The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Winnipeg during Week 247 of the War: Mercy in Ukraine Is Under Constant Russian Fire Today
“May the enemy not deter any of us from performing works of mercy.” This was stated by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in his weekly address during the 247th week of Russia’s bloody war against Ukraine.
Search-and-rescue operations in Komyshuvakha continue for the seventh day. Photo: Zaporizhzhia Regional Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine
“The most heartbreaking event of this week was the killing of many civilians on November 2 in the village of Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Russians dropped a guided bomb on a school where people had gathered to receive humanitarian aid. Volunteers also rushed there to rescue them,” the Primate noted with sorrow, adding: “One could say that today in Ukraine, acts of mercy are under constant Russian fire.”
The enemy is seeking not only to kill us but also to instill fear of doing good and showing mercy, so that people will be afraid to come and receive this aid.
The Head of the Church expressed special gratitude to all those who rush to help people in need: law enforcement officers, rescue workers, volunteers—all those who heroically fulfill their professional duties. “And I say to you: do not be afraid—do not be afraid to love, do not be afraid to save lives. May the enemy not deter any of us from performing works of mercy. Once again, we want to declare to the whole world: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared that he was currently at a very holy place—in Winnipeg, at the monastery of the Redemptorist Fathers, where the incorrupt relics of Blessed Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky rest.
“Here, at the see of our Metropolitan in Canada, the enthronement of the new head of our Church in this country is taking place. We have all gathered to mark the beginning of this ministry and to congratulate His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Michael Kwiatkowski. We pray for and support our Church in Canada,” noted the spiritual leader of the Ukrainian community.
Read also:
Address by the Head of the UGCC for the 247th Week of the Full-Scale War, November 8, 2026
The Head of the Church thanked Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Canada for their witness to the faith, for their ability—even here, in a foreign land—to remain true to themselves, to gather those who have been scattered, and, most importantly, to pass on the faith to their children and to the younger generations of Ukrainians in this blessed land.
The UGCC Department for Information
