Life is by no means easy at present in the town of Dnipro– where air raid sirens and rocket attacks are an ever present reality. 200 people from the Latin Catholic parish of Saint Joseph have already fled the city. “They are waiting for the war to end. They are afraid to return, since life in Dnipro is dangerous”, explains Capuchin Father Yaroslav Fedirchuk.
Nevertheless, the parish continues to be extremely active, celebrating two Holy Masses each day, including a homily. Even the weekday Masses are attended by several dozen of the faithful and on Sundays there are up to 200 people. The church remains open all day long, offering all the people the chance to come to God in prayer.
But there are also many people seeking practical help. Father Jaroslav explains: “We have over 10,000 needy people on our register who have asked us for food, clothing, blankets, mattresses, toiletries and cleaning materials.”
However, among the major challenges that profoundly impacted people‘s lives – above all in winter – were the hours-long power cuts, the resulting breakdown in the tram and bus services and the failure of the water supply. Yet despite these difficulties, the parish has continued to hold regular meetings and catechetical sessions inside the church for children, young people and adults. “We offer the sacraments to those who are prepared, and we systematically care for sick and the victims of the war”, Father Jaroslav adds.
Of course, the parish itself has suffered greatly from the power cuts, which can occur without warning at any time. So, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we were able to give support them to purchase an emergency generator. Father Jaroslav and his parishioners are profoundly grateful to all of you for your help and have promised to pray for you!
