Psychological Training for Priests in Ukraine

In the early months of the war in Ukraine, the immediate need was material aid for refugee families. Now, the need is, above all, for spiritual and psychological help. Priests are often the first ones the people turn to.

Iryna is from Konotop, in northeast Ukraine. She had been baptized but didn’t have any faith. She recalls, “After panic attacks had literally robbed me of the last of my strength, I found comfort in the Church. Fear entered my life in February 2022. Enemy tanks were in the next street. There was shooting; we hid with the children in a freezing cellar. That was the first time I really prayed properly.” Soon after that, she was diagnosed with cancer. “I prayed to God for one thing only: to help me keep my children safe. Then a rocket struck close to our home, and we were miraculously saved, although the apartment was destroyed.” Talking to the priest was the one thing that saved her. “I began to rediscover my faith in people and in life. I began to believe in redemption. I felt like a child, loved by Almighty God. Now I go to church and to Communion with real faith and thank God for every single day.”

Father Oleksandr Ryepin ministers to people who have been spiritually deeply wounded. “At first,” he says, “the overwhelming feeling is shock, numbness, a sense of emptiness, and the question of why. Many people pray wordlessly or are simply unable to pray at all. Then, with time, the heart gradually opens and the pain starts to ease. The tears are no longer a sign of despair but turn into prayers. The most moving thing is when, after a while and despite their own woundedness, many people start to be concerned about the sufferings of others. From victims, they become witnesses of hope — people who can feel for, support, and pray for others. This transformation is not quick or easy, but it shows that it is possible to bring life and light, even from the experience of war, death, and trauma.”

Treating traumatized people often requires professional training that goes beyond the normal pastoral experience of most priests. To address this situation, ACN is helping with specialized psychological training so the priests can effectively not only help others who are deeply psychologically wounded, but also look after their own psychological health.

In Donetsk, for example, we are giving $35,500 for 25 priests to follow a three-year course, which will directly or indirectly benefit thousands of people. In other places, we are also supporting similar pastoral care for traumatized victims, so that they too — like Iryna — can become “witnesses of hope” for others.

Will you join us in helping them?

438-00-49