Pope was presented with dove of peace made from wreckage of damaged church in Kyiv. PHOTOS
Ukrainian artist Yama Targonya made a symbolic dove of peace with blue and yellow trim on fragments of stained glass from the Church of St Nicholas in Kyiv.
This was reported by the Roman Catholic Church of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
This symbol was handed over to Pope Francis through Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who visited the damaged monument on 24 December 2024.
"This is a piece of our heart, which is filled with love, suffering and drops of Jesus Christ's blood," explained the significance of the gift, Yuriy Tandit, chairman of the church's board of trustees.
During the visit, Cardinal Krajewski led a prayer for a just peace in Ukraine and expressed support for St Nicholas parish. He also conveyed Christmas greetings from the Pope and a blessing for the community.
Despite the destruction, the rector of the church, Father Pavlo Vyshkovskyi, said that Christmas services would take place on 24 and 25 December: "This will be a demonstration of our resilience, because no one and nothing will steal Christmas from us."
As a reminder, the Church of St Nicholas, an architectural monument of national importance, was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike on 20 December. Windows in the church's towers were shattered and stained glass windows were damaged.
