November is an important month in the Catholic Church’s calendar. It’s a time when we pray for the faithful departed – the Holy Souls.
It’s also a time when we remember those who have died in war and conflict, and their families too.
The pain and trauma of war has been visited on Ukraine and its people for almost nine months and, at this time of remembrance, it is fitting we pray too for the people of Ukraine – with a particular focus on the lost children.
Here we speak to Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, about the devastating impact of the war but also the solidarity and welcome many people have shown throughout our lands to Ukrainians fleeing the war.
“The trauma will be generational – it will have a great impact on future generations,” he says. “But the more we’re able to help people feel safe and at home and not to lose contact with their homeland – with Ukraine – that will assist in the healing of the trauma.”
“Right now, we’re looking at how can we make people feel at home, to feel comfortable and safe here. Then we will need to start looking at how to heal trauma.”
Bishop Nowakowski talks to us about:
On Armistice Day, Friday 11 November 2022 at 6:30pm, the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy is hosting a special concert in its Cathedral in central London. The centrepiece is a performance of composer Adrian Snell’s ‘The Cry’, a requiem for the lost children of the war in Ukraine.
It promises to be a unique evening of music that will feature performances by the London Oriana Choir, Alleyn’s School Choir, soloist Katy Treharne, Ukrainian a cappella quartet ‘Vivo’ and the Ukrainian Catholic community’s own choir.
The Armistice Day concert will raise funds for trauma counselling for children and mothers on the frontline, supported by the mental health charity Beyond Conflict, and for The Ukrainian Welcome Centre in London for displaced Ukrainians forced to flee the war.
