Ukrainian-born priest laments loss of life on third anniversary of war
In February 2022, Father Yurii Bobko of the Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Lyndora held strong when news broke of Russia invading his homeland.
Three years later, the bells of the church rang to commemorate another full year of the Russo-Ukrainian War, a conflict that deeply affects Bobko. To him, the continued conflict across the years appears to have done nothing but cause further chaos.
“It’s devastating,” Bobko said. “There’s been so much loss of life, and loss of belongings and entire families displaced by this conflict.”
Bobko, a native of Kozova, Ukraine, first trained at the Volyn Orthodox Theological Seminary before coming to the U.S. at the behest of Bishop Daniel (Zelinsky), who presides over the Western District of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States and serves as president of the consistory for the church. He studied theology and English at the St. Sophia Seminary in South Bound Brook, N.J., until he was ordained in 2019. In January 2020, he was named pastor of the Lyndora church.
While Bobko has started a family in the U.S., most of his family still lives in Ukraine. Some, he said, live within the ongoing combat and occupied zones.
“People there are just hoping for peace and to return to normal life,” Bobko said.
When the Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2022, Bobko sprung into action to raise funds for Ukrainians in need. The church hosted a food sale and flea market in April 2022 with proceeds directed toward the Ukraine relief project.
“As a church, we’ve stood with Ukraine since the first day. There is strong solidarity between the U.S. and Ukrainian churches,” Bobko said. “We support them as much as possible through prayer, support and charity.”
Now, on the third anniversary of the war, Bobko said the church still is supporting its Ukrainian counterparts the same way. Together with other churches within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, donations and raised funds have been contributed toward purchasing ambulances.
Bobko said the bells of the church rang at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, in commemoration of the first shots fired in the war.
“The Russians invaded Ukraine at 4 a.m. on the 24th. When you account for the seven hour time difference, it will be at 9 p.m. here,” Bobko explained.
In recent weeks, peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, overseen by the new presidential administration, have reignited. The talks are causing controversy, however, after President Donald Trump said last week Ukraine “should have never started” the war.
“It’s been very complicated, these peace talks,” Bobko said. “However, I do want to say that Ukraine did not choose this war. Ukraine was attacked and will defend itself. We still hope peace can be achieved as soon as possible.”
Bobko commented on the “resilience and faith” of the Ukrainian people throughout the past three years, and asked “all people of faith” to stand together against the war.
“Christ calls on us to be attentive, and remember our mission should be toward peace and healing,” Bobko said.
