From Madrid to Ukraine: an experience of Redemptorist Solidarity

Scala News has received the news about a solidarity initiative organised by the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer in Madrid: they sent a truck with humanitarian aid for Ukrainian communities.
As the parish priest of this Redemptorist parish, Father José Miguel de Haro, CSsR responsible for the Association ACOGER Y COMPARTIR, tells us, the big truck had been prepared in Madrid, in the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer, a few days ago that carried a significant amount of aid (25,000kg of non-perishable food) needed for the communities in these war zones in Ukraine. Besides, school supplies have been sent for the shelter at the parish in Novoyavorivsk, which serves as a school and welcomes citizens when the sirens sound.

He also tells us how the faithful follow their Holy Week tradition with religious fervour: “On Good Friday, thousands of people have passed through this church (Novoyavorivsk parish) because the prayer lasts all day and they take turns. I saw how people of all ages waited in the street to enter. It is touching to see how dedicated they are to prayer. The Redemptorists who run this parish celebrate in the Greek Catholic rite”.
The Redemptorist community has never ceased to accompany the people in Ukraine during these difficult times. Furthermore, the international Catholic community continues to pray for the two Redemptorist Fathers, Ivan Levytskyi and Bohdan Heleta, who have been imprisoned for no real reason and detained in Russia for more than four months.
Father José Miguel concludes his testimony by saying: “The Redemptorist, Fr. Andriy Rak translated the name of our association ACOGER Y COMPARTIR into Ukrainian: PRYINIATY I PODILYTYSIA. And then he invited us for breakfast”.

Among the moments of presence and sharing experienced by the group that brought aid to Ukraine, it is worth mentioning the moment of prayer in the war cemetery, where mostly the young people are buried.
A big thank you to those from the Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer – Madrid, the Association Acoger y Compartir, the Redemptorists of Poland and the three Redemptorist communities of Ukraine for having made possible to share the material help and the human closeness in the spirit of the beatitude of Peace !!!!
José Miguel de Haro CSsR /Scala News