Paulines in Lviv receive requests for books from refugees as the war continues and people seek comfort in spiritual writings.
“Ukraine has been at war for more than a month. Every day bombs destroy houses in different parts of the country. The city of Mariupol has become a huge cemetery. A lot of people are crossing Ukraine, looking for a way out and to find a safer place. In Lviv, they stay only for a few days, but it is enough for us to see their tears and touch their trembling arms”. This is explained by Father Mariusz Krawiec, of the Society of Saint Paul, a Polish missionary, superior of the small community of Lviv, where he is dedicated to evangelization through the media and to the management of the bookstore, reported Fides News Agency.
“On March 26th I was in the courtyard of our house in Lviv. Suddenly I see three Russian fighters overhead. They are flying very fast, but so low that I can see them very well. I have no doubt that I am seeing instruments of death. A few minutes later I hear an explosion and see smoke on the horizon. A moment of fear and dismay. Who knows? Maybe there will be another bomb behind me that will fall on top of our house.
“Human security does not count at this time. We need to hear: ‘Don’t be afraid!’. We Paulines know these words of Jesus Master well from our churches and chapels: Blessed James Alberione wanted them to always be close to the tabernacle. ‘Do not be afraid. I am with you’. The presence of the Lord becomes our security and restores peace to the heart. Everything starts from the heart. When there is peace within you, the war that is elsewhere no longer scares you”.
On March 29, during his visit to Lviv to deliver an ambulance donated by Pope Francis for the children wounded in the war, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski also visited the St. Paul’s bookstore. The Cardinal thanked the Paulines for their presence in Ukraine and blessed their mission. The Paolini publishing house continues to work. The Lviv bookstore is a reference point for people who seek spiritual comfort in books. “We continue to be present on the Internet – concludes Fr Mariusz -. We are also receiving requests for our books published in Ukrainian from several countries where there are refugees, especially from Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Germany”.
