Metropolitan Gudziak at the Mass for Migrants and Refugees in Washington: Ukrainians will defend their God-given dignity

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September 26, 2022

Metropolitan Gudziak at the Mass for Migrants and Refugees in Washington: Ukrainians will defend their God-given dignity

On September 25, Archbishop Borys Gudziak joined Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, Chairman of the Committee on Migration for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, in a celebration of the gifts of migrants and refugees at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington, D.C.

This event marked the conclusion of National Migration Week celebrated worldwide. Archbishop Borys was invited to address the gathering in St. Matthew’s Cathedral at the end of Mass.

“I grew up as a son of refugees...”

“I grew up as a son of refugees. They came from Ukraine, a country where during WWII seven million people were killed, including two million Jews. Our human race, so gifted, so talented, that is capable of building such beautiful churches, capable of beautiful singing is at the same time capable of hatred and violence,” said the Archbishop after thanking Bishop Dorsonville for the invitation.

He mentioned the present aggression against Ukraine which forced 14 million Ukrainians to flee their homes and thanked American Catholics for their prayer, advocacy efforts, and aid. The Archbishop also shared his personal experience of his visits to Ukraine and Europe recently. “I am inspired when I speak with the people in Ukraine as I tremble before the tragedy.” emphasized Metropolitan Borys.

“Whether it was the refugees in Romania, Poland, Italy, France, Belgium, Canada, United States, or whether it was mothers and grandmothers, students, even children, not to speak of the fathers and the young men, I heard not a single person saying:

“We have to give up”; “We must compromise”; “We have to make concessions”. In the 20th century, 15 million people were killed on Ukrainian land. And if anybody forgot that, in Ukraine, they have seen Bucha, they have seen Izyum and there are over two thousand villages and towns that are held under occupation. Ukrainians will defend their God-given dignity. They will defend Poland and Romania, Europe, and the rest of the free world”.