Lunch time has just passed. It’s Saturday, Ukrainian ladies are walking fast in the streets of the university area of Bologna to reach mass at 2.15 pm on time. Their destination is the church of San Michele dei Leprosetti known now as Michael of the Ukrainians. Now that war has broken out in their home country, praying is more important than ever. Dark-faced, they slip inside throwing an eye to the telephone which must remain off during the liturgy but hold tightly in the hand that bridge they have with their distant loved ones.
This is one of the oldest parishes in the city, it dates back to the thirteenth century, and is located at the intersection of Vicolo Broglio and Piazzetta San Michele, a few steps from Strada Maggiore. It was the cardinal Carlo Caffarra in 2009 to assign it to the Ukrainian Catholic community of the Greek-Byzantine rite to ensure that all the people residing in the city, mostly women, had a religious reference point.
There are three thousand Ukrainians living and working in the Emilian capital, over six thousand instead are those found throughout the provincial territory. The church has always represented a home for Ukrainians but now it has become a very important garrison also for exchanging information to encourage each other. “You have to pray to stop this war»Says the parish priest don Mykhailo Boiko “We also need medicine because civilians are also bombed in our country”.
Ukrainian volunteers collect basic necessities in the church of San Michele dei Leprosetti in Bologna
In Bologna, many know that the Ukrainian community is found in that church. Some come in for a prayer to show closeness, others come with a bag of medicine. Through word of mouth they learned that there is this need. In fact, on Saturday on one side of the church there are some closed shopping bags, after two days San Michele is invaded by boxes of everything that can be used in first aid situations. What is needed, explain the ladies who close the cartons with insulating tape, are antipyretic, anti-haemorrhagic, cold ice, disinfectants but also personal hygiene products and canned food.
“For safety we ask you to leave the receipt inside»Explains Don Mykhailo« we are working to get them there but we can use it if they stop them at customs ».
Some of the ladies present at the liturgy are visibly moved. Their loved ones remained there, some of them under bombs, others managed to find refuge either in smaller villages or in neighboring countries. They are very afraid because this war has taken them by surprise and being away from your families right now is a pain.
There are about 160 Greek-Byzantine parishes in Italy who are networking with the help of the seventy priests who work in these churches. Through theApostolic Exarchate in Italy they have set up an Iban to raise money which will be managed there by the Ukrainian Caritas. «We want peace above all» continues the parish priest «we are also open every day for you Italians who are close to us at this moment. And we are grateful to you for this ».
Source: Vanity Fair
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