Dear Brothers and Co-workers

I am writing to you all about the situation of our Brothers in Ukraine, following the outbreak of war and the Russian invasion, of which you are all aware through the media.

We are in constant touch with the Provincial Superior of Poland, Brother Lukas Dmowsky, whose Province includes our Community at Drohobych (Ukraine) with its four Brothers (the Superior, Wawrzyniec, and Kazimierz, Jan Grande and Tomasz), who are performing a great mission there, providing care and assistance to more than 240 needy people in that city.

Yesterday, 1 March, Brother Joaquim Erra and I were able to speak by videoconference to the Provincial Superior of Poland and with Brother Wawrzyniec, the Superior of the Drohobych Community, which is located in the west of Ukraine, close to the Polish border. According to Brother Wawrzyniec, the Brothers are well, and so far there has been no fighting or war in Drohobych. However, he confirmed that increasing numbers of refugees and people fleeing the war are arriving there, although for the moment they are being looked after by the city services or by the people themselves.

The Provincial Superior also said that many people fleeing the war are reaching Poland, and the Brothers are taking in a good number of them in their houses. We must assume that the numbers of refugees in need of help are going to rise, both in Poland and in Drohobych.

We have been told that, for the moment, they have sufficient means to take care of the people they are receiving.  But they will certainly be needing help later on, and so we have agreed that the Provincial Superior (who is constantly in contact with the Superior of the Drohobych Community) will contact the General Curia, through the Missions and International Cooperation Office, headed by Brother Ángel López, so that if necessary, we can launch an appeal to the whole Order to cooperate and help our Brothers in Ukraine and Poland.

The Superior of the Drohobych Community, Brother Wawrzyniec, has declared that the Community intends to stay by the side of the people it usually cares for, even in these difficult times that the country is passing through. This is an enormous act of generosity and of testimony to hospitality for the whole Order, in keeping with our vocation and our mission, for which I would like to thank them all on behalf of the whole Hospitaller Family of St John of God.

I would also like to thank the Provincial Superior and the entire Polish Province for the support they are giving them and for their firm decision to open their homes to refugees from Ukraine fleeing the war. And I thank the whole Family of St John of God, who I am sure will be generous once again to our Brothers, and above all to the people of Ukraine who are suffering from the ravages of this war.

As we approach the Feast of St John of God, I ask all of us to join in prayer for the people of Ukraine and for our Brothers, asking Our Lord that peace may soon come to all people caught up in war, and that he will take special care of the victims, the poorest, and the most sick and weak people.

United in Our Lord and in St John of God I send you my fraternal and hospitaller good wishes.

Brother Jesús Etayo

Superior General