Dominican Sisters of Sparkill

The Slovakian Dominican Sisters, like many others in the area, have taken refugees into their convent, referred to as a monastery, to live until they can find a new home. The current guests include Maty, a former Ukrainian sports commentator and her daughter, son, and grandmother (babushka), a renowned physician. Typical of Ukrainian refugees, the men are noticeably absent—drafted, killed or missing. Mothers, aunts, godmothers, grandmothers, and children are running for their lives into Western Ukraine leaving their homes and possessions behind. Maty and her daughter are coping by creating art. Maty works with students in the Sisters’ school to create Peace Dove mosaics—a widespread icon or symbol of peace and hope in the midst of devastation. Her daughter spends time drawing mythic figures who can save children.

At the Refugee Welcome Center near the train station in Kosice, Slovakia, refugees are provided a safe place, medical care, food, counseling, and contacts with possible rooms to live. On the first day, the Sisters helped mostly with food preparation and distribution to hundreds of Ukrainian families including many children with special needs or abilities. Once lunch was served, there was some time for conversation and the Sisters met a Nigerian woman and her baby seated by themselves. The woman who shall remain nameless, and whose photo cannot be shown, is a fourfold refugee from Nigeria to Ukraine to Germany to Poland hoping to return to Ukraine. Compelled to leave Nigeria because of violence and a direct threat to her life, she took refuge in Ukraine until the war forced her to Poland and to Germany. She is now heading back to Ukraine in the hope of acquiring paperwork for her baby so he can be counted as a Ukrainian refugee to receive aid.  The Sisters felt a close connection with this woman, a nurse in training, and were moved when it was time to say goodbye—probably forever. And just like that, this woman and her child were gone. We pray the angels protect them.

A highlight of the visitation experience was the Sisters’ mission trip to Ukraine. After packing a borrowed van to the brim with toys, food, clothes, and diapers, they went with their hosts, Sisters Justina and Edita on a three-hour journey over the border to Mukachevo, Ukraine. Here the Sisters met Sister Lydia who welcomes and ministers to Ukrainian refugees every day. Rooted in the Gospel’s call to “feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and welcome to the stranger” (Matthew 25:35), she also opens the doors or her convent and provides hospitality for refugee women and children and makes daily visits to the orphanages and temporary shelters delivering supplies, love, and hope to those in need.  Mothers unable to care for their children with disabilities and mothers with risk factors, such as addictions or mental health problems are unable to care for their children and leave them in orphanages or with grandmothers at the few makeshift refugee centers. The trauma of these losses is visible in the children’s faces. Many mothers stay with their children in schools that have been turned to temporary shelters fearfully living with the uncertainty of how they will cope when school resumes in the fall.

After the supplies were delivered, the Sisters played with the children and provided comfort in whatever way they could. In these facilities, the older children also help to care for the younger children. Sisters Valorie and Bernadette shared prayer cards from the students at St. John Chrysostom, Bronx, NY, and received a warm welcome from Bishop Mykola Lúčka of the Diocese of Mukachevo, who is a Dominican.

After the trip to Mukachevo, the Sisters returned to Slovakia and the entire community went on a pilgrimage to Marianka in the mountains with prayer intentions of strengthening the Community, remembering the Sisters imprisoned by the Communists, and praying for peace. At one location they walked up a mountain to a castle where their Sisters had been imprisoned by the Communists in the 1950s – 1970s. The Sisters sang the Salve Regina in the very room which had served as a shared bedroom. At the top of the mountain the Sisters joined with some other pilgrims in folk dancing. The Sisters singing, led by Sister Terezia, may be viewed here.

Sister Justína from Slovakia summarized the visit well: "Together we experienced a very powerful and enriching experience of community. Thanks to our Sister Lydia, who works in Ukraine, we have valuable contacts. Thanks to Sister Edita, who has the courage to cross borders with humanitarian aid, we were able to make this trip possible and thanks to Sisters Valorie and Bernadette, we experienced the greatness and solidarity of the Dominican family in the world.” Through the gracious hospitality of Sister Margaret Mayce and the Dominican Sisters of Blessed Imelda, Sisters Valorie and Bernadette deepened their relationships to the worldwide Dominican family connecting faith, faces, personalities, and stories with the family that is shared in Ukraine and Slovakia. Our Sisters have shared life with each other, their joys and sorrows, hopes, and dreams. The Sisters, refugees, and the Dominican bishop in Ukraine ask for a weekly peace for Ukraine prayer intention, in the hope of expanding that prayer to the Dominican Sisters International.

Slovakia and Ukraine share spectacular scenery and beautiful art. So often only the images of war and loss are shared. The extreme beauty makes the destruction even more devastating. But the people hold the beauty and strength of the culture within them. Although buildings and landscape are destroyed by rocket attacks, the people remain strong in their faith which is core to their culture. The Peace Dove, symbol for peace in Ukraine, is being drawn, painted, and created in ceramics by Ukrainians of all ages. The people of Ukraine are united in the belief that prayer is their best hope for peace.