Ukrainian Military Chaplain in Bomb Shelter Calls Invasion ‘Apocalyptical’ as Country Braces for War

Currents News Staff

How is the Ukrainian Catholic Church bracing for war? Jesuit Father Andriy Zelinskyy is the coordinator of military chaplains and was waiting inside a Kyiv bomb shelter the day Russian troops invaded the country.

“This is a completely apocalyptical theme,” Father Zelinskyy said, “to think something like this is happening in the 21st century in downtown Kyiv. This is unbelievable, unacceptable. But this teaches us a lot. It teaches us that lies cost lives.”

Father Zelinskyy ministered full time with troops on the front in Eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2018 and had been part of an ecumenical and interreligious working group pressing for the law but running up against a “post-Soviet mindset” that either saw military chaplains as unnecessary or as a violation of the separation of church and state.

He said in the early morning, Ukraine was attacked by aerial mission invasion.

“There are those trying to leave the city in the morning. There are huge traffic jams,” Father Zelinskyy said. “Then there are those who stayed behind in the city who are praying right now.”

FDNY Says a Final Farewell as Firefighter Jesse Gerhard is Laid to Rest

By Jessica Easthope

A look into the life of a hero, Jesse Gerhard’s legacy as a son, uncle, friend and firefighter lives on in the memories of those closest to him.

“Jesse Gerhard is the kind of person a firefighter would describe if he was asked to build the perfect firefighter, he did his job, he did it well, he never complained and he made everyone feel safer in the face of peril,” said firefighter Michael Ormiston.

That ‘perfect firefighter’ made the ultimate sacrifice. Last week, Gerhard collapsed at his Far Rockaway firehouse and was rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A day before Gerhard was doing what he loved – working as an FDNY “irons man,” the most strenuous job in the department, breaking down the door of a burning home to help rescue victims from a raging fire.

Protecting the lives and property of every day New Yorkers was his chosen profession, his dream job, a job, not work,” said acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh.

Jesse was also a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Islip where he and his family go to church. They’re now leaning on their faith and parish community after his sudden passing.

“This is not the end, someday we will see him again, maybe not tomorrow or next month or next year, but we will see him again,” said FDNY Chaplain Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello.

“Please know how much we love you and how we share with you in this moment,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

Jesse’s selflessness in life and on the job is continuing in death. He’s a tissue donor and according to LiveOnNY 50 to 75 people’s lives will be changed thanks to his donation. His family, though they have much to be proud of – say all they want is more time.

“I want one more day,” said Gerhard’s sister-in-law Kristi, speaking on his brother Casey’s behalf. “Just to show you how much we love you.”

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 2/23/22

It’s a somber day for the FDNY and all 17,000 members.

President Biden is announcing new sanctions against Russia.

Pope Francis is asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to think about his actions and is begging for an end to tensions.

Businessman On a Mission Creates Bath Bomb Brand For World Down Syndrome Day

Currents News Staff

Brody Klein is hard at work, getting these bath bombs packaged up and ready to sell. He and his mom, Jen Klein, made them. Now they’re hoping these bath bombs will help raise money for designer genes, a local group that provides support for families and people with Down Syndrome.

They’re also hoping their bath bombs might help raise awareness about down syndrome, something Klein knew nothing about when Brody was born 10 years ago.

“Back when Brody was born, I was naive,” Jen said. “I knew nothing about Down Syndrome.”

She quickly learned about the challenges and the rewards that come with raising a child with an extra chromosome.

“Every day he makes me smile,” Jen said. “Brody has taught me so much, how to be a better mom, how to be a better parent. I think he has brought awareness to our whole family. Everybody looks at people with disabilities different now because of Brody. And I mean, he just teaches us so much more every day we learn from him.”

Those are lessons she hopes her son will continue to teach others.

“On the outside, he may look different but inside he can do anything that he sets his mind to,” Jen said.

Right now, his mind is set on getting these bath bombs ready to sell. Brody is ready to show the world what he’s capable of, one bath bomb at a time.

To support Brody’s business, he sells his bath bombs on Metaverse. Just check out his page at “Brody’s buddies bath bombs.”

Dancing Grannies Are Making a Comeback After Waukesha Christmas Parade Tragedy

Currents News Staff

Hard at work behind closed doors, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies are planning a comeback. Member Jan Kwiatkowski says she has an array of emotions.

“Rebuilding, ya know, it’s hard. It’s exciting. It’s scary,” Jan said.

The group lost three members and a volunteer in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack three months ago. The community is still mourning after a man plowed his SUV through the crowd. Sharon Millard was there when it happened.

“Since Waukesha, I think after the grieving, I pulled through with a lot of help from friends and some counseling and it just made me kind of look forward to our future,” Sharon said.

So with one foot in front of the other and poms in hand, the grannies began to rebuild. The group was too small to perform following the attack. Grannies Member Jean Knutson says back then their numbers were low.

“We were down to maybe eight surviving grannies,” Jean said.

But they weren’t too weak to try and now their numbers are growing.

There are nearly 20 “Grannies in training.” They’ll have to learn all of the routines, dance in a parade and make the commitment to become a granny. Colleen Minisce is a granny in training.

“We feel very welcome. I was following them on Facebook, I love to dance, and then when I saw the tragedy I just wanted to be able to give back to them and support them,” Colleen said.

In just a few weeks, the dancing grannies will step back onto the streets to perform at the Milwaukee St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“We’re going to be smiling and be upbeat, we’re going to be proud. There’s no sadness,” Sharon said.

But there is sentiment. Ginny Sorenson, one of the fallen members, choreographed two Irish routines for the 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. COVID canceled those celebrations ever since, and the routines went unseen, until now.

“We realized a couple weeks ago that, ‘Oh wow, we’re going to be doing these songs Ginny, she was so proud of them, we’re going to be doing them for the first time publicly,” said Dancing Grannies Member Jan Kwiatkowski.

It’s a moment the prospective members can contribute to and help create what they will become.

“It’s like a brand new start,” Sharon said.

U.S. Puts Pressure on Putin and Imposes New Sanctions With Threat of More

Currents News Staff

Tough new sanctions are in place to pressure Russia to back down from its advances on Ukraine. Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins says they haven’t seen such pressure before.

“It’s a very broad-ranging set of sanctions deeper than anything we’ve ever seen before,” said the prime minister.

The sanctions or punishment for what President Joe Biden calls ‘the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.’

“When all is said and done, we’re going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words,” President Biden said.

For the first time, the U.S. is fully sanctioning two Russian financial institutions making the country barred from raising money from the West. National Security Adviser Daleep Singh says it will be a costly move.

“These costs are going to escalate from here,” Daleep said.

The U.S. is taking it one step further to cripple the flow of money to President Vladimir Putin by going after members of his inner circle and their families.

“We put on notice the oligarchy in Russia that no one is safe,” Daleep said.

World leaders are actively assessing whether these sanctions will indeed deter Putin. President Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass says one shouldn’t hold their breath.

“We should still try to deter him, but I think we should also not assume it will work,” Richard said.

The country is already paying a hefty price. This week alone, more than $25 billion dollars has been wiped off the value of Russian stocks and the Russian Ruble has fallen to near-record lows against the dollar. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says the economy has taken a hit.

“Hit Russia’s economy now and hit it hard,” Dmytro said

The West is reserving some of its toughest sanctions should Russia proceed to a full-scale invasion. The so-called “nuclear option” would remove Russia from a key global transaction ledger, making it difficult from banks to send money in or out of the country.

“Russia is already feeling the pain,” Daleep said.

Pope Francis Calls for Day of Prayer, Fasting for Peace in Ukraine

By Currents News Staff and Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the threat of war loomed over the world, Pope Francis called on people to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday.

Before concluding his general audience Feb. 23, the pontiff called on believers and nonbelievers to combat the “diabolical insistence, the diabolical senselessness of violence” with prayer and fasting.

“I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace,” he said. “I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace protect the world from the folly of war.”

In his appeal, the pontiff said he, like many around the world, felt “anguish and concern” after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The pontiff said that due to the “alarming” developments in the region, “once again, the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests.”

“I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies,” he said.

He also urged world leaders to “refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilizing the coexistence between nations and discrediting international law.”

Putin’s recognition of the two breakaway regions’ independence was seen by Western leaders as a violation of international law protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and as a move that could pave the way for a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine.

In the wake of the Russian president’s actions, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced sanctions against several Russian banks and institutions.

In a statement released Feb. 22, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, said Putin’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has caused “irreparable damage” to the “logic of international relations.”

He also said the Russian president “destroyed foundational principles for a long-term process of restoring peace in Ukraine” and “created the path for a new wave of military aggression against our state.”

“Today, all of humanity has been placed in danger,” he said, because Putin’s action asserts that “the powerful have a right to impose themselves on whomever they wish, with no regard for the rule of law.”

Archbishop Shevchuk reminded world leaders of their duty and responsibility “to actively work to avert war and protect a just peace.”

“I call upon all people of good will to not ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people brought on by Russian military aggression,” he said. “We are a people who love peace. And precisely for that reason we are ready to defend it and fight for it.”

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 2/22/22

Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated a special Mass in the Diocese of Brooklyn on Sunday.

All across Ukraine, Catholics are turning to their faith and are praying for peace.

Coming up this Thursday, Pope Francis will open up dialogue with Catholic university students in North, South and Central America.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory Celebrates Black History Month Mass of Thanksgiving in Diocese of Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope and Paula Katinas

America’s first black Cardinal came last weekend to the Diocese of Brooklyn — which boasts the largest African American Catholic population in the country — to deliver a Black History Month message of hope and empowerment.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the main celebrant of a Black History Month Mass at Immaculate Conception Monastery in Jamaica, Queens on Feb. 20, urged black Catholics to take pride in the gifts and talents they have given to the nation.

“We are a gift to this country!” he said.

Cardinal Gregory is the leader of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. and was elevated to his rank by Pope Francis in 2020.

Cardinal Gregory, who has often spoken out about the evils of racism, did not shy away from the topic at this Mass.

“In this month of February, our nation is involved to celebrate the accomplishments and gifts of American people of color — an invitation that is long overdue and not always properly understood,” he said. “There have been many times and occasions when God’s example of compassion and mercy have not been kept by some of God’s people.”

Earlier this month, at an online forum sponsored by the St. Thomas More Catholic Community at Yale University, Cardinal Gregory said racism “has denied or limited many African Americans from living out their calling to become full members of the Catholic Church as priests or religious and certainly, to fully attend or teach in higher education.”

Jelami Morris, who attends Mass at St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Jamaica, said he came to Sunday’s Mass hoping Cardinal Gregory would deliver “a message of hope and healing” and address the topic of racism.

“I feel the only way for these things to be addressed is to have the conversation. We can’t continue to act like it doesn’t exist. But we absolutely have to address it if we’re gonna be able to progress in any type of way,” Morris added.

The Mass, a joint celebration of the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, was organized by Vicariate for Black Catholic Concerns for the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Office of Multicultural Diversity of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn and Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre concelebrated the Mass. Dozens of bishops and priests from both dioceses were among the hundreds of people who packed the church.

The atmosphere inside the church was one of excitement and anticipation, with everyone wanting to get a closer look at the historic figure of America’s first black Cardinal.

His visit was perhaps fitting, considering the Diocese of Brooklyn’s strong African American presence. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the diocese heads the list of the dioceses in the country with significant numbers of black Catholics. A 2014 report on cultural diversity in the Catholic Church issued by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate put the number at 214,890.

Cardinal Gregory has many milestones in his career. He was the first black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a post he held from 2001 to 2004. In addition to his role as head of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C., he is also chancellor of The Catholic University of America and serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Joyce Barber liked what she heard from Cardinal Gregory at the Mass.

“I thought his homily was very inspirational and it really touched on everything in society we’re going through,” Barber said. “This was a Mass of great unity and it shows the work we have to do.”

Why a 79-Year-Old Rhode Island Priest Went on a Bike Pilgrimage Praying For Peace in Ukraine

Currents News Staff and Rick Snizek

WARREN, R.I. (CNS) — As Ukraine faces a fierce challenge to its young democracy from more than 120,000 Russian forces stacked on its borders, poised to invade at any time, a Rhode Island priest is showing solidarity with the plight of the people of the overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian nation.

“Russia is surrounding the Ukraine with troops. What else can I do but pray?” said Father Thomas O’Neill, 79, a senior priest of the Diocese of Providence.

Father O’Neill embarked on a pilgrimage of prayer on a morning where the mercury hovered at 15 degrees as he rode his bicycle from his home in Middletown to St. Patrick Church in Providence in late January.

He stopped at churches along the way to offer prayers for peace in the region.

A well-read student of history, who spent 20 years of his ministry serving outside the United States, Father O’Neill fears what will happen to the Ukrainian people if Russian President Vladimir Putin directs the vast array of forces he has amassed on three sides of Europe’s second largest nation by area to invade Ukraine.

During a stop at St. Mary of the Bay Church in Warren, Father O’Neill recounted how, during the era of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, millions of Ukrainians starved to death.

The brutal dictator caused a famine by ordering Ukraine’s small farms to operate as a collective, usurping their harvests to feed those living in Russia. Stalin’s goal was also to punish Ukrainians whose dreams for independence would threaten his total authority.

“During the Stalin era, they were starved to death because they took all the food out of the Ukraine that was grown on the collective farms and the peasants all starved, millions and millions of them. Why would Ukraine want to have anything to do with Russia now?” the priest asked.

“They’ve got a lot of reasons not to want to be hinged to Russia,” he added in an interview with the Rhode Island Catholic, Providence’s diocesan newspaper.

Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing dissolution of the former Soviet Union. It has been operating as a democracy since then.

In recent weeks, Putin has been deploying tens of thousands of well-armed troops to Ukraine’s borders, threatening the East European nation of 41 million as he publicly lamented its desire to join the West’s NATO security alliance.

“Putin cut his teeth on the KBG. All he knows how to do is smile, be friendly, lie, murder and torture,” Father O’Neill said of the Russian leader who has his sights set on continuing to regain lost ground in Ukraine.

In February 2014, during the Winter Olympics, which were held in Sochi, in southern Russia, Putin invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula after the nation’s Parliament ousted its pro-Russian leader, Viktor Yanukovych. They have held that piece of Ukraine ever since.

Father O’Neill said he has been astounded to see some American television hosts actually make the case that the U.S. should be supporting Russia over Ukraine on this issue given that Russia has more to offer this country, given its resources, than Ukraine does.

He expresses his solidarity with the Ukrainian people, noting it is not just geopolitics at work but Catholic social teaching as well.

“It’s an issue of democracy, it’s an issue of citizenship,” he said.

“If you read ‘The Church in the Modern World,’ or any of the documents the Catholic Church has produced on social justice you’ll see that what Putin is doing is not just the opposite — it’s the extreme opposite,” the priest said.

The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (“Gaudium et Spes”), issued in 1965, is one of the four constitutions resulting from the Second Vatican Council.

As the morning sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of St. Mary of the Bay Church, Father O’Neill offered prayers for the people of Ukraine before heading back out into the biting cold to climb aboard the old Raleigh mountain bike that would take him the remaining 14 miles or so to St. Patrick Church in Providence.

The bicycle was given to him by a former parishioner when he served as pastor of St. Mary Church in West Warwick, until he retired nine years ago.

Father O’Neill didn’t have a tire repair kit or any other tools with him should the bike break down, so he was embarking on this pilgrimage with the faith that God would help him see it through.

“A pilgrimage is supposed to help the person making the pilgrimage — it’s supposed to transform me,” he said as he rode off.

“But on the other hand, I think the situation is such that I would be appreciative if people took a little more interest in it,” he added. “If the Russians invade it’s just going to be horrible and ugly. But I know the Ukrainians will put up a tough fight.”

Snizek is executive editor of Rhode Island Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Providence.