty of his new diocese but also getting to know its people and pray with them.

“As we pray, we have the life of Christ grow in us and we realize that we can take a backseat and let his spirit work through us,” Bishop Walsh explained.

The new Bishop concluded his remarks with one of the petitions in the Liturgy of the Hours on the day of the Mass, “Teach us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Church, that it may be more effective for ourselves and for the world as the Sacrament of Salvation.”

Pope Francis appointed Bishop Walsh to serve the Diocese of Gaylord Dec. 21, 2021, with the announcement coming from Archbishop Pierre.

Bishop Walsh, ordained a priest in 1994, was serving as pastor at Saint Rose of Lima Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, both in Carbondale, at the time of his appointment. The 56 year old is a native of Scranton and a graduate of Scranton Central High School. He graduated from the University of Scranton in 1987 and went on to complete his priestly studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., earning a Master of Divinity. Bishop Walsh also received a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in 1999 and a Master of Social Work from Marywood University in 2010.

During his 27 years as a priest in the Diocese of Scranton, Bishop Walsh also served in various positions in the Diocese of Scranton from Assistant Pastor and Pastor, Sacramental Minister, Episcopal Vicar and Episcopal Vicar for Clergy. He also served in a variety of diocesan positions, including Director of Religious Formation in high schools, Chaplain to the Deaf Community, Diocesan Vocations Director and also Diocesan Deputy Secretary for Catholic Human Services.

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Two cardinals arrived at separate destinations on one mission entrusted to them by Pope Francis: to bring relief, hope and encouragement to suffering Ukrainians.

Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, papal almoner, arrived in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv March 8 and met with Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, head of the Latin-rite Archdiocese of Lviv.

Father Andriy Soletskyy, a spokesman for Archbishop Shevchuk, told Catholic News Service March 9 that Archbishop Shevchuk traveled from Kyiv to Lviv the day before specifically to meet with Cardinal Krajewski and help him fulfill the mission Pope Francis had entrusted to him. That may include helping the cardinal get to Kyiv “if possible,” Father Soletskyy said.

However, he said, for the security of both the cardinal and Archbishop Shevchuk, the church will not share details of how or when either is traveling.

Lviv has not been shelled, “thanks be to God,” Father Soletskyy said, but the city in Western Ukraine is being overwhelmed with displaced people gathering there to try to find rides, trains or buses to Poland, Hungary or Romania. People are sleeping in line at the train station and every church has opened as a shelter.

But with Lviv’s population having doubled in the past two weeks, he said, the ability to shelter and feed everyone is becoming critical.

According to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Krajewski was to visit a variety of social service centers and take part March 10 in a joint prayer service with “representatives of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations.”

Prior to his arrival in Ukraine, Cardinal Krajewski met with Caritas volunteers helping refugees in several Polish cities near the border with Ukraine.

According to the Polish Catholic weekly Gosc Niedzielny, the Polish cardinal was asked by journalists if he was afraid of entering a war zone.

“I am afraid, as everyone is afraid, but I went to confession before leaving; I have no debts, I wrote a will,” he said. “I go freely to bring the Gospel. I want to be with these people.”

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, interim president of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, arrived in Budapest, Hungary, March 8 and visited the Keleti train station where he met with Caritas volunteers and thanked them for their work.

He also met with refugees who fled the violence in Ukraine, including two medical students from Nigeria as well as several from China and Vietnam. Despite reports of discrimination against African and Asian residents in Ukraine attempting to flee the country, Vatican News said the group did not experience difficulties crossing the border.

According to Vatican News, one of the Nigerian students, Joyce, told Cardinal Czerny, “I just want to go home.” Cardinal Czerny shook her hand and replied, “Good luck. God is with you, and the pope is close to you.”

The cardinal met March 9 with Zsolt Semjén, Hungary’s deputy prime minister, who assured him Hungary would welcome all refugees from Ukraine “without limits.”

Vatican News said the cardinal asked Semjén to make that welcoming attitude a permanent part of Hungarian government policy and to expand the country’s welcoming of people seeking refuge. The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been promoting an extremely restrictive immigration policy for the country.

BALTIMORE (CNS) – In response to more than 2 million refugees, primarily women and children, fleeing the conflict in Ukraine in recent weeks, the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services said it is “alarming to see the scale of the suffering” in the region.

In a March 8 statement, Sean Callahan said CRS partners and staff inside Ukraine and in Moldova and Poland have “heard of children dragging bulky luggage, their faces wet from tears” and also have heard of “crowds huddling inside bus terminals for shelter, knee-deep in their belongings.”

“The weight of the trauma lives on the faces of young and old alike,” he added.

Callahan also noted that CRS, the U.S. bishops’ relief and development agency, has seen “tremendous acts of solidarity and generosity” from countries receiving refugees and from those donating to CRS and Caritas partners that are providing food, shelter, relief items, counseling and information services to displaced people in Ukraine and refugees in Moldova, Poland and Romania.

“With all of this in mind, we join the pope in calling for an immediate end to the fighting,” he said, adding that wars in Syria and elsewhere have demonstrated that “people will continue to suffer until there is peace.”

During this time of conflict in Ukraine, CRS has been supporting Caritas Ukraine, an agency of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Caritas Spes, an agency of the Romanian Catholic Church, with the following:

— Field kitchens providing hot lunches and snacks.

— Reception services at Caritas offices, train stations and other locations for displaced people with clothing, information, referrals, food, water, hygiene items and counseling services.

— Transportation of displaced families to friends, families and local social services.

— Evacuation centers providing shelter, food and counseling services for displaced families.

CRS is assisting Caritas Moldova in providing food and relief items to refugees at government-run reception centers and plans to establish additional centers.

The Baltimore-based agency also is helping transport refugees from the Ukraine border and mobilizing hosts to provide homes for refugee families.

In Romania, Caritas agencies with CRS support have mobilized volunteers, equipped facilities and helped refugee centers, currently at capacity, in serving hundreds of refugee families crossing the borders.

Caritas Poland is similarly providing assistance to arriving Ukrainians at multiple border-crossing points and supporting the shipment of relief supplies into Ukraine.

CRS is assisting the agency to prepare a cash assistance program to reach an estimated 300,000 households. It also is providing shelter to refugee orphans in coordination with the Polish government.

ROME (CNS) – Condemning Russia’s bombing of a children’s and maternity hospital in Ukraine, the Vatican secretary of state insisted diplomacy and negotiations are the only ways to prevent the situation from getting much worse.

“If everyone clings to their positions, nothing can be done. The war will continue and become increasingly deadly, and with the prospect, God help us, that it could even spread. I hope not, I hope not,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, told reporters March 9.

The cardinal, who met with reporters after giving a speech at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, was asked about the Russian shelling of the hospital in Mariupol. A city official told the BBC three people, including a child, were killed and at least 17 were injured.

“Bombing a hospital is unacceptable. There are no reasons, there are no motivations, to do this,” Cardinal Parolin said.

Questioning Russia’s action “is not only legitimate, but obligatory,” he said.

The “first version” Russian President Vladimir Putin gave for invading Ukraine, the cardinal said, was that it “was a military operation aimed only at destroying military installations in Ukraine in order to guarantee the security of Russia. But, obviously, bombing a hospital for children, a pediatric hospital, has nothing to do with this purpose.”

Pope Francis, after reciting the Angelus March 6, specifically rejected Putin’s claim, saying, “It is not merely a ‘military operation,’ but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery.”

Cardinal Parolin also was asked about his telephone conversation March 8 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The two spoke for more than 30 minutes, he said, and he pleaded with Lavrov, including on behalf of Pope Francis, to protect civilians and to guarantee the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee and to permit the delivery of humanitarian aid.

“It’s not like he gave me any guarantees,” Cardinal Parolin said.

“I’m very worried,” he said. “First of all, for what is happening. It’s an all-out war.”

Cardinal Parolin also was asked about comments by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in support of Putin’s war and, seemingly, his view that the common roots of Russian and Ukrainian faith and culture mean that Ukraine should remain always under Russia’s influence. The patriarch blamed the West for driving a wedge between Russia and Ukraine, including by promoting “gay parades” and other attacks on traditional moral values.

The Italian news agency ANSA said Cardinal Parolin responded, “Kirill’s words do not favor and do not promote an understanding, on the contrary, they risk igniting tempers even more and going toward an escalation and not resolving the crisis peacefully.”

IVANO-FRANKIVSK, Ukraine (CNS) – The Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk opened its doors to people fleeing Russian bombing in other parts of Ukraine and what it found were not only guests but volunteers.

The archeparchy, based about 300 miles west of Kyiv, is hosting more than 1,200 displaced people from other parts of Ukraine, said an article posted on its website March 9.

In addition to about 450 people staying in rectories throughout the archeparchy, it said, guests are staying with seminarians at the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Seminary of St. Josaphat, a church-run summer camp in Podlyute and at St. Basil the Great High School in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Most of the guests, the archeparchy said, “try actively to help and become volunteers themselves.”

The seminary had 142 guests March 9 and had hosted more than 300 internally displaced people since the Russian invasion began Feb. 24, the article said.

Nikita is one of the guests. He was forced to leave his home in Donetsk in 2014 when Russian-backed rebels began fighting; he moved to Kyiv but was forced to flee again.

He had studied at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, he said, so he was familiar with the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church.

“What impresses us the most here is the feeling of security, as well as the friendly attitude,” he said. “It seems as if we have known the seminarians and fathers who are here for many years. I am very grateful to them for that.”

While hosting the displaced people and engaging in a variety of volunteer work, three dozen seminarians and priests also continue with their daily program of worship and prayer. Many of their guests join them each morning for the Divine Liturgy.

At the church’s summer camp in Podlyute, near the Carpathian Mountains, 80 guests are in residence and are assisted by Father Vasyl Filipovych, who provides shelter and food, but also spiritual care and confessions.

Father Markian Bukatchuk, who teaches at St. Basil the Great High School, said 82 people had stayed at the school, living “in the classrooms where we have put beds and mattresses. Through our joint efforts, we have provided everyone who lives with us with three full meals daily” in the school cafeteria.