War overshadows Orthodox Easter for third year

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — While it’s a time of celebration, this Easter Sunday occurred at a time of war in Ukraine, a war with Russia that exceeded its 800th day.

This is the third Orthodox Easter amid an ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

A local college professor and her family celebrated Orthodox Easter on Sunday.

The Holy Day, a hard one to celebrate under rage and violence in Eastern Europe.

Church members of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre gathered around the altar Sunday to celebrate the Holy Pascha, Easter Sunday, far from the war in Ukraine.

“It would not occur to them to celebrate to keep the liturgical calendar. Faith is really important,” Ukrainian Homestead Cultural Director Paula Holoviak said.

Holoviak, a professor at Kutztown University, helps run Ukrainian Homestead , an organization in the Poconos dedicated to Ukraine’s heritage and culture.

She recognizes that so many close to her in Ukraine are celebrating this Easter Sunday with a constant reminder.

“We have family, friends, colleagues that I keep in contact with and It has to be extraordinarily difficult to celebrate because they will celebrate with that fear and threat of constant fear of attacks,” Holoviak explained.

Holoviak and her family enjoyed an Easter Meal Sunday after fasting from meat, milk, and cheese for the last 40 days.

And as more than 10,000 have been killed in Ukraine, her godson, father Kirill Zawatski who was just ordained as an orthodox priest in January, says it’s been a challenging Lenten season.

“You go through Lent and It’s this heavy time of the year and then on top of that you have real-world things on in the world around you so it makes it hard to find joy in times of that,” said Orthodox Church in America Dioceses of the Eastern Pennsylvania Sector Father Kirill Zawatski.

He says the meaning of Easter is what will unite many during a troubled and broken time.

“Despite anything going on in the world anywhere, Israel and Palestine in all the conflicts going on there and the conflicts going on in Ukraine in Eastern Europe, Christ is still risen conquering sin and death today no matter what else is going on in the world,” Father Zawatski explained.

“My understanding is the churches are packed. I can’t imagine missing Easter for any reason,” Holoviak stated.

Ukrainian Homestead was founded in 1957. It is located in the Lehighton area of Carbon County and offers events and activities celebrating Ukrainian heritage and culture.

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