KYIV — Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, visited the Dominican priory and the St. Thomas Aquinas Institute in Kyiv on July 18, during an official mission to Ukraine.
Archbishop Gallagher was welcomed by fr. Jarosław Krawiec, OP, Vicar Provincial of the Vicariate of Ukraine, who showed him the damage caused by a major Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital during the night of May 24.
A missile destroyed a building adjacent to the priory shortly before dawn. The force of the explosion shattered windows and doors throughout the Dominican residence and damaged the friars’ cells, the chapel, the auditorium, and classrooms belonging to the St. Thomas Aquinas Institute.
Although none of the friars or their guests was injured, several neighbors were wounded by shrapnel.
“When the blast wave hits, it is devastating,” fr. Jarosław told Vatican News, after he showed Archbishop Gallagher fragments of a drone preserved in the priory courtyard. “Its effects can be felt hundreds of meters from the point of impact.”
The Pentecost attack was among the largest combined aerial assaults on Kyiv since the beginning of the war. Ukrainian authorities reported that hundreds of missiles and drones were launched during the night, with the capital serving as the principal target. At least two people were killed and dozens injured, including children.
During his visit, Archbishop Gallagher learned about the ministry of the Dominicans in Ukraine, the difficulties of sustaining community and pastoral life during the war, and the educational mission of the St. Thomas Aquinas Institute.
“This is an important center for Catholic education and for the life of many Latin Rite faithful in Ukraine,” fr. Jarosław explained. More than one hundred students currently study at the Institute, including both Catholics and students from other religious backgrounds.
The Dominican superior expressed gratitude to the friends and benefactors who have supported the community and helped repair the damaged priory and Institute.
“The most terrible thing in war is to feel alone—to feel that no one stands in solidarity with you,” he said. “We are deeply grateful that Archbishop Gallagher has been able to visit us and witness firsthand the consequences of these attacks.”
Archbishop Gallagher was accompanied by Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Andrii Yurash, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See, and other members of the delegation.
The visit to the Dominican community formed part of a day dedicated to prayer, remembrance, and encounters with communities affected by Russian attacks.
Earlier, Archbishop Gallagher visited St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv, which was struck by a missile in December 2024. Together with the parish community, he prayed in Ukrainian for peace and encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast.
“You have persevered in your daily lives, in your love for your country, and in your constant prayers for peace,” he said. “I see that you are strong in faith, hope, and charity.”
He also conveyed the closeness of Pope Leo XIV, assuring the faithful that “there is not a single day when he does not pray for Ukraine and for you, men and women of faith.”
The delegation later visited a residential district where a Russian missile attack in May killed 24 people, including three children. Archbishop Gallagher met emergency workers, local officials, and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and paused at a memorial where relatives had placed photographs, toys, and stuffed animals in memory of those who died.
He also visited the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine’s most important Orthodox monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was damaged during a Russian attack in June.
The Dominican Order thanks Archbishop Gallagher for his visit to the brethren in Ukraine, as well as for sharing the continuing closeness and solidarity of the Holy See with Ukraine and its people.
