Dear Friend,
Ukraine needs our support more than ever. The letter below, prepared by the Rectorate of Ukrainian Catholic University, is an appeal to our global community of supporters and friends. Please take a moment to read below.
To our highly esteemed donors and dear friends of UCU:
We are writing to you because we know: today, you are anxious and concerned about the fate of Ukraine in general, and about the fate of Ukrainian Catholic University in particular. The world has become far too unsettled, and once a bow is drawn, it has a tendency to fire. Accordingly, we will repeat here what we have been telling our entire community at UCU – not Putin, but God alone is the Lord of human history and we will not make room for any tragic fatalism in our hearts.
We are profoundly, inexpressibly grateful to all the Western politicians and diplomats that, with enormous efforts, are restraining the aggression of Russia. Without their help, the fate of Ukraine would be shifted in a very different direction. And we know that in this support from the West, there is the fate of your own efforts, for which we also express our deepest gratitude.
We want to assure you, dear friends, that we see you and we feel your multifaceted support. We thank all of those who pray for us, who support us financially, who write articles and commentaries and speak out on various channels and social media with a loud voice, making every effort to awaken the conscience of the entire world. We encourage you not to stop, but on the contrary – to do all of this with even greater energy. Accordingly, we want to assure you that from our side, we clearly feel our own responsibility and we yearn to carry out our responsibility to the fullest.
We are acting today in two ways: Primarily, we support the normal life function of our University. The Kremlin is trying to disrupt our life – our duty is to not allow for this to happen. We at UCU have begun our spring semester and inasmuch as this is possible within the context of our epidemiological situation, we are organizing our work and studies in-person. Secondly, despite the harsh political circumstances, we are thinking strategically and we are pleased to share that in the most recent gathering of our University Senate, our five-year strategic plan was approved.
Meanwhile, our inner peace and self-assurance are not blinded by hiding our heads in the sand. We are aware of the danger and we are aware of our responsibility…should there be a tragic unfolding of events, our university community will be ready for them. We want to assure you that our Rectorate is utilizing all available resources to assure the safety of our students and our staff, our financial and material security, the safeguarding of important documentation and information, and our readiness to meet any challenges at various levels of danger. Clearly, we cannot anticipate or foresee all the threats that might lie ahead, but everything that depends on us, everything within our control, we are doing. And in order to summon God’s help in all of this, we are devoting our prayer life.
And so, no matter how great the challenges stemming from today’s world crisis, our spirit remains strong, and together with you, we are – incomparably stronger!
If you are so moved, please consider making a donation to support our University. Now more than ever, we must continue forward with our mission to inspire and educate the next generation of moral and ethical leaders in Ukraine.
