The Community of Sant'Egidio offers constant testimony of rebirth and hope in war-torn Kyiv.
The president of the Community, Marco Impagliazzo, shared this message during his visit to the Ukrainian capital with an assembly of about 250 members of the Community in Kyiv: young people and adults, Kyivans and displaced persons from regions hit by fighting, all sharing prayer, service to the poor and work for peace in the Community.
Kyiv is a wounded city. On the night between 16 and 17 June, the latest bombardment of the city was more intense, causing 28 deaths, 23 of whom were in a single building hit by a missile and completely destroyed. Daily life in the city is marked by war. It is particularly difficult at nights, when air raid sirens, drone raids and missile launches are a frequent occurence and keep people awake.
Kyiv is a wounded city. On the night between 16 and 17 June, the latest bombardment of the city was more intense, causing 28 deaths, 23 of whom were in a single building hit by a missile and completely destroyed. Daily life in the city is marked by war. It is particularly difficult at nights, when air raid sirens, drone raids and missile launches are a frequent occurence and keep people awake.
Marco Impagliazzo's time in Kyiv began with a tribute to the victims of the latest bombing. Accompanied by a delegation from Rome and representatives of the Kyiv Community, he went to the Solomenski district to lay flowers in front of the building destroyed by the missile. It was a particularly moving moment, as the funeral ceremony for one of the victims of the bombing was taking place in the courtyard.
Life in Kyiv, as in other cities in Ukraine, is particularly hard for internally displaced persons.Their number is estimated at around 4 million across the country, with 400,000 living in Kyiv: families with children, elderly people and people with disabilities who have lost their homes, their loved ones, their memories and their dreams for the future. They have experienced first-hand the tragedy of bombing, sieges, street fighting and then evacuation. Internally displaced persons represent a major humanitarian emergency for Ukraine and a crucial challenge for the country's future, yet they are not the focus of attention, even of the international community, which has reduced aid to them.
The Community has opened Houses of Friendship for internally displaced persons: there are now three in Kyiv, where around 6,000 food parcelshave been distributed every month. The Houses of Friendship, as many displaced persons have told Marco, have become places where they find more than just material aid. Here they encounter people who listen to them, offer friendship and spiritual support. They learn to help others and to “find themselves” again after losing everything.
The Community in Kyiv, in the midst of a city at war, is building the future and peace, said Marco.
It is by starting with the poor that a future for all begins.
For example, in the three ‘co-living’ apartments that welcome homeless people and people with disabilities. They are places of friendship that attract young people, Kiev residents and internally displaced persons in a spirit of solidarity with those who have found welcome and a new life. While it seems that there is no alternative to war and its destruction, the Community in Kiev and other cities in Ukraine has been building up peace, day by day.
