Notre Dame President Emeritus Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., visits key sites in Lviv, Ukraine
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.
Originally published by news.nd.edu on September 06, 2024.
atLatest Research
- Notre Dame Law School's Exoneration Justice Clinic welcomes new legal fellowNotre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic (EJC) has recently hired a new full-time legal fellow, Matt Binder. Initially, Matt will be working on all EJC cases, but he will eventually focus…
- Q&A with Arun Agrawal, Sustainability Initiative director and new Keough School faculty memberThe University of Notre Dame recently announced the appointment of Arun Agrawal, a renowned scholar of environmental politics and sustainable development, as the inaugural director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability…
- Summer NDnano opportunities give undergraduate students in-depth research experienceNotre Dame Nanoscience and Technology (NDnano) welcomed 21 students to campus over the summer as part of the NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NURF) program. The 2024 cohort included students from the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Ball State…
- de Nicola Center presents 24th annual Fall Conference, “Ever Ancient, Ever New: On Catholic Imagination”More than 1,200 scholars, students, and guests from around the world registered to attend the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture’s 24th annual Fall Conference, “Ever Ancient, Ever New: On Catholic Imagination.” The conference, which begins Thursday, October 31, and concludes on November 2, will feature more than 175 papers, panels, and performances across three days of conversation on the enduring and inexhaustible nature of the Catholic imagination.
- Ethical leadership program unites MENA innovators for regional prosperity and collaborationThis summer, innovative leaders from the Middle East and North Africa gathered together at the University of Notre Dame’s campus to partake…
- Berthiaume Institute announces 2024 Technology Development Fund awardeesThe Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health at the University of Notre Dame has announced the awardees of its Technology Development Fund for 2024. Four projects received funding, each of which aims to enhance a key area of knowledge at the frontier of science and engineering for health. …