Displaced Ukrainians living in Australia celebrated Orthodox Easter for the last time on Sunday, with Ukrainian Catholics to observe Easter at the same time as most Western countries from 2024. Source: ABC News.
“As a deliberate decision to separate ourselves even further from Russia and Moscow, it’s been decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar,” the Ukrainian Council of NSW Vice-President Andrew Mencinsky said.
“So, from next year, Ukrainian Easter and Ukrainian Christmas will be celebrated at the same time as Latin Easter and Latin Christmas.”
At Lidcombe’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sydney’s west, the message was one of hope and a reminder that those fighting, killed or displaced by the battle will be protected.
Fr Simon Ckuj led the service and called for an end to the shelling and bloodshed. He said 11 people were killed on Orthodox Good Friday during a missile attack.
“The missiles keep flying and falling upon our peace-loving people,” Fr Ckuj said.
Uliana Kaletska is among 5000 people who fled Ukraine for Australia. She now lives in a quiet suburb in Sydney’s inner west, with her mother and two sons. She left behind her husband and other family members.
“It’s very hard, because the war is going and not stopping. You worry about everything,” she explained.
Marta Artemenko and her 16-year-old daughter left their home in Kyiv when war broke out in February 2022.
“Australia is a nice place to start your life from scratch and it’s a big Ukrainian community in Australia,” Ms Artemenko said.
She is studying a Master of Business, which she plans to put into practice when the war eventually ends.
“They will definitely need people who will rebuild the country, so I’m trying to be ready for that,” Ms Artemenko said.
FULL STORY
Displaced Ukrainians living in Australia celebrate Orthodox Easter for last time (ABC News)
