Robaird O’Cearbhaill
Hong Kong Correspondent
The report title is so appropriate to the current tragedy in Ukraine: “Memories of Other Invasions – The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has survived the Nazis and multiple invasions by the Russians.”
Many, probably almost all, remember the last Russian military invasion in Crimea – very swiftly they conquered, made a referendum for unification – bang we did it! – now de facto Russia a month or so later.
Many escaped. Those from a lot longer ago, World War II, few are still alive. But an 81 year-old remembers, even though she is as young as you can get. Perhaps it was the chaos, danger and tension fixed in her memory.
Alexandra Stasiuk said she recalls the memories of that time well. This was her situation as recounted by Catholic News Agency: “On Sunday she stared up at the golden cross at the top of the cathedral and recalled escaping Ukraine 78 years ago. She choked up many times recounting her family’s story. Her father had been a doctor who fought against both the Russians and the Germans. He was eventually captured and sent to a concentration camp.”
Alexandra was only three and her little brother a small baby, when her mother escaped through the city gates of Drohobych in the middle of the night.
The CNA story goes: “They trekked day and night as her little baby brother slowly wasted away from malnutrition. They walked for miles, rode in buses and boarded trains. When bombings occurred, her mother would cover them in a feather comforter.”
But Alexandra’s humor was there “Stasiuk laughed in the telling that a comforter would provide protection from bombs and bullets; but years later, when her mother took the old comforter out to repair, there were pieces of bullets and artillery fragments still in it.”
But the ordeal was far from over. “The family eventually made their way to Germany, where Alexandra’s mother brought her baby son to the hospital only to be denied care. They told her the child was all but dead. Day after day her mother cared for her little brother, squeezing grapes in her hand above the baby’s mouth. He eventually recovered.”
But once again the family moved to another country – but then it was a German- territory – what Alexandra assumed was a bet option, Czechoslovakia would also become highly risky when “the Russians invaded there, too, and they fled yet again by foot.” Then a very unexpected luck or God’s will kept them from sudden death. “One night the little 3-year-old boy, who had been saved years earlier, saved the entire family from falling into a trench filled with spikes that had been built precisely to prevent people from crossing the border. She said the family was lucky to finally come to America. ‘America was wonderful,’ she said.”
So what did she feel about what is happening now in the Ukraine? She said calmly: “Putin is another Stalin.”
“Stasiuk said she prays daily for Ukraine. ‘We should all pray,’ she said. ‘It is all happening again.’”
(Photo from thestar.com)
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