Good News!  As families leave, we hope and pray that they will find a safe refuge wherever they head on their journeys.  Yesterday, Sister Dorota, the superior, heard from one of our families who resettled in a small village in Poland, and we were overjoyed. Through the kindness of their host, they are living in a small home and the grandmother found a job cleaning someone's home. I know that we refer to "Polish clean" in the United States, but it is true at least in this convent. The Sisters are always cleaning and the refugees pitch in and help.  Maybe, it's a European trait.

When I was serving in a parish in Atlantic City, we concluded Mass with the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. The prayer was not my favorite one because of its strong imagery of good and evil.  Here, in Poland, this prayer has taken on a whole new meaning. Like in Atlantic City and maybe your own parish, the Poles and the Ukrainians are devoted to Saint Michael the Archangel and beg his protection.  

Moved by these words at Mass, I painted the picture below to include fragments of the stories that I heard during these past ten days. I invite you to say this prayer in unity with all the people of the Ukraine and I hoped that my painting would be so pleasing to the heavens that our God who always finds a way when there doesn't seem to be one, would act on behalf of the Ukrainians! May God's people particularly the Russians not have hearts of stone.

"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the                         wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And                     do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell                         Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.                            Amen."

If you would like to donate to the Sisters who are doing a tremendous ministry to the Ukrainians, please use Paypal.me/uaref    to send a gift.