Ukrainians in Calgary celebrate Orthodox Easter with newly arrived refugees

A big group spills onto the garden of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church simply northeast of downtown Calgary, to have their baskets filled with pysanky (conventional Ukrainian Easter eggs), paskas (Ukrainian Easter bread), sausage, horseradish and extra be blessed by the parish priest. 

The early morning blessing of the hampers on Ukrainian Orthodox Easter, which in alignment with the Julian calendar falls on April 24 this yr, has a celebratory really feel to it — however the stress and nervousness of the battle raging in Ukraine looms within the background.

Between the greetings of “Khrystos voskres!” (“Christ is risen!”) and smiles, there may be additionally dialog in regards to the newest studies from the Ukrainian army that Russian forces have continued to press their assaults within the east on Easter Sunday.

“It is heartbreaking,” stated parishioner Shauna Could.

Could is a part of a committee gathering items on the church to help newly arrived Ukrainians in Calgary.

“They know they can not return house, which is horrible. So we want to have the ability to present a secure haven.”

The church on this Orthodox Easter Sunday has extra folks in attendance than previous years, together with quite a few Ukrainian refugees.

“All people’s come collectively,” stated parishioner Jessica Irwin.

“The church has actually gotten quite a bit busier, due to the Ukraine battle … individuals are displaying their help.”

First Canadian Easter

It is Olena Shovkun’s first time celebrating Easter in Canada. She arrived right here three weeks in the past together with her two youngsters, after being pressured to flee her house in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv due to the battle that’s raging there.

“All people’s very pleasant right here. We’re secure and we’re grateful for everybody who helps us, who helps us. We’re actually grateful for our Canadian associates and family members,” stated Shovkun, who’s staying with household in Calgary.

Celebrating the spiritual vacation is bittersweet although, as a result of her husband, mother and different family members are nonetheless in Ukraine.

Below martial regulation, Ukrainian males between the ages of 18 and 60 can’t go away the nation in case they’re referred to as to struggle.

“The one factor I want is that the battle is shut to finish,” she stated.

It is a sentiment many others shared on Sunday.

‘We’re all household’

Father Patrick Yamniuk, who led the Easter service on the church, stated the Easter theme of sunshine overcoming darkness “resonates deeply with everybody,” throughout this time in Ukraine.

The priest stated he tried to carry smiles to everybody’s faces, particularly the newly arrived Ukrainians, by joking round whereas blessing the hampers with holy water.

“That is what I needed … it is the smile.”

The UN says greater than 5 million folks have fled Ukraine for the reason that Russian invasion started on Feb. 24.

A committee of volunteers at St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been serving to Ukrainian households arriving in Calgary by amassing home items, creating care packages and connecting them with help companies.

“[It’s so] they really feel much more that they are not alone coming into a wierd nation, talking a wierd language, you recognize, that they really feel welcome,” stated Yamniuk.

“That they are not forgotten, that we’re all household. We’re all a church household.”