Chernihivska community from Zaporizhzhia completed “Healing Communities” training program

Chernihivka: a community without its own land, but with dreams

The peculiarity of this community was that the village of Chernihivka, the administrative centre of the community, has been occupied since February 25–26, 2022. The community itself is now gathering in Zaporizhzhia. A meeting with the participants was held at the local church of the UGCC of the Mother of God of Perpetual Help to hold a strategic session.

“The current situation of the Chernihiv community resonates for me with a kind of historical parallel: just like in the days of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, when we had our own land but no state, today they do not have their own territory, land, because it is under Russian occupation. Yes, they are in their state, they are in their community, but they do not have the opportunity to be on their land. They do not stop! They believe, hope, and pray that they will soon return home and rebuild their community,” says Father Lyubomyr Yavorskyy, one of the initiators of the training programme.

According to him, today they are united by their community in Zaporizhzhia. He also said that the healing provided by the program has had a tremendous impact on their community. “Today, they confidently say: ‘We can just wait for the moment when the de-occupation of our lands takes place, or we can act now, create here, where we are. We remain united, we remain one community, even though we are not on our own territory.’

Getting to know the Church

At the same time, as Father Lyubomyr notes, they are discovering the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for the first time. Until then, their community had never had a church or parish community. Instead, in Zaporizhzhia, they met Fr Roman Vovk, the economist of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC, who came to them as internally displaced persons to provide assistance and pastoral support.

It is important to emphasise that the strategic session of the Chernihiv community was attended by Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, Auxiliary Bishop of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC. He addressed the participants with a word of support and encouragement.

“Now they felt that the Church is with them, that the Church is helping them to survive this difficult time,” said Fr Lyubomyr Yavorsky in conclusion.