From 27-30 October, Minister General Br Massimo Fusarelli, accompanied by the Definitor General for the North Slavic Conference, Br Konrad Cholewa, visited Ukraine as a sign of fraternal solidarity. They met the friars of the Province of St Michael Archangel as a testimony of closeness to the Ukrainian people who have been subjected to the horror of war for months. This was the Minister's second visit after that of Holy Week.
On the first day, Br Massimo and Br Konrad visited the Provincial Curia of the Friars Minor in Zhytomyr. There they saw with their own eyes the destruction caused by the war: a school destroyed by Russian missiles and a civilian dormitory hit by aerial bombs. In the evening, the Minister met the friars of the local fraternity, encouraging them to remain close to the people in need. The Minister Provincial, Br Daniel Botvina, showed the spaces that could be used for refugees fleeing the war, which mainly affects the east of Ukraine.
The next day, the stop was Shargorod, where Br Massimo had the opportunity to see most of the friars of the Province, to whom he addressed his message of peace and solemnly blessed the friary that the friars have been building for several years. In the Mass in the friars' local parish, the Minister expressed his admiration for the courage of the Ukrainian people and asked for prayers for peace, saying, among other things: "May the strength that Jesus gives us sustain you all, dear brothers who live in this tormented and attacked land: May it help you to walk in communion with one another and in deep union with your people, avoiding all that can distance you from the living conditions of all and ready to share the joys and hopes, the anxieties and uncertainties, the questions of all."
The friars and the mayor of Shargorod also showed the guests the Way of the Cross, unique in Ukraine, which they are building thanks to Ukrainian Catholic benefactors. After visiting the chapels of the Way of the Cross, Br Massimo and Br Konrad visited the cemetery to pray at the graves of the Ukrainian soldiers killed during the war, which continues to claim so many victims. It was a very moving moment, as was the meeting with those who lost their young sons and grandsons.
The following day, the Minister General and Definitor General went to the friary of Rava Ruska. After Mass was celebrated with the parishioners, he blessed the friary and met with some other friars of the Province. Br Massimo listened to their experiences in helping war refugees and encouraging them to be witnesses of peace and mercy to those with nothing left to live with dignity. During his homily in Rava Ruska, he added: "The difficult time we are in does not prevent us from seeing Jesus. Indeed it can be a great opportunity to meet him and grow in faith. With humility, with trust."
At the end of each homily, Br Massimo assured the parishioners to bring their greetings to the Holy Father Pope Francis, with whom an audience was scheduled for 31 October.
On the last day, on the way back to the Polish border, Br Massimo and Br Konrad also passed through Lviv for lunch with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, Archbishop of Lviv of the Latins, and to hear his testimony about the time they had experienced during the war.
The friars minor of the Ukrainian Province of St Michael Archangel sincerely thank the Minister General and Definitor General of the Order for their courage and solidarity with the Ukrainian people and express their joy at having been able to host them in Ukraine despite the difficult conditions of the war.
