Odessa – day 5

As Father Tomaž says, he did not come to teach or read pre-prepared sermons, because our people know the reality of war best. He reiterates that he came to learn. And today was a busy day full of lessons.
Lesson One:
Morning Eucharist with representatives of the Vincentian family of Odesa. CM Fathers, Daughters of Charity, Depaul Ukraine, Raphael Family Medicine Clinic. A year of war, and many times the question arises in many: where is God in this horror of war? But the Vincentians pray and are full of hope that justice and peace will come!
Lesson Two:
Meeting with the Daughters of Charity from Odesa and Balta. The sisters understand that they also learn hope from the people they serve. A father of 8 children, once raised in a shelter, went to fight to protect his country and save his brothers-in-arms. “Poor our teachers,” as St. Vincent said.
Lesson Three:
At the Raphael Family Medicine Clinic. The clinic was established during the war to primarily provide services in Odesa to internally displaced persons who, fleeing the war, found refuge in Odesa. 95% of patients are refugees from the eastern parts of Ukraine, from cities that the war has wiped off the face of the earth.
Lesson Four:
In the “Community in Dialogue,” which helps people overcome addictions. Egoism and trauma cause various addictions. The testimony of program participants shows that when you start caring for and serving others, you begin to heal, and the lives of everyone around you change for the better.
Lesson Five:
The parish of the Missionary Fathers in the city of Pivdenne. Again, a deep lesson of prayer for peace, for a just end to the war, for soldiers, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Parishioners are grateful that the Missionary Fathers have been with the people throughout the war. Grateful that they can provide humanitarian aid to the entire city.
Lesson Six:
Shared lunch with the Armenian Catholic community in the village of Koblevo. A spirit of prayer, hospitality, and strong family traditions accompanied the meeting.
Lesson Seven:
At Ukraine’s first low-threshold Night Shelter for the Homeless, run by Depaul Ukraine. Every person, no matter their history or condition, has the right to safety, acceptance, and dignified conditions and treatment. This shelter was also established during the war, a sign of the wonderful charism of St. Vincent today.