In Jenkintown, faith and friendship are helping a wounded soldier rebuild his life, writes Chris Herlinger for National Catholic Reporter.
Vladislav Yaremenko, a 29-year-old Ukrainian army veteran who lost both legs in the war, is recovering while awaiting prosthetics. Regular visits from Sr. Dia Zagurska and other members of the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great have become a steady source of comfort and connection.
The sisters, based at their motherhouse in Jenkintown near Manor College, have deep ties to Ukraine. They distribute food to recent arrivals, ship humanitarian supplies overseas, and provide pastoral care to injured soldiers receiving treatment in the region. For Yaremenko, who says he hopes to return home and serve again, those visits are more than symbolic.
Zagurska, who has lost family members in the war, admits the encounters can be emotional. Seeing a young man face life as a double amputee weighs heavily, she said. Yet the sisters remain steadfast in their mission of presence and prayer.
Around their Jenkintown grounds, blue-and-yellow signs and a shrine to the Lady of Pochayiv reflect that enduring solidarity. Even thousands of miles from the front lines, the war’s impact is personal.
To learn more about Jenkintown’s Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, visit National Catholic Reporter.
