“Providing Spiritual and Psychological Support to War Survivors in the Latin Catholic Diocese of Kamyanets-Podirs”

(Vatican News Network)Oleksandr Khalayim is a priest of the Ukrainian Latin Catholic diocese of Kamjanets-Podilskyj. In his diocese he helps those who have lost loved ones to the war and lives in pain, giving them spiritual and psychological companionship, and has organized groups in other dioceses of Ukraine. The priest told Vatican News about his experience.

Father Halayim found that when some people heard the news of the loss of their loved ones, they could not understand what had happened, they began to isolate themselves, they did not know how to continue their lives, and even committed suicide. That is why the priest has established several centers to help those who have lost loved ones to the war and are living with trauma, to accompany them to face their pain and move on.

After establishing these centers, priests organized individual and group meetings to teach them how to cope with post-war trauma, how to relate to those they care about, and how to help in emergencies. The purpose of the meeting is to help them overcome the loss of a loved one and find a way forward.

The priest went on to introduce that their help was not only spiritual and psychological, but also offered some first aid courses. In short, try to help on three levels: physical, psychological and spiritual. The reason why the priest was able to carry out this service was that spiritually the priest thanked God for allowing him to accept theological studies; as for the psychological field, the priest thanked God for the arrangement. Just before the outbreak of the war, he studied courses in this field in Germany.

In accompanying these people, the priest emphasizes being spiritually close to them so that they no longer shut themselves off, and to make them understand that in times of pain and trauma, some behaviors are completely normal because our bodies and minds are like that of the response. Then they have to know how to get over it, how to come out and not stay in the pain. Such a relationship between helpers and helpees makes Ukraine a big family and continues to help each other in every possible way as possible.

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