Saskatoon Ukrainian priest says citizens must rally together through hard times

The last week has been anything but normal for Ukrainians and those around the world.

Father Taras Makowsky, a priest at the Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral, says everyone’s faces at the church tell the same story.

“It’s been shocking,” Makowsky said.  “It’s definitely not something that anyone ever thought would happen in today’s day and age.”

Sunday mass at the Saskatoon church had a much different feel as parishioners, some with family in Ukraine, came together to pray and rally for the country under attack by Russia.

The prayers were for the Ukranian women and children trying their best to flee the country, and the men being forced to stay and fight.

Makowsky is still baffled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been able to pull this off with little support shown from elsewhere in Russia.

“It’s unbelievably surprising that a man in power like Vladimir Putin would be so evil,” Makowsky said. “He has no regard for life. He doesn’t have any regard for his Russian people.”

“The women and the children are trying to escape into Romania, Moldovia (and) into Poland, standing for hours at the borders. The men are turned back and they are asked to fight. They are trying their best to save their country, save their land, save their livelihood, save their churches.”

Makowsky says he feels for the innocent Russian citizens who are caught in the middle.

Being here in Canada, Makowsky says he understands how some others feel helpless here but says there are plenty of things that Ukrainian Canadians must do to stick together.

“I think it’s very difficult for us to be here in Canada and not to help other than to send supplies whether it would be the UN (United Nations) or Red Cross,” he said.

“The entire community is rallying. We have support from very many different nationalities, which is nice to have. The most important thing right now is to have these prayer services in place so that we can give them the emotional and spiritual support that they need.”