Fastiv, 1-7.01.2023

Christ was born!

The first week of the new year was so intense, all days and even nights were full of incredible team spirit. All our efforts were directed to opening a Center for families who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. On January 6, the Center was solemnly dedicated by His Excellency Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine.

Let me tell you a little history. Since 2018, we have been looking for a place in Fastiv where we could help adults who are in difficult circumstances, who want to, but cannot overcome them by themselves. We constantly met such persons during our service at the St. Martin’s House. We are grateful to the Mayor that in 2019 we were able to find 3 such buildings in Fastiv, and in January 2020 we concluded a long-term lease for 49 years at the Kyivska 57 Street on the territory of the so-called “railway hospital”. To the best of our ability, we planned to accomodate in the building a range of preventive social support services for people in crisis, social housing for youth with disabilities who have lost a guardian, as well as rehabilitation for adults, including military personnel. We are not abandoning this plan.

However, the onset of full-scale war on February 24th, 2022 forced us to act quickly, so the decision was made to open the Center as soon as possible. This is already the 3rd care home for those in need that we run in Fastiv.

All of this would not be possible without God’s help and the trust of Benefactors and Partners: the Western Dominican Province of the Holy Name of Jesus in the person of Father Provincial Christopher Fadok, Wife of the President of the Republic of Poland Mrs. Agata Kornhauser – Duda, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Kyiv, MALAK Foundation, Foundation of the International Solidarity, Saint-Gobain Foundation, Neon Efekt in the person of the general director Mr. Zygmund Skolozynski, Association Quest France Solidarity, Charytatywni Freta, Fundacja Charytatywni, Plastics-Ukraine in the person of the director Mr. Ireneusz Derek, Bolix SA firm in the person of the director Mr. Szymon Waszczyn, the Kotovych family, Mr. Sviatoslav the electrician, the volunteers who were with us until midnight, the volunteers from Krakow who helped in preparing the invitations. I thank the video operator, Mr. Viktor Barchyn, for the online broadcast. We thank Kärcher Home & Garden Kärcher Ukraine, who gave us a discount on cleaning machines, which were very helpful. In my thoughts and before my eyes, I see each of you by name who worked in this city 24/6 in three shifts. Thanks to everyone for the sacrifice and love you put into creating this home.

It is not a coincidence that the day of the opening is the Epiphany, we see it as a special sign, when Christ meets his people in the person of the three wise men. It is also a symbolic day for us, precisely on January 6, 2007, we welcomed Valik and Inna to our Home, whom we took from the railway station. This meeting changed a lot in our service and that is why every year on Christmas Eve in the Eastern Rite we try to share Holy Eve with people at the Fastiv railway station.

Our ministry this week was aimed at helping our military in the Bakhmut direction and Chernihiv Oblast – a total of 1,091 food kits were distributed, and a total of 11,193 humanitarian aid kits was issued.

We are planning a humanitarian mission to Kherson, which is now in such dire need of support due to merciless shelling. The long-awaited cargo from Poland arrived these days from Costa Coffee, Teffal and baby food with the assistance of Mr. Pavel Stepien. We thank for the assistance to the wife of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine, Ms. Monika Kapa – Cichocka and to Charity Freta.

Support us!

Via Dominican Mission Secretary
in PLN or EUR:
Sekretariat Misyjny oo. Dominikanów
ul. Freta 10,
00-227 Warszawa, Poland Santander
PLN: 02 1090 2851 0000 0001 0580 2728
EUR: 03 1090 2851 0000 0001 0591 8140
KOD SWIFT: WBKPPLPP
with the note “darowizna na rzecz Domu sw. Marcina”
Directly to our admnistrator in USD:
Receiver: STARYNSKA VIRA,

IBAN: UA 74 322001 00000 2620 4326 5223 42
Account No: 26204326522342
Swift code: UNJSUAUKXXX
private transfer

Or

Categories: War diary

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