Today is the 75th anniversary of the uprising in Poland. Three Benedictine Sisters had to hide in the basement of a Church which they made into a safe-haven, a clinic for the wounded. From the beginning they knew they were going to die. They made a promise: they would give their lives for the success of the uprising and freedom for Poland. The Nazis bombed the Church. The Sisters who made this sacrifice died at this time.
This is how Mother Blandyna Michniewicz, a Benedictine Sister from Poland began her presentation at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery Erie, PA on August 31, 2023.
Because of the memory of World War II in Poland where six million people died, the attack on Ukraine 600 days ago made the Sisters realize that they must come to the aid of the people. The Ukrainian Sisters had to provide for life’s necessities: food, water, shelter, safety. Many women and children fled to Benedictine monasteries in Ukraine hoping to return to their own homes. At one time there were 120 refugees staying with the Sisters. The Sisters created a day care center within the monastery so that children could tell their experience of the war through drawing.
Other Ukrainian refugees were accompanied to the Polish border. At the beginning of the war there were more than two million people residing in Poland.
A brand new monastery was built in Ukraine to accommodate the refugees. The sisters gave up their rooms so that each family could have a room of their own.
One night a nearby monastery did not have electricity, heat or water. The Sister’s response was “We do not lose hope. It is cold outside but inside our hearts are warm.”
Today some Ukrainians have made their home in Poland finding work and buying homes. Others have returned home to Ukraine to rebuild their lives. The Sisters help with transportation and humanitarian aid which includes medicines, clothing, toiletries and some money. Some people cannot return home because of physical or emotional infirmity. They often stay with the Sisters.
It is not getting better. Unfortunately, we believe the Russian government will continue the war. We want to encourage the people not to give up. We are tired of the war and want to return to normal. What we know as normal now is not what we have known in the past.
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AIM USA is a group of 140 Benedictine monasteries in the US and Canada linked to more than 450 monasteries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. AIM USA has supported the monasteries in Ukraine and Poland from the beginning of the war. If you would like to support us, you can send donations to AIM USA, 345 East 9 Street, Erie, PA 16503.