Ever since the beginning of the war, the Catholic Media Centre has reported on the activities of the Church in Ukraine and provided spiritual assistance to people who are experiencing the tragedy of war. Sr. Alina Petrauskaite, Director of the Centre’s portal, speaks about the initiatives aimed at helping alleviate the suffering of mothers and wives, after the loss of their loved ones at the front, and at assisting those who want to return to the Church.
By Wojciech Rogacin
Sr. Alina Alina Petrauskaite belongs to the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Honoratki). She has been connected with the Catholic Media Centre since 2014, and has been managing the rkc.org.ua web portal and social media for the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, for the last five years.
Information and Assistance to the faithful
During the full-scale war, Ukraine has been suffering through for the last three years, the portal has become a very important instrument to reach the faithful.
“We want to transmit the voice of the Bishops of our Church, as well as to evangelize and reach those in need,” said Sr. Alina. “We work for people who were wounded in the war, for veterans, for families of military personnel, for women and for widows, from all dioceses.”
In addition to Sr. Alina, there are two collaborators who help with the portal’s information service: editor, Maksym Zheleznytskyi from Berdychiv, the site of the famous Shrine of Our Lady, and Tetiana Reshetar, who provides information especially on Transcarpathia.
The portal is operational seven days a week. Nine news items are published throughout the day, also on social media. Subscribers receive daily articles through social media networks.
Photo Embed: Sr. Alina Petrauskaite, SCM (on the right) working in the studio ( Sr. Alina’s private archive)
Alleviating the suffering of those who have lost loved ones
The web portal provides support to the wounded. “We provide information on meetings for mothers and widows of soldiers who died at the front. We interview participants in the meetings, in order to share their witness. These encounters help people overcome the suffering caused by a big loss, because they know there is the presence of a supportive community. This is one of the ways in which we help people who have been struck by suffering,” Sr Alina explained.
The editors also hear testimonies from soldiers and chaplains at the front, who experience the action of Divine Providence. There are many accounts of people who miraculously survived the front, in extreme situations. “We provide these testimonies to strengthen our faith and show that God is at work,” Sr. Alina said.
Sr. Alina at work gathering material (Sr. Alina’s private archive)
I trusted God more during the war
Like all Ukrainians, Sr. Alina’s life is constantly in danger. Russian bombs sow death and destruction in various parts of the country, every day.
Sr. Alina acknowledges that war has changed her understanding of her own life.
“I remember a time at the start of the war, in which I could not go to Church to receive the Eucharist,” she said. “While I was watching a transmission of Mass, when I heard explosions not far from us precisely at the time of the transubstantiation. In that moment, I thought that it could be my last Mass. After all, a missile could hit this very house. Then I felt that everything is in God’s hands, to the point that from that time onwards, I no longer feared death. However, God evidently wants me to be here in this world to serve him. That event made me trust in God more.”
Sr Alina during a meeting with the Media Commission of the episcopate
Opening the Doors of the Church
The activities of the Catholic Media Centre often act as a door for people who wish to approach the Catholic Church.
“We receive information and text messages from people who would like to receive the Sacraments, for example, from those who did not go to Church since the time of their Baptism and who now want to return to be reconciled with God. Others ask where and how they can prepare for Baptism. We put them in contact with parishes and priests,” Sr. Alina said.
Evangelization is one of the most important aspects of the portal’s mission. In 2024, it provided wide-ranging information on events in the Ukrainian Church for the Year of Saint Michael Archangel, Patron Saint of the Church, and also of Kyiv and Ukraine.
The portal also publishes a liturgical calendar, including texts and information on the saint of the day. “We also try to write pastoral notes for Ukrainians who live in Poland,” she said. “This is extremely important because, according to the UNHCR, there are currently some one million Ukrainian war refugees living in Poland.”
Sr. Alina added that the fruits of her activities are not always visible.
“I write articles, do interviews and sometimes I ask myself whether it is really necessary,” Sr. Alina concluded. “But then people tell me how important the portal is to them. I do it for God and for his Kingdom.”
Sr. Alina during a meeting with the Ukrainian Episcopate (Sr. Alina’s private archive)
