Peace in Ukraine: Loving each human being

Interview to Sr. Sheila Kinsey FCJM who visited Kyiv (Ukraine) as member of an International and Interreligious Group to pray for peace. She represented both Unions of Superiors General, women and men (UISG and USG).

This initiative came from the Mayor of Kyiv, calling all the Religious Leaders to come and pray for peace, accompanying the people and to be in solidarity and compassion with whom are suffering.

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“We responded to this call from our charism and spirituality. We were together: Christians, Muslims and Jews.

It was very moving to me visiting a Muslim school, where the children had to leave quickly on February 24: you saw the little jackets on the chairs, the area with the dish washing open. I was just wondering what would their parents say to the children to pick them up so fast. How they reassured them.

We were there to pray and to be in solidarity. During the prayers in the Saint Sophia Cathedral we experienced the strong feeling to be attended by God, in the strengths of our prayers, each speaking from our own tradition to be real instruments of peace, trying to be what we were praying for.

I cannot forget when we were in the office of the Mayor of Kyiv and he asked me to pray for him and I said ‘May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the face of the Lord shine upon you and give you peace. The Lord bless you.’

While I was saying these words, we were all aware of the significance of what we were asked that moment. In the Spirit we were one each other.

We are called to go where suffering is, to make this suffering our suffering.”

Sr. Sheila serves as the Executive Co-Secretary of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the Union of Superiors General and of the International Union of Superiors General.

Read the article on Global Sisters Report

Read more on the UISG Ukraine Emergency Project