Sisters' mission in Ukraine: Living the charism amid challenges of our time

By Sr. Emilia Vandych, SSMI

For almost 132 years, this Congregation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has been carrying out the mission begun by Blessed Josephata Hordashevska, co-founder of the Congregation of the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, embodying her key creed, which is still relevant today, to “serve your people where the need is greatest.”

A bridge of hope

Responding to the challenges of today’s world, the Sisters focus their efforts on supporting families in difficult living conditions.

In Ukraine, they run two social programmes. For 23 years, the Sisters have been supervising the Bridge of Hope project, which currently supports over 100 children. Thanks to the support of  benefactors, more than 300 children have received help since the start of this initiative.

Thirteen “Bridge of Hope” centres operate in the convents, where the Sisters care for the spiritual needs of orphans and children from poor families with many kids. The Sisters teach the children catechism and organize pilgrimages, among other things. The Sisters support them spiritually and offer them material and social assistance.

Meeting refugees in Zovkva

A house of hope

Another aspect of social service is developing through the “House of Hope” project in Lviv. Its aim is to help and support people who are vulnerable: orphans who have lost one or both parents, also on account of war; internally displaced persons; poor families with many kids; families in situations of hardship; and female students who are in difficult situations.

The first residents of the house for disadvantaged people were the families with children fleeing from the war in Donbas that began in 2014. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the “House of Hope” became a refuge for the internally displaced.

Catechesis for children

A project for war orphans

Following Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine, the Servants of Mary Immaculate directed their ministry towards caring for the orphaned children of military personnel who have been killed in war, availing themselves of the support of the Sister Servants of Mary in Poland and benefactors.

The project has reached more than 120 children. It’s a truly difficult task which requires that the Sisters be present in families with widows and orphans, providing spiritual support to those who truly need it.

According to Sister Anna Drozd, who is in charge of the project, the Sister Servants of Mary in Poland and Ukraine jointly support widows and children who have lost husbands and parents, offering them various forms of aid: food, clothing, medicine, basic essentials, and household items.

Within the scope of this project, the Sisters organize trips for the children to help them to get at least a small taste of the joy of childhood, to socialize with their peers and to meet new friends and similar people. The project to help relatives of military members at war operates in various cities in Ukraine.

The Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate are strongly committed to curing the wounds of war through psychological help and support to the wives and mothers of the fallen, by listening to those in need, and especially through prayer for the victims of war and their families.

The Sisters provide spiritual and psychological support and several forms of assistance to people from a variety of faiths and confessions. They seek to serve Christ, who is present in every person.

Meeting with children in war zones

Spiritual accompaniment for military personnel

A number of seminars were organized on the theme: “The trauma of battle. How to help military personnel”.

Some Sisters are not afraid to go to the frontline. One of them is Sister Tadeia Klanza, who visits the soldiers, bringing different forms of aid to troops and chaplains. Another Sister is an occupation therapist, and helps rehabilitate military personnel in Truskavets in the Lviv region.

Perseverance in service

For the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, it is very important to continue their ministry in Ukraine, which they had begun before the war, and to pray, thereby demonstrating firmness and availability towards the challenges of today.

In these difficult circumstances, the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church remain with their people, sharing their grief, pain, and loss, drying the tears of those who suffer, standing in solidarity with those who are in need, cultivating perseverance and courage, bringing light wherever darkness reigns.