# UNIQUE WEBINAR ON THE CHURCH’S RESPONSE TO WAR-TIME IMMIGRATION

- Link: https://nweparchy.ca/2026/02/unique-webinar-on-the-churchs-response-to-war-time-immigration/
- Published: 2026-02-10T21:00:57-08:00
- Author: Website

Members of the Eparchy of New Westminster participated in truly timely and important
webinar on “**Canadian Churches and the War in Ukraine: Ministry in the Canadian
Context Since the Full-scale Invasion**”. The online meeting, conducted via [Zoom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoom_Communications),
gathered a vast number of people from across Canada to discuss their experiences
in welcoming newcomers from Europe over the last four years since Russia began its
brutal invasion of Ukraine. Canada was one of the countries to immediately offer
a place to stay to Ukrainian families who wanted desperately to escape the death
and destruction of war. In fact, Canada was very generous in offering documentation,
material assistance to the temporarily displaced Ukrainians so they could find a
place to live, work and receive the care they needed. This displacement has dragged
on. In a few days, this war may enter its [fifth year](https://www.csis.org/programs/four-years-later-russias-war-ukraine)!

However, besides great governmental programs, the people from Ukraine also needed
hands-on help by volunteers who would guide them in finding work, an apartment where
to stay, furniture, how to find medical help and enrol their children in school,
etc. Ukrainian organizations like the Ukrainian Canadian Congress really stepped
up in all provinces. Faith communities – leading among them the Ukrainian Catholic
and Orthodox Churches – also immediately mobilized themselves to offer charitable
help and accompaniment in these early months and even to the present day.

The main speakers at the webinar were four panelists – four priests who in various
ways were in the thick of the effort to help the “refugees” when they began arriving
by the hundreds and then thousands. The panelists included: Fr. [**Cornell Zubritsky**](https://www.uocc.ca/clergy/the-rev-fr-cornell-zubritsky/)(
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Edmonton); Fr. [**Andre Lalach**](https://www.facebook.com/DormitionSaskatoon/posts/happy-birthday-very-rev-andre-lalach-may-god-bless-you-with-many-more-years-of-h/1246987270788852/)(
of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon); Fr. [**Volodymyr Bashutskyy**](https://holyfamilyparishmb.ca/fr-bashutskyy-has-been-appointed-to-serve-holy-family-parish-his-first-divine-liturgy-will-be-celebrated-sunday-august-1-2021/)(
Archeparchy of Winnipeg) and the Eparchy of New Westminster’s Fr. [**Mykhailo Ozorovych**](https://divinerenovation.org/blog/for-the-beauty-of-the-church-a-story-from-canada/).
Each of the speakers shared about the experiences that they personally had in receiving
newcomers. [BTW, the term and status appropriate to the newcomers from Ukraine was
clarified early on in the discussion. They are not acknowledged as “refugees” _actually_,
but rather “evacuees” or “temporarily displaced” persons.] They shared about the
challenges, but also the joys and blessings. The _challenges_, as one would expect,
included finding resources, initial language barriers, helping people adapt to a
new cultural and social reality. The blessings, on the other hand, were often connected
with those challenges as members of parishes stepped up to help, mentor and accept
changes to their communities to accommodate the new people who needed, above all.
understanding and help.

The seminar was hosted by [**Newman Theological College**](https://newman.edu/) 
in Edmonton as part of their ongoing launch of the new programming in **Eastern 
Christian Theology**. Deacon [**Cyril Kennedy**](https://newman.edu/about-ntc/people/faculty-staff/dcn-cyril-kennedy/),
an assistant professor at the College, moderated the online gathering and kept it
moving along to allow the speakers to share their thoughts, engage each other for
clarification and then give ample opportunity to the all the participants to ask
questions and comment.

More similar webinars were promised for the near future. The public will certainly
look forward to the announcements.

[[

[[

[[