St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church says Saultites supporting Ukrainians

Sault Ste. Marie has a long history enriched by the participation of the Ukrainian community which built a beautiful church on St. Georges Avenue.

Known to SooToday readers as the church that perogies built, St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church was founded in 1917.

It now serves a parish of about 100 families, about half of which are Ukrainian, says its Reverend Father Michael Hayes.

Hayes says support from Saultites for the people of Ukraine is clear and present with an outpouring of offers of help.

"They (Saultites) are concerned, absolutely," he said. "There are people from all walks of life calling the parish asking what's going on and how can we help?"

Concern among parishioners is also very high, Hayes said.

"I have spoken with a member of our parish council and she did tell me that a number of our parishioners are very concerned because they have family back in Ukraine," Hayes said.

"Especially now that all men between the ages of 19 and 60 are forbidden from leaving because they could be called into service at any time now," he said.

Young fathers are having to say goodbye to their wives and young children with a real fear that they will never see each other again.

Hayes, who just returned to Canada from overseas (not Ukraine), says nothing has yet been planned by the parish, but there will be plans made.

"We are going to be doing something," he said. "We just don't know what at this point in time. We need a couple of days to digest what's going on and see what kinds of things people would like to be doing."

In terms of monetary support, Hayes says the church is referring people who want to make donations to other registered charities as the local church is not set up to be able to send financial support.

While the world watches events unfold in Ukraine, economic sanctions have been levelled, but world leaders have said they will not send soldiers, at least not at this time.

Hayes explains there are powerful geopolitical forces at play preventing them from putting boots on the ground and the world is watching with concern but, after speaking with friends in Ukraine, Hayes reports little hope and a lot of resignation among the people of the country.

"They know they're on their own," he said. "They're pleading for something - anything - and yet nothing is coming. There's a recognition of 'here, we go again' and 'this won't end well.'"

"This isn't the first time this has happened. This has been going on for centuries and this is just another chapter in the horrifying story of this country," he said. "They want to be left alone to be able to live their lives. To be able to go to work and feed their families and not have this fear of war all the time."

But, instead, they are faced with only two choices; "Submit to horrifying oppression or fight. They are fighting to the death."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified the Russian invasion of Ukraine by saying he needs to protect Russian speakers and liberate oppressed Ukrainians from a neo-Nazi regime in power and return them to fraternal unity with mother Russia.

But Hayes says that rhetoric contrasts sharply with the reality in Ukraine.

"The current president of Ukraine is a primarily Russian-speaking Jew," he said. "In the most recent election the two most right-wing parties, which are far from being Nazis, got a whole combined vote of two per cent."