Father Jordan Lenaghan, OP, and Father Joachim Kenney, OP, had a recent expedition to the Ukraine border that helped shed a light on the daily life of civilians currently living in or fleeing from Ukraine.
As many Albertus students awaited their spring break, the two Friars spent, as Fr. Jordan puts it, a “unique spring break” at the Poland/Ukraine border, getting closer insight into the mindset of those directly affected by the war. Jonathan Kalisch, Fr. Jordan and Fr. Joachim’s superior from Knights of Columbus, was already in Ukraine. He helped convince the pair to make the trip and discover new perspectives on the war which the mass media may ignore.
Upon returning from their trip, Fr. Joachim and Fr. Jordan wanted to share “the broader lessons we derived from this experience.” While they had their own struggles in Europe – such as others’ constant wariness that they could be Russian spies or simply being foreigners in a war-torn country – the biggest service they could provide is amplifying the voices of those unheard. The Friars returned with firsthand accounts of how the war has affected civilians in vastly different ways, forcing them to become resilient, but equally unified as a country.
As Fr. Jordan acknowledged from the start, “We knew that the two of us were never gonna make any real difference, any real change, but we can listen, we can talk, we can come back, and we can act.” The Friars spoke to many people, but recounted two different experiences that left the biggest impacts on them: one was a group of university students from Ukrainian Catholic University, and the other was a priest who turned his parish operation into a refugee center. The Friars discussed in length the harrowing experiences of these civilians, those who remain selfless even during war-stricken times.
The group of students the Friars spoke to were all women, devastatingly aware of what could happen to them during the war. None of them were afraid to die – most even expected it – but some students shared their fears. One said, “I’m afraid of the occupation, because of what Russians do,” while another said that she was afraid of being kidnapped. Despite the realities the Ukraine students were facing, Fr. Jordan called attention to the similarities they have to our own students at Albertus. Their circumstances didn’t stop them from providing assistance during this dire time, such as making bandages and packages for soldiers.
This realization also came about to the priest who was able to recognize how spaces he had could be used for the greater good. As more people came to his parish to find refuge, he eventually turned his whole parish – and even his own home – into a refugee center. The priest told the Friars that he now resides in his parish’s sacristy, the room where the priest prepares before mass, as he was able to fit three families in his own apartment. The intake worker of the parish-turned-refugee center shared a saddening recount, that of when the children of this refugee center were outside playing and making odd noises. After a few moments, she actually registered what was happening: children were mimicking the air raid sirens and shouting, “Putin’s bombs are falling, everybody down!” The intake worker was worried about what this meant for the children psychologically, or even the internalization of what this war has done to children.
At the end of the presentation, the Friars shared messages of those they met, and what they wanted westerners to reflect on:
“Advocate for legislators to close the skies, as Ukrainians do not have an air force that can match Russia’s.”
“This is not an isolated case; if Ukraine falls and he [Putin] wins, he will take it somewhere else. We, as Americans, need to determine and decide where the line needs to be.”
“You remind us that we’re not forgotten, that the west is with us.”
Donations to families in Ukraine are being collected through Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Ukraine. Donate here.