The name of our Mission consists of two words - "Caritas" and "Spes". From the Latin language, they are translated, respectively, as "Merciful Love" and "Hope". How is it possible to put such words as "war", "merciful love" and "hope" next to each other or combine in one context, or in life? It turns out it is possible.
The daily, minute-by-minute feat of our soldiers is Merciful Love! "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). And this Merciful Love brings Hope to those for whom fighters sacrifice their strength, victory and lives!
And volunteer help to those at the front line is Merciful Love! It is not pragmatism that inspires weaving nets inside bomb shelters, or collecting "sweets" or children drawing "cards" for "the best in the world", but Merciful Love that gives comfort and hope to the soldiers.
Likewise, Merciful Love is the service of those who daily feed, clothe, house or comfort those affected by this terrible war. It is impossible to express in words how much disaster, suffering, misfortune and tragedy this war brought to our people. From the first minutes back in 2014, through all the years of ATO/JFO, through February 24, 2022 and full-scale war until now. And it is also impossible to return the former joy of existence, former feelings and emotions of a peaceful, safe life to the people who went through the horrors of the occupation. But we can give them Hope, show that they are needed and that they are not alone.
All the more, thanks to the support of our friends, as their support is more than that of a partner, in our service we rely on the Merciful Love of God, so that we, within the limits of our own modest powers, become a reflection of this supreme Love and bring a ray of Hope to our affected regions.
Around two weeks ago (on September 30, 2022), we put the finishing touches on the first stage of assistance to those whose homes were destroyed during the occupation and active hostilities in the North of our Ukraine: in Zhytomyr and Chernihiv regions. And now the second stage of the Reconstruction project has already begun. Now Kyiv region is "on the agenda" for us: from Buchanskyi to the eastern part of Brovarskyi districts.
On this occasion, from the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Paderborn e.V. and Caritas Luxembourg for supporting our initiative, and most importantly, supporting those of our neighbors whom we were able to help together in these extremely difficult and tragic times for our country.
So far so good, and then... We will go further then.
Coordinator of the Reconstruction project
Dmytro Parubets
Video: EWTN
office@caritas-spes.org
0800 300 344 - Hotline
Head office:
Mykhailivska 15/1B street, 01001 Kyiv, Ukraine
