Archbishop Gallagher visits bombed sites in Kyiv, encourages prayer for peace

By Roberto Paglialonga – Kyiv There are places of suffering that inevitably become part of a nation's collective memory. Bucha, Irpin, and Vorzel will remain forever etched in the minds and hearts of Ukrainians—and of many others. Their names have become symbols of the horrors unleashed by Russia's invasion in February 2022, a war that still shows no sign of ending or offering any tangible prospect of hope. Kyiv bears countless reminders of the brutality of violence and hatred. The third day of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher's mission to Ukraine, on Saturday, July 18, was devoted to visiting places that have come under attack over the past years—and in recent months—but where, despite everything, there remains a determination to rebuild.