Karol Darmoros
The Road to Healing
A group of 45 people, mainly Ukrainian women and children – widows and families of fallen soldiers – arrived in Poland. As Father Vitaliy Martsyniuk, guardian of the pilgrims from the Greek Catholic parish in Fastiv, emphasizes in an interview with Vatican News, the participants experienced the immense tragedy of war.
“This is a special time when we are with those who are experiencing the loss of a husband or father. They carry many emotions within them after this loss,” says the priest.
The change of environment and an intensive program of prayer and meetings brought the first fruits. “They forget about what is happening in Ukraine, and in their hearts, they carry their loved ones and entrust them into God’s hands,” he adds. As the pastor points out, this is a time when – thanks to prayer and the experience of community – the wounds of loss begin to heal.
The beginning was not easy – many women arrived withdrawn, focused on pain and memories. Gradually, however, in an atmosphere of safety and kindness, they began to open up, talk, and even share their experiences.
Solidarity that Speaks
The stay in Poland was also an experience of concrete solidarity. “We see people who are with us, who support us. This is a completely different experience than what we see on television,” emphasizes Father Martsyniuk.
The pilgrimage program included common prayer, meetings with local communities, and time for rest and integration. In Radom, the participants took part in workshops and meetings that helped them to detach, even for a moment, from the daily experiences of war. In Warsaw, they visited, among other places, the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In Częstochowa, they participated in prayer at Jasna Góra.
A special experience was also the meetings with Poles – both in parishes and during daily conversations – which allowed them to see the concrete face of solidarity and support.
From Pain to Hope
The transformation of the participants themselves is also visible. “Some cried on the way, but here I no longer saw tears on their faces,” notes Father Martsyniuk.
With time, peace, smiles, and a sense of security appeared. For many women, this was the first moment of true rest since the beginning of the war – including psychological rest. The shared experience of prayer, conversations, and daily moments allowed them to rediscover relationships and human closeness.
Pilgrimage of Hope
A special moment was the prayer at Jasna Góra, where the pilgrims entrusted their lives and experience of pain to the Mother of God. Their presence at the sanctuary, on the day of the Annunciation, became for many of them an experience of deep peace and spiritual strengthening.
The final stage of the pilgrimage was Krakow and the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy. As Father Martsyniuk summarizes: “This is a very good experience. We see that it bears fruit.”
The pilgrimage showed that even in the shadow of war, it is possible to encounter goodness that truly transforms the heart and restores hope.
