Deacon Anthony update:
After a week of being in Poland, Deacon Anthony has settled in a pastoral care centre, and he has met with doctors and local volunteers and learned about the harsh conditions and atrocities faced by some of the refugees. He is asking for prayers for children separated from the parents.
One volunteer has spent the last three months driving vanloads of refugees all over Europe. He is working with people from all over the world: missionaries from Peru, doctors from Spain, seminarians and Priests from Poland...
In one of the photos, he had blessed a soldier and his wife, the doctor and missionary. He prayed “Through Saints Michael & Raphaël and the Blessed Mother to guide all of them through their travels to her Son. That the Holy Spirit protect them, guide them, and watch over them.”
Deacon Anthony shared that one of the major needs is communication and is assisting in setting up what’s needed for people to communicate with their families. Any donations he receives will be used for water tablets for fresh drinking water, personal hygiene products for refugees and communication equipment. Some soldiers from the Ukraine have shared with them there is no drinking water so people are trying to capture rain water. He is also looking for local souvenirs to share (pins from Wheatley, Leamington, Pelee Island, Kingsville, etc). New refugees are arriving every hour of the day.
Deacon Anthony is offering a Holy Hour each morning for those who are supporting him with prayer and encouragement.
Deacon Anthony is working along with Fr. Marek, who as he put it is "simply wonderful in his witness to Christ opening His arms to accepting the marginalized".
Deacon Anthony's bag / kit arrived finally, including some medical and tele-comms.
Deacon Anthony met a group of Fr. Andrews people / volunteers and truly wonderful people. NON-STOP and NO is not in their vocabulary.
It doesn't stop there. People from over the world are there helping at whatever the need.
He just got done experiencing a major crisis involving two out-going trains from Ukraine, a baptism (in a 300 yr old chapel) then a HUGE outdoor celebration Mass.
Deacon Anthony is going to do some meetings with some Ukrainian sisters in Krakow for a day or two, to access needs that maybe desired of them. The main work he is involved with is receiving refugees (virtually 24/7) with many relocating to many different areas throughout Poland, as well some traveling to other countries.
Below photos are two showing the actual Polish /Ukrainian border point where nearly 3.8 million people crossed in the first weeks of war.