March 10, 2022

Local pastor, Catholic business owner aid refugees at Ukraine border

REGIONAL
By Rebecca Drake

 

SPRINGFIELD – Three days ago, as Catholics in western Massachusetts listened to the words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel – “for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” – a Catholic business owner from Hadley and his parish pastor were preparing to do just that for Ukrainian refugees crossing the border into Poland.

“I feel it’s the least I can do,” Paul Kozub, founder of Hadley-based Valley Vodka, Inc., told iObserve as he prepared last Friday to leave for Kamien, Poland, where his V-1 Vodka distillery is located. He and Father Piotr Pawlus, pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Hadley, spoke to iObserve on March 10, after a third straight day of providing money, food, water, clothes and other items to women and children who have fled their home country as Russian forces continue to attack military, commercial, and civilian areas.

“It was shocking and moving when we heard the stories of civilians being bombed,” Kozub said. He had arrived with $5,000 to donate to the relief efforts and has pledged to donate $1 from each bottle of V-1 Vodka sold during the month of March to refugee assistance.

“We hope it will be a signal that people care about them,” said Kozub, adding that the refugees are scared and some said that Russian reports warned them that their children would be taken from them if they crossed into Poland.

But, on the contrary, Father Pawlus, a native of Poland, said, the refugees have been welcomed and supported by both the Polish people and the Polish government. “I’m proud to be Polish right now,” he said.

He and Kozub have been staying at Father Pawlus’ home parish of St. Martin in Radziechowy, his hometown. The parish has taken in more than 20 refugees, who are staying in the parish and a pilgrim house next door to the church. They were expecting 10 more refugees on March 10.

“They have come here because of the bombs,” said Father Pawlus. He recounted the story of one woman who said she wanted to stay in Ukraine with her husband and die with him there.

Both Father Pawlus and Kozub said they were moved by the volunteers and support coming from the United States. Kozub said he has met a young man who flew to Poland from Texas to help, and a young Polish-speaking woman from Seattle who is serving as a translator.

Both Kozub and Father Pawlus spoke about encountering two men who were renovating an apartment building where they are now housing 80 refugees. Kozub said he “literally went door to door there, handing out money.”

They also spoke about providing support for an orphanage that is two hours from the Ukraine border and is run by Polish nuns.

During their third day of helping refugees crossing over the border, Kozub said volunteers could not get to the border itself and processed people at an old mall about one mile from the border. But he is undeterred in his desire to help the people of Ukraine. “I want to repay God for all he has given me,” he said.

For Father Pawlus, the response to the needs of the refugees illustrates a comment made by Mother Teresa who said, “There is never an evil that God cannot bring some good from it.”

He said people of faith must be “angels” to support the Ukrainian refugees.

“The people are terrified, they are losing faith,” he said. “We try to restore faith. We are doing God’s work here. Volunteers are coming from around the world… It’s amazing.”

In spite of the evil of the attacks on Ukraine, Father Pawlus said that, in the volunteers, “We also see the goodness. The light of faith will destroy the darkness.”

Of the Ukrainian people, Father Pawlus said, “Their spirit will not be broken.”