Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, recently visited the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) and key sites in Lviv, Ukraine, as a sign of Notre Dame’s continued support for the university and its students.

It was his first international trip on behalf of Notre Dame since stepping down from the presidency at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Notre Dame has significantly expanded its support and partnership with UCU. The University’s Standing in Solidarity initiative has brought dozens of students, faculty and staff from UCU to the Notre Dame campus and has supported collaborative research projects between UCU and Notre Dame faculty.

“Notre Dame has for many years, through its Nanovic Institute for European Studies, hosted visiting scholars from UCU on campus, and in turn our scholars have spent time there,” Father Jenkins said. “Now, as the Ukrainians resist the Russian invasion of their country, the role of UCU is critical to fostering Ukrainian identity through scholarship and educating the generation who will be tasked with rebuilding their war-ravaged nation and creating a new future for the people of Ukraine.”

Father Jenkins was accompanied on the trip by UCU Senator and former Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Larysa Galadza, whose mother, Iryna Galadza, was also awarded an honorary degree. They began by visiting the Field of Honor in Lviv, a cemetery where Ukrainian soldiers who have died during the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine are buried.

“Coming to this place, you’re able to see the human cost of the war,” Father Jenkins said, “the brothers, the sons, the husbands who have lost their lives. And it’s represented here powerfully in these beautiful tributes and these flowers and flags. I hope we can find a just peace, a peace that allows Ukraine to be free.”

The delegation also toured the Garrison Church of Saints Peter and Paul and visited Superhumans, a Ukrainian center for prosthetics, reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation and psychological support for adults and children affected by the war. While there, Father Jenkins spoke with soldiers undergoing rehabilitation and offered his prayers and blessings.

“The notion of solidarity means we’re all connected in an important way, and the struggles, the injustices of the people of Ukraine are our problem and something we should be concerned about as well. It’s not just another part of the world — these are human beings that are part of the human family,” he said. “It’s a reminder that we’re all interconnected, and we must always remember that and never tire of working for justice and working for peace around the world.”

Sadly, a day after Father Jenkins departed, a Russian bomb took the lives of UCU student Daria Bazylevych and three members of her family. “We must continue to pray for those at UCU and all of Ukraine,” Father Jenkins said.