Two Ukrainian Redemptorist sisters have arrived in Limerick to help support refugees arriving in the county.
The sisters have come to Limerick to help refugees who have fled Ukraine and started to arrive in Limerick in the last month.
Bishop Brendan Leahy has welcomed the sisters and said that the reality of war but the generosity of humanity are mixed experiences unfolding in Limerick this week.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Redemptorists Prayathon at the weekend, Bishop Leahy said that as images coming from the war shock us to the core, on the other side we are heartened by the kindness of people.
Bishop Leahy paid tribute to the people of Limerick for their support and, in particular, to the Redemptorists and the two sisters from Ukraine who have come here to help refugees adapt to their new surroundings.
The sisters are working across a number of sites in Limerick where refugees are located, supporting them spiritually but also in practical terms, not least as translators.
Bishop Leahy said: “I’m grateful for the witness of the Redemptorist community. They immediately launched an appeal and it was responded to so generously.
“The Redemptorists have now invited two sisters here to help. Sister Antonia and Sister Justyna. They belong to a small Redemptorist sister congregation: the Mission Sisters of the Holy Redeemer.”
Bishop Leahy continued: “The Congregation was founded in Bavaria in the 1950s and there are communities in Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Japan, Bolivia and Chile. The Ukrainian Sisters are Greek Catholics. As I say, the Redemptorists invited them to come, and we are grateful to the Sisters of Mercy at Mount St Vincent for offering hospitality to Justyna and Antonia.
“These two sisters are like millions of their compatriots, refugees. The hope is that they will be able to find ways of supporting other refugees. We are grateful to them and thank the Redemptorists for this great initiative.”
(limerickleader.ie)
