GERARD O’CONNELL
Written for America Magazine, March 10, 2022.
BRIEF SUMMARY (WITH SOME COMMENTARY)
by TERESITA TANSECO-CRUZ
*A link to Mr. O’Connell’s article follows the summary.
Sister Lucia Caram, O.P., is a 55-year old Argentinian nun residing in a convent in Manresa, Spain. She is described as a “dynamic, contemplative Dominican.” A known remarkable organizer, she has created various programs benefitting migrants, children of poverty, and families, and in the last fours years, three Ukrainian families. Added more recently were a mother and child from Ukraine.
On Feb 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Sr. Lucia organized a prayer service for peace, the volume of attendance going way beyond her expectations.
On Feb. 26, she joined a peace demonstration with the Ukrainian families she knew, believing that “we cannot just look on the other side because peace depends on everyone.”
After the peace rally, Inna, a young Ukrainian receiving help from the nuns, asked Sr. Lucia if she could bring her parents to Spain. They were in Kyiv, her mother in poor health, expecting to flee to Romania in the coming days.
Sr. Lucia spent several nights thinking of how she could help.
Luis, a volunteer at the foundation, suggested half-jokingly that they just go and fetch Inna’s parents from Romania.
Sr. Lucia considered the suggestion, prayed, and what followed was a serious road trip to Romania, with Sr. Lucia and Luis taking turns at the wheel.
The pair left Manresa in a minibus on the early morning of March 4, arriving Romania on the evening of March 5. There they got a message from Inna that the bombings kept her parents from leaving Kyiv but she had a friend with a child just arriving Romania and could Sr. Lucia get them instead?
Sister Lucia wastes no time in searching for Inna’s friend Olena Rozhova. Both armed with pictures sent by Inna, Olena and Sister Lucia finally find each other in the refugee camp in Satu Marie, in the northern part of Romania. Sr. Lucia embraces Olena and her 12- year old son in the emotional meeting.
By the time they left the camp, Sr. Lucia had noticed and invited another refugee, Irina Antonenko, and her two teenage children, to come with her to Spain. She likewise invited a woman named Alessa who looked “sad” and “lost”, to join them. All accepted her invitation. Irina’s husband was in Kyiv fighting and Alessa’s mother was also left in Kyiv.
On March 6, the group of Sr. Lucia, Luis, and 6 refugees arrived in Spain, where they were given a warm welcome by Sister Lucia’s community.
Sr. Lucia quickly started the settling process for the new arrivals. They will be taught Spanish, get relocated to apartments in and around Manresa, and be guided through the bureaucratic process of obtaining residency and other permits.
This “dynamic Dominican” returned to Manresa not only with six Ukrainian refugees but with heartwrenching images and vivid memories of the “river of refugees,” all victims of war, as well as the moving courage of Ukrainian men returning to their homeland to help defend it, or the “very religious” Ukrainians who were kept close company in the refugee camp by several religious groups such as Pentecostals and Orthodox.
Upon her return to Manresa, Sister Lucia made plans with the help of other groups, to hire a plane and fly to Poland to fetch 200 more Ukrainian refugees.
For Sister Lucia, going “the extra mile” to help those in need turned out to be 4000 miles to Romania and back. But that is simply the distance covered in one dauntless rescuing expedition.
It is evident that Sister Lucia dedicates herself fully to a life of continuous missions and unlimited miles of “pananagutan”, of heeding the call from our Savior to LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.
*lucia-caram-nun-ukraine-refugees-manresa-spain-242566