Faith in times of trial: Father Bohdan Geleta on Russian captivity and long-awaited freedom

We are very happy to have one of the fathers in Zhyve Television'і studio today, and this Live Interview we are conducting with Father Bohdan Geleta.

— Father Bohdan, Glory to Jesus Christ!

— Glory Forever!

— This interview is highly anticipated for me personally, for Zhyve TV, and for all our viewers. I am sincerely grateful to you for agreeing to come to our studio to discuss this difficult period you endured during your captivity. Thank you for being here with us; it is a pleasure to see you.

— I thank everyone. Above all, I want to thank the Lord God and thank all those who contributed to our liberation. I want to thank our faithful who prayed, whom we do not even know; the entire Church prayed. I would like to thank our brethren, and our protoghumen Volodymyr; our brothers who are abroad all over the world.

And I want to thank those who were involved in this, even being in those camps prior to our liberation. Because the prayer was the same not just on this side, but also on the other side. I am so profoundly grateful. And together with Fr. Ivan we sympathized and bore this cross with those prisoners who fought for freedom, for a free Ukraine, for winning this happiness of not only living like people, but being close to God, to the salvation of the Lord. It is vital that people gain faith, that they seek to convert, that they seek to change. And I would also like to thank our bishops, Father Stepan Menko, who is in Zaporizhzhia, who also worried very much, the bishops, and His Beatitude. I personally sensed the feelings of His Beatitude Sviatoslav and even the feelings of the Pope. I don’t know how to explain it, but the whole Church was praying. This is, perhaps, a Sacrament, a Sacrament in which we dwelled, and God allowed us to realize and experience it all.

Now, being here, among you, I felt it when I was there, I was almost 90 % aware of it, and now this awareness has gone, because the reality is completely different. Although, I have to admit, being here, in freedom, a part of me is still there, a very big part. And it will probably remain there, this particle, for a lifetime, you know, as long as I live on earth, and it will be there, this particle, with those people, let’s say, our enemies, will last and accompany me until the rest of my life.

And God wants me to, He pushes me to even bear witness to Him in various circumstances. And today, one of the circumstances of testimony is this testimony that I give, and Father Ivan also gives a testimony about what we have experienced. Because it is not our merit, it is only the merit of the Lord God, it is a testimony. And the only testimony is that the Lord God loves us and wants to save us. Maybe I wanted to say a lot more, but I forgot what I wanted to say. The Lord knows.

— Yes, we are now in this interview, and I hope we will speak about this as well, because I believe that you are, and I am also sure that the Lord God wants to give a testimony through you to our viewers and to all the people who will watch this interview. Father Bohdan, maybe we should start from the very beginning of your arrest? There is a lot of information that we did not have and did not know. For example, on November 16, it became known that you were arrested together with Father Ivan. November 16, 2022. In fact, it was already several months, a long period of time has passed since the occupation came. Can you describe that moment, for instance, what your life and ministry looked like during this occupation in Berdiansk?

— When a large-scale war broke out, it was a big shock for us. And there, in Berdiansk, we felt that changes were coming, and we didn’t know what was awaiting us. But those nine months of occupation did not touch us yet. We celebrated the Liturgy, prayed, and had meetings with people. Though, for some reason, the thought that we would be taken away in the morning was not leaving me.

And many times I saw a car, with the symbolic letter “Z”, driving around the church several times. It was a sign that these services remembered us, even though they did not touch us.

When the war started, for the first week Berdiansk seemed to have died out, as in science fiction movies, when some global catastrophe occurs and you walk around the city, there are no people, only wind and leaves on the streets. Something similar happened in Berdiansk. We walked through the city center with Father Ivan, and there were no people. And the city looked odd—all the shops were closed, all the people were frightened, all were scared. And then a week later, refugees began to arrive, traveling from Mariupol through Berdiansk to join a group in Berdiansk that was heading to Zaporizhzhia, to free Ukraine.

We met several refugees, and they spent the night at our place. We have rooms at the monastery, so we helped them.

They shared a lot of stories with us. There was one teacher, a family with two children—a teenage boy and a younger one of preschool age. They lost their house. This woman looked haggard and all cut up by shrapnel from the blast wave. She said that she was a teacher, and she was on her way to Zaporizhzhia.

What she told us also inspired us in the first days that we had to stay here, to help our people not only with prayer, not only with the Liturgy, but with words, with some material supplies, to provide some social service. Thus, Father Ivan and I stayed. This lasted for nine months until the moment when we were finally taken and arrested. But it came as a surprise to me because it happened in broad daylight. I always thought it would happen at night.

— During these nine months, were you hindered in your prayer life or parish life? Were you allowed to have people come to the church for the Liturgy and Divine Service? Was it done freely, or were there any precautions?

— Nothing was prohibited, we prayed safely. But there were very few people. Because the majority, about 80 % of our parishioners, had fled. Although we can note a positive thing — there was renewal, there were other people who stayed, who were looking for some kind of salvation, looking for support, for something to help them survive in Berdiansk. And this part, well, mostly older people, although there were also young people, but they were few. This part went with Father Ivan to pray in the city center. They prayed a rosary by the sea. If anyone knows Berdiansk, there is a heart called “I love you, Berdiansk,” and they met and prayed there.

— Regarding this episode, I would like to ask how often this prayer was performed, and were there again any prohibitions on it?

— There were no prohibitions at all. This prayer took place every day. The intention was to pray for peace, for Ukraine. It was dangerous to express such a sentiment there. There were also people and provocateurs who were in that prayer group. We had to do it very delicately. God knows our intentions. I even believe in my heart that these people remained even without us, and they continue to pray in this intention in Berdiansk.

— How and when did your arrest happen? We are talking about November 16, when it became known. Was it sometime on that day, or did it happen earlier?

— No, November 16. That is correct. I had a funeral that day, I was at the cemetery, and when I came back, I started preparing for the Liturgy. Father Ivan already served the liturgy, so he went to the center to pray as usual. I stayed in the church, put on my vestments, prepared, and prayed the Proskomidia. And at the moment when I finished, two masked people came into the church. I think they were military. They were carrying weapons, and they came up and said in Russian: “Come with us”. I asked them in Ukrainian what they wanted, why they came into the church dressed like they were.

They told me that they did not understand Ukrainian. I switched to Russian. Then I changed my clothes, took off my vestments, and went with them to the central pre-trial detention center in Berdiansk, I don’t know how it’s called correctly. And there they drew up a report that Father Ivan and I had violated some rules. We had to take permission from the authorities to pray in the city. But we had been doing this for nine months, and they detained us only at that moment.

I didn’t see Father Ivan, he was detained sooner, we were kept separately in different rooms. But after that, people in black appeared, also wearing masks. It was the FSB, and we were moved to another room and locked in cells.

— Had you been informed that you were arrested?

— At first they told us: you are detainees. It was like being detained for a few days. And it was filtering. There were a lot of people there. I was put in cell number three. Father Ivan was already in the cell there. There were 7–8 people in a cell for two. We slept on the floor because there was no room, the cell was very damp, in the basement, water was running down the walls. And a lot of people passed through this cell during those four months. Some stayed for a month, others for a week, others for four months. They were filtered, forced to sign, or transferred somewhere else.

We could also hear screams from our cell in the corridors, because there was a cell where people were tortured, it was simply horrifying. When I came to the cell for the first time, I saw a guy standing and looking at one point. And he stood there with the letter all night. He didn’t go to sleep. I thought that, well, he must have been electrocuted so violently that he was unable to do anything. He was indeed electrocuted. They told him that if he didn’t learn the Russian anthem, they would just kill him in the morning. So he learned the anthem in a state of shock. He couldn’t sleep. He learned the anthem, but they didn’t touch him anymore, either they forgot or it was just such psychological pressure. This guy was walking with his girlfriend in Berdiansk, despite the barracks, and it was at a time when there were such riots in the Kherson region, when part of the territory was liberated. And they shouted, it was after dark, “Glory to Ukraine!” And after that they were just taken away. Both of these young people were tortured. That was my first encounter with filtration. But there were so many similar cases, we don’t even know where those people were taken, whether they survived or not. They were just constantly taken away. They would arrive and be taken away.

— I’m sorry, was it happening in the isolation ward?

— It was still in the isolation ward. Father Ivan and I were separate.

— In conversations where they charged you with these offenses, did they ask you anything different or explain why you were detained and not released? You mentioned spending four months in this filtration process—why did it take so long? Did you ask any questions, or were you given any explanations?

— Well, the first week we had a conversation with the FSB, they offered cooperation. They blatantly offered cooperation. I don’t know what it was, they said if we agreed, they would show us around and tell us what we needed to do. But we refused.

Then there were questions from the propagandists, there was a camera, even many cameras, and we were called in, Ivan and I, but separately. They asked us questions on camera, we explained, said who we were, where we came from, what kind of monasteries we were, told a bit of history. I explained why I didn’t want to get a Russian passport, why I stayed in Berdiansk, why I didn’t support the special operation, since they really don’t like the word “war,” they want it to be a special operation. And that was the first week.

And then they forgot about us for four months, and after four months I was summoned and told that weapons were found in our church and that I would be tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison, the investigator said. I asked where the weapons had been found, but he did not tell me specifically. He said that they found weapons on me, I was present during the search. I then said that I was present for 4 months, I would not sign anything. And that was the whole story.

We were then transferred to another prison, the 77^th colony in Berdiansk. And we were in this colony for about 5 months. I was moved to a solitary confinement where they put a speaker with music in my cell. And it was blaring Soviet songs all day long. I realized then how a person goes crazy, I realized why people commit suicide then. I realized what suicide is. And, of course, the Lord God helps, and He gives strength through prayer. God, Jesus Christ, Mary, and the angels were all present. Prayer was salvation. And as I was saying, I felt the prayer of the Church. Many people pray for our salvation. Father Ivan and I were there separately. When this time was over, 9 months in Berdiansk, we were put, we met for the first time, in a car, blindfolded, handcuffed, with sacks over our heads. We did not know where they took us, but we were in some basement for three more days, a transfer point. From this basement, we and a few soldiers, five of us, were transported to the Horlivka colony. There we were with prisoners of war for 10 months. We were not there for a year and a half, but a little more, a year and seven months.

— You have already mentioned that you heard and saw people being mocked and tortured. Or, if I may ask you this, at that moment, when you were in Berdiansk, did anyone else come to you there to convince you of anything?

— No physical measures were taken against me, only the psychological ones, and this cell with music. In Berdiansk, no one harmed me, in Horlivka, they harmed me almost every day. In Horlivka, the admission was very terrible, very cruel. I was almost never beaten during the admission, but Father Ivan was beaten so severely that he lost consciousness twice. Just imagine that we were taken as civilians and we had, you know, such long hair and beards. We were immediately shaved, and beaten very badly. They gave us uniforms, lists with numbers, and that was it. And we were already prisoners of war, we were just like everyone else.

And then those everyday life for prisoners of war began. They are very much abused there. The Azovs, the Navy, and all the branches of the military were in this colony. They were transferred here and there, from one place in Russia to another. Two hundred or so people lived in one area. And we had the opportunity to get to know a lot of people. They told us a lot, and they were looking for help from the inside, spiritual help. There was a lot of such experience, maybe negative, but essential for a person to somehow be encouraged. Many of the guys were young. I was surprised that they were 21–22 years old and had been in prison for two years. Those who fought for a week, the first weeks of the war, were captured, and they have been there for three years.

— During that time, both in Berdiansk and later in Horlivka, they were certainly aware that you were priests. How did they respond to the fact that you were priests of the Greek Catholic Church?

— From their reaction, from their conversation, I concluded that our Church is a sect for them. It is just a sect. For them, we are a sect that split from Orthodoxy, and they are Orthodox, they genuinely praise God. Genuinely, yet they beat people, you know? It’s such religious fanaticism. You can observe it historically, read about it, and remember that it continues to this day. And, unfortunately, it has consequences in our modern days. They still think that Orthodoxy is the pinnacle, salvation, and all the rest are sects. Both the Greek Catholic Church and we, those priests, are a sect in this Church, who need to be eradicated, isolated from society, and purified. They believe so.

— There was a certain number of our Greek Catholic priests who remained in the occupied territories, just like you, for example, the priests from Melitopol were detained and deported. Or they were warned and told that they had a week or a few days to leave. That is, here in this studio we interviewed Father Petro Krynitsky, who, in fact, was also slightly beaten there, had a bag over his head, but was sent to the territory controlled by Ukrainian troops at the time. In fact, the two of you, you and Father Ivan, were arrested and kept in detention. Did you ever think about why it was you two, or were you told who made the decision and why?

— Well, it seems to me that neither Father Ivan nor I compromised. We just told the truth, that it was a war, that they were criminals, to their faces. I suppose so. They could have deported us, but it looks like they took revenge for these words, for this stance. And I said, and Father Ivan said, that they were criminals, they compromised, that they were criminals, that this was a war. It seems to me that this is the reason. We could have been deported, but they planted weapons and made it so that you would be punished for your stance. They were always planning what to do with us. And then, finally, we were transferred to a POW camp.

— You mentioned the trial, according to which you would be sentenced to 25 years. Did this trial ever take place?

— No, there was not a single trial. The investigator came to Berdiansk only once. That was it, nothing else happened. Then there were several meetings in Horlivka. The FSB was there with the investigators, but they were just offering us cooperation. They were not judges to convict us, or to read us a ruling in front of witnesses. There was nothing like that.

— Father Bohdan, you’ve already mentioned the Soviet music used to torture you, and later you recalled being beaten daily in the colony in Horlivka. What gave you the strength to endure this, both humanly and perhaps spiritually?

— For me, it was very simple, I simply remembered Jesus Christ; his cross, his suffering, and such strength and grace poured in that, that I was saying: Lord, I can sympathize with You. And when they were taking me somewhere, I was already preparing internally, praying and asking God to give me strength. I did not know whether I would survive or not, but you see. It seems to me that if a little more time, a year or less, it would have already been on the decline physically. But, you see, the Lord God works differently, He wants us to testify.

And I want to tell all the others, and especially those families, those mothers, wives, who have their sons, their fathers, their sisters in captivity, not to lose hope, to pray, to turn to God, and everything will be all right. The Lord God knows that even through these sufferings He leads everyone to Himself. We do not know this, it is a mystery. Otherwise, a person might not be able to bear it. He thinks, as it were, to free himself, and this is suicide. Suicides are very common in colonies.

— Did you keep praying during that time?

— Only prayer, only the Lord God. It can’t be otherwise.

— You mentioned that you saw Christ suffering, let’s say, and that you shared in these sufferings with Christ?

— No, it’s not just me. This is when every person, you know, in such cases of his life, some tragic ones, if he just turns to Christ, he already participates. And it is not in vain.

— Such parallel has been mentioned many times, as I traced it, regarding your brothers who lived, let’s say, earlier, and suffered for Christ, even gave their lives, in fact, for our Church and for being Redemptorists during the Soviet persecution. Was their example, their strength, their power, probably, was also emanating from you?

Yes, maybe not everyone knows, but we knew each other when I came to the monastery in 1992, Father Vynnytskyi, maybe someone remembers him, Bishop Kurchaba, and Father Potareiko, together with Father Volosianko. And this kind of experience, their conversations, and stories, what they went through in those prisons, became ours. These recent ones who lived in our time have already passed away, but their experience has always been connected to us. Lord, I thank You for bringing me to this monastery and surrounding me with such wonderful people.

— Father Bohdan, you mentioned earlier today that you felt people were praying for you. Could you describe that feeling in more detail? How did you sense it? What was the experience like? Do you believe it was the Lord who granted you this experience, or did you, in some way, receive information from an external source? Were you aware of what was happening or how it was happening?

The only information we had from the outside was what our enemies told us: that Ukraine was gone, that Zaporizhzhia was occupied, that Kharkiv had fallen. That’s what they told us, you know. And soon, they said, they would reach Kyiv and the borders of Poland. That was the information we had. And we believed it—some of us did. But not everyone believed it; the vast majority did not, because every day, we heard the cannonade, the explosions, the gunfire. Every day, for 9 months near Horlivka, our people were firing, and they fired back, you know, and the shells flew across the camp. If there’s cannonade, it means the battle is still on, so there’s no movement, you know, that’s all.

But as for your question about prayer, about feelings, about the Lord, it’s so difficult to define, to explain how a person feels. Well, yes, a person feels this immense surge of joy—so immense that it’s beyond description. Because this isn’t just about a part of the people; it’s the whole Church, it’s the Glory of the Lord, it’s infinity. And to be in this vastness, to be just a grain of sand, and yet to know that the Lord God knows and cares about you, this grain of sand, and wants to use you for something—to make us instruments of love in the different situations of our lives that are waiting for us, waiting for you, waiting for me. We have to be ready for this, to help someone walk this path, to be saved, to be saved in the love of the Lord.

Did these people who were in the same cells with you, who were in the same rooms, even at the time of filtration, and later in the colony, just know that you were a priest, or did they ask you for spiritual help? Was there an opportunity for your pastoral ministry as a priest, to fulfill the duties of a priest and a confessor there behind the barbed wire?

Of course, everyone knew that we were priests, no one offered us to serve the Liturgy there. When we were released from quarantine after 15 days, Father Ivan and I were told that we could not have any conversation with anyone, no propaganda, no gathering of people around us, because you would suffer and everyone else around you would suffer. We were so frightened. But later, personally, I can tell you what I did in my barracks, in my barracks. We used to gather in the morning and in the evening, after breakfast we had up to 10 minutes, and after dinner we also had from 5 to 10 minutes. We would gather, we had a Bible in Russian, we would read a passage from the Bible, I would say a few words in Ukrainian “Heavenly Father”, Hail, Mary” and then I would suggest that we pray for all those who have any problems, who want to address their relatives in a spiritual way, pray for their relatives, pray for themselves, for their liberation, see, for our liberation. And we prayed for everything. It wasn’t long, 5 minutes at most, but it was enough to, spiritually gain such energy and go on living. It was enough. I wouldn’t say that it was some kind of propaganda or preaching, because the Our Father and the Hail Mary are common Christian prayers. And no one paid attention to us until the last day. The warders didn’t even come in and see us. They couldn’t, they knew. So I went up at the beginning, took permission from the starosta (here “barrack leader”) since every barracks has a starosta. This is a person who cooperates with the administration.

— Well, if I may, because I don’t know if it’s actually allowed to ask this question and discuss it, but were there any occasions when people approached you, perhaps for personal conversations, as a priest?

— Yes, there were. There were confessions, too. They were not so, you know, extensive, but they did occur.

— We also know that you had health problems; you were diabetic, if I’m not mistaken. Could you please confirm if this is true? And did you have access to medication? Were you given any?

— I do have diabetes, but it’s not at a stage where I can live on medication alone. I can control my diabetes, and I was told that if I was completely on insulin, I would not survive, and I never used any. And that probably saved me. And so did fasting and prayer. Fasting in such conditions is still fasting, but when a person links it to God’s sacrifice, it becomes more than just fasting. I can’t say that we were dying of hunger there, but with this form of food, a person cannot behave normally, physically and psychologically. I can also say these things on camera, that when we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner three times a day, 200 people would run into this canteen, literally, run in, hands behind their backs, head bent, and run through the ranks of special forces, and the special forces would beat them. You run into the dining room, sit down at the table, and when the command is given, you sit down, and when you eat, they come around and still electrocute you. They give you food, like porridge, potatoes, whatever a person can sustain on, but you know, it’s better not to go to these breakfasts, these dinners and lunches. And so it was constantly repeating. It was a daily routine. The Russian special forces and their DPR are the same.

— The question is, how do you get used to this?

— You can’t get used to it. I was surprised, you know. I kept thinking, how do these people endure it—these soldiers, without God, without prayer? I wondered where they found their strength. And I came to the conclusion that a person always believes in something, hopes for something. They had hope—some in their loved ones, others in hatred. “I’ll survive,” they’d think, “I’ll get out of here, and then I’ll do something about it.” It may be wrong, but these thoughts gave people an incentive, a motivation to survive in such conditions.

The Azov soldiers suffered the most. It was just horrible. They gave all of us the same clothes, except for the Azov soldiers. They were given different clothes to make them stand out in the crowd. There were a lot of them, around 400. They mocked us all the same, maybe even more. And then there were the physical exercises—squatting 700–1000 times, jumping, various other things. There could have been different methods, but this is what they did.

— Was there any work in the prison?

— Well, there was work, but it wasn’t called work, it was just passing the time so that the time would go somewhere. You dug a hole, you filled the hole, you plucked the grass, you know, you had to pluck the grass, instead of a mower they used us, which should have been all the same, you needed to pluck the grass. That’s how they used us.

— I don’t know, this question arose in the course of a conversation with you just now. Did you have the opportunity to communicate with the occupiers or representatives of the Russian services that were protecting you? But did you ever encounter any sympathy towards you as a priest?

— Well, personally, I felt, don’t really know how to explain it, I was afraid of being physically punished, but I felt that they were scared too. When a person is beaten, the one who beats you hopes for some kind of reaction, and my reaction was calm. And maybe this behavior somehow stopped him. Well, I felt it, I felt that a person cannot continue to beat. And there were also units among them that were completely tolerant, they didn’t touch anyone, and there were units that just killed. Different things happened.

— Father, I would like us to talk a bit more about your release from captivity. During that time, during your constant imprisonment, were there any moments when someone told you, or gave you any hope, that you might be released? Or was there nothing like that?

There were talks that we would be released for the big holidays—it’s always like that, you know, whether it’s Christmas, Easter, or some political holiday, there were always rumors. And, of course, there was hope; everyone held onto it. For Father Ivan and me personally, the signal came when someone from Moscow arrived—I’ve forgotten the name. It was someone important, an ombudsman involved in the affairs of prisoners. I remember the date, May 3, and it was a sign that something was happening. It was a specific signal. After that, we felt things were moving forward, and we knew something was being done.

The release itself was very strange. We didn’t know it was a liberation. Ivan and I thought we were being transferred to Russia, to some remote place in Siberia. We had no idea. The Horlivka colony was relocated overnight. Maybe you’re not aware of this, but everyone else involved, perhaps the special services, knows about it. They moved us to another DPR colony, Kirovsk Colony No. 8. I was there for only three days. Father Ivan was there for almost a month and a half.

Around the 21 st, Father Ivan, three other military men, and I were gathered, put into a vehicle equipped for prisoners of war and criminals. We were locked inside and driven away. After several hours, they brought us to a certain point, blindfolded us, handcuffed us, and put us on a plane. We flew with other prisoners—there were a lot of them, up to 100 Ukrainians. We flew for three hours in a certain direction, were unloaded, and then separated from the main group. They brought us to some kind of prison, locked us in a cell, and we waited there blindfolded for a very long time, almost until morning.

Then they put us on another plane, and from the conversations, we realized that it was Russian military personnel. We flew again for three hours and landed in Moscow. A car arrived, with two FSB officers inside. They took off our blindfolds and handcuffs, which was surprising—they weren’t afraid, you know. They put us in their car, drove us around Moscow for about an hour and a half, and then handed us over to others in a bus. The FSB officers in the bus handcuffed us, blindfolded us again, and transported us to another prison.

We kept wondering what was happening with all this transportation—twice the plane flew for three hours. Two days later, we were again chained up, blindfolded, and transported for several hours, maybe three or four. They took us, as I understand now, to the border with Belarus, put us on a plane, and we flew in a Russian helicopter for three hours. They told us we would be flying for another three hours.

When we finally arrived, we realized it was an exchange. Only at that moment did Father Ivan and I understand what was happening. There were ten of us, and we crossed into Belarusian territory, then onto Ukrainian territory, where the exchange took place.

It was a complete surprise, but that week with all those flights was so strange, you know.

— What were you thinking during these flights? Did you think, as you explained it, what you were hoping for, being transported somewhere to another prison?

— Yes, we thought we were being transferred because other prisoners told us they were being sent to various places in Siberia, and we assumed the same. But it happened so frequently within that one week that we realized the Russian side was forming a group of civilians. They were selecting civilians from the prisoner of war camps because they couldn’t let the world know civilians were being held there, you know.

So, that’s what happened. And through prayer, and thanks to the people who contributed to this, it all came together—thank God.

— When you realized that this was an exchange, when you were already on your native Ukrainian land, what were your thoughts and emotions at that time, what did you feel?

— Well, it was a surge of gratitude, gratitude to the Lord. And still I did not believe. You are so happy that you are finally at home. God, thank you! But this is not realized, even now I cannot digest it all, realize it. It is still, you know, coming to me.

— By the way, during your release, when the footage was first shown publicly, there were comments, including a phrase from you that was featured in a Radio Liberty story. You called on people to remember those still in captivity, those who are there now, and to pray for them because they are still waiting. At that moment, did you feel a special sense of solidarity with those who remained, or how did it feel?

Well, you see, even now I feel that a part of me is still there with them. I’m there—part of me is there—and it will probably last for a very long time, maybe even until the end. I think they want some kind of support, they want prayers, they want to feel that they are not forgotten. Although many people there say they don’t believe in God, they are good people, sincere and kind, even if they don’t realize it. But still, they ask: “Help, pray, pray for me.”

This is a kind of spiritual solidarity with us, a mystery of the Lord God that we don’t fully understand. You ask if I realize it—I don’t fully realize it, but I feel that I need to pray.

You and Father Ivan appeared publicly as priests during the pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia in mid-July. His Beatitude also introduced you to the public, noting that you had returned from captivity. It must have been challenging to experience such a sudden change. Can you recall that moment? Did you feel the solemnity of the pilgrimage, or did you perhaps wish for less publicity, fewer people, and a more peaceful environment?

Probably peace, but it was human, you know. I felt that many people did not understand, did not realize, but at the same time, probably, Father Ivan and I thought that we had to testify, that this was a testimony for others. Because what happened is not our merit, others are also doing something elsewhere, but it just so happened that we were in this place, and we need to testify, we need to continue to testify, we cannot hide. Of course, maybe, as you say, you want to run away somewhere, you want peace, so that no one would bother you. But the prevailing thought was that the Lord expects from you. He wants us to testify.

— A related question is how you see your ministry moving forward. You’ve agreed to this interview, and I understand that your rehabilitation after captivity will continue for some time, but how do you envision your ministry as a priest and Redemptorist? Do you have any thoughts or plans in this regard?

— Well, I plan to continue testifying, in whatever form our father superior, the archpriest, decides. We are bound by obedience. It’s very simple, you know. With a blessing, everything is done. Lord, thank You for guiding us to do this.

— And, in general, you have been living in freedom for a month and a half now. How is your adaptation to returning to a full life, how is it going for you personally, how do you feel, what is difficult, what is not, what comes easier, what gives you the strength to return to this full life now?

Well, I have realized now that I am different, and I will not be the same as I was before. And society has probably changed a bit, because war changes everyone. Regardless of whether someone runs away or goes abroad, the war changes everyone. Because all people think about this problem. And for me, my rehabilitation in this situation is probably to continue to pray and serve in those social structures, to help people overcome this. Because we all have to see the purpose of our lives. We have to see and go to this goal, to Christ, to God, to love despite all this. And it probably helps everyone.

Father Bohdan, in conclusion, if you would like to address our viewers—perhaps those living in Ukraine or those who have had to leave their homeland because of the war—we invite you to do so.

I want to appeal to everyone: do not lose hope. If you are feeling sad, doubtful, or going through tragic situations in life, never lose hope. Try to turn to the Lord. Surrender yourself and your situation to Him so that He can be present in your life and dwell in your heart. He acts—He always acts—and He is always waiting for our decision, for us to say yes to Him, to give our consent. So pray, pray a lot, turn to God, change yourself, and change the world around you. Let the Lord God make us happy through His grace and fulfill His intentions for us. But remember, He cannot do anything without our consent. We must give Him our consent.

I am speaking as a priest, but I also address everyone, believers and non-believers alike. My message is a testimony to what Father Ivan and I experienced. These experiences happened for a reason—they are meant to help many people and give them hope. And hope is given by the Lord God. May the Lord God bless everyone!