Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
The Missionary Decade. Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ — “Peace Be with You: Hope for the Ukrainian Family”
May 14, 2026
On this solemn day of the feast of the Ascension of Christ, we encourage everyone to respond to the invitation of the Head of our Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, to prepare for the great feast of Pentecost, passing the Missionary Decade 2026.
Thursday, May 14
A reading of the Holy Gospel according to Luke 24:36–53
On this day of the Ascension of the Lord, in the Gospel passage we read how the risen Christ stands among His disciples and says to them: “Peace be with you!” These are not merely ordinary words of greeting. In the biblical understanding, peace (shalom) means the fullness of life, reconciliation with God, and inner wholeness. At that moment, however, the disciples are overwhelmed by fear, confusion, and a sense of guilt following the Passion of Christ. Therefore, the first thing Jesus desires is to surround them with His peace.
It is important to note that Christ brings this peace while bearing the wounds on His hands and feet. After the Resurrection, He does not hide the marks of His suffering, although He could have appeared without any wounds. The Lord preserves them as a sign that true peace is always connected with sacrifice. Thus, the peace that Christ brings is not the absence of difficulties or pain, but the fruit of love that has passed through the Cross and proved stronger than death.
These words resonate especially deeply today, as for the fifth year of the full-scale war the Ukrainian people continue to carry the heavy burden of loss, pain, and uncertainty. These wounds have touched the Ukrainian family in a particularly profound way. Sadly, today we are witnessing one of the highest divorce rates in all the years of Ukraine’s independence, while the demographic crisis is reaching alarming proportions, as the death rate is almost three times higher than the birth rate. War takes not only lives — it also exhausts relationships and destroys family bonds.
For this reason, the theme of the family is one of the central themes in the present life of our Church. Proof of this was last year’s Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome, whose principal theme was: “Pastoral Care of Families in Times of War.” Today, one of the most important tasks both for the Church and for our state is the preservation of the Ukrainian family. Our families, marked by numerous wounds, need the support of the Church more than ever, so that they may receive the peace with which Christ came to His disciples.
In time of war, it is especially important that our families are not left alone with their pain, crises, and fears. The Church is called to remain close to them — to support, to listen, to heal, to help restore unity, and to teach that love which does not collapse even amid trials. For this reason, this year’s Decade of Missionary Spirit will be dedicated to the theme of the family. Beginning today and continuing until the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, we will reflect day by day on passages from the Gospel of John in the light of married and family life. Together we will seek answers to important questions: how to preserve love in times of trial, how to learn unity, forgiveness, sacrifice, and mutual support, and how to build a family with God at its centre.
May this time become an opportunity not only for deeper reflection, but also for the renewal of our family relationships, for common prayer, and for rediscovering the beauty of God’s plan for marriage and family life. For it is precisely through strong, loving, and faithful families that the Lord will build a bright future for the Church and for Ukraine.
Mission tasks:
1. Personal Level: During the Missionary Decade Spirit, let us make a commitment to attend the principal services of our parish so as to prepare properly for the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
2. Parish Level: Let us propose to the priest in our parish a concrete form of support for families: a common prayer gathering for families or the creation of a small support group for married couples experiencing difficulties.
3. Missionary Level: This week, let us take a concrete step toward one family or person who is experiencing a crisis or has drifted away from the Church: let us call them, visit them, or invite them to prayer or to the Divine Liturgy, showing them attention, support, and Christian love.
