Ukrainians fleeing war find comfort in Steinbach church

NadiaBondarchukwould be in medical school by now if Russia's invasion of Ukraine hadn't uprooted her life and dashed her dreams.

Instead,the 17-year-old is thousands of kilometres away from her home country. Sitting in a pew beside new friends in Steinbach, Man., reminds her of what she's missing.

It feels like home.

"This is very important because this is part of my normal world before the war happened," shesaid through a translator.

A year after the invasion of Ukraine began, thearrival of an estimated 300 to 350 Ukrainians in the Steinbach areahas brought outthe city's generosity, andit's had the inadvertent effect of building up a church.

What was once a weekly gathering of three families in the pastor's home is now, thanks to the influx of Ukrainians,a thriving faith community that needed a biggervenue and has been occupying the basement of a Mennonite church since last summer.

Church helps newcomers

Nikolai Usach, pastor of theUkrainian Slavic Church, considers it a privilege to support thesefamilieslooking for a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar country.

"This is a chance for me to help people, to serve people," he said.

ThePentecostal church usually sees 60 to 80 worshippers in the basement of theSteinbach Mennonite Brethren Church, but it occupied the main sanctuary last Sunday for a special prayer event, attracting double theusual number of parishioners, including guests fromAlberta, Minnesota andSouth Dakota.

The church is for Russian speakers. It is the first language of millions of Ukrainians.

Nadia Bondarchukappreciates that the growing Ukrainian church also offers a youth group.

"Having that group that knows your background, that talks the same language that you talk, it means the world to you," Nadia said through a translator her older sister Olga, who has lived in Canada for 14 years.

Olga said the church has helped her sister meet other recently displacedUkrainians who know the first-hand realities of fleeing a war. OtherUkrainians, more established in Canada, don't have the same perspectives, she said.

"Church and faith played a big role in our lives and her life back in Ukraine, and it continues here," Olga said.

Inna Muliqr and her husband Serhii have only lived in Steinbach for a few weeks the weather's colder than they're used to, they say but already they're choosing to give back to the community.

Inna was helping a few other ladiescook meals for the parishioners.

"The church has been crucial to them adapting here," said IlliaUsach, the pastor's son,who translated for them.

"When they just landed here, they already had a home to move into furniture, clothes, everything was there because the church was able to find them a place in advance."

Shortly after the Russian invasion started, Walter Fast, leadpastoratSteinbach Mennonite BrethrenChurch, said his church decided to open up theirfacilitiesto help Ukrainian evacuees whichever way they could.

Not only is there a weekly church group now, but thechurch has expanded its English-language classesand hosts a weeklymeeting group for Ukrainians, both of which require no religiousaffiliation.

Fasthosted one Ukrainian couple in his family home for a few weeks, and evenofficiated the wedding of anothercouple.

"One year ago, nobody knew that anybody would be coming into this church building to meet, either for worship or just for connecting with each other. Nobody had an inkling," Fast said.

"Here we are, one year further down, and I look back and I say, 'Praise God.' We'veresponded to a hugeneed, a tragedy in the making, and I'm just glad that we've been able to facilitate other peoples's welcome here in Steinbach."

Task force supports Ukrainians

Former mayor Chris Goertzen is co-chair of the volunteer-runtask force supporting the arrivals of Ukrainians. The committee estimates 300 to 350 people have settled in the Steinbach area over the last year. The city has a population ofclose to 18,000 people.

Goertzen said people have hosted families, providedrides to appointmentsanddonated furniture. Somelandlords havegiven rent breaks to newcomers.

"We continue to see people comingfrom Ukraine, and we just hope that we can createa welcoming place for them, that they feel somewhat at home, and hopefully, they can establish their life here for a short time or for a long time; we would welcome either one," he said.

Whether the newcomersstay or go,Nikolai Usach, who settled in Canada before the pandemic,wants his Ukrainian church to be part of Steinbach's fabric for years to come.

"In the future, I see our church will be part of the Steinbach community;children grow up here and work and thearea will have strong families," he said.

Ukrainians fleeing war find comfort in Steinbach church

2 years ago

Duration 2:56

The Ukrainian Slavic Church started in a home with just three families attending. But with the influx of Ukrainians settling in the city, it's quickly growing. It's now renting the basement of a Mennonite church with 60 to 80 worshippers attending every week.