SW News: Among the families who shared their testimonies before the pope in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican at the onset of the World Meeting of Families, which began in Rome on Wednesday, June 22, were a Ukrainian mother and her 17-year-old daughter. Iryna and her daughter Sofia fled Kyiv 10 days after the onset of the Russian invasion and they reached Italy by bus where they were welcomed by a large Italian family in Rome.

The mother and daughter were given shelter by the Chiriaco couple having six children in their home in a southern suburb of Rome. “Despite having a large family with six children, they welcomed us with love. We are very grateful for this welcome and hospitality,” said Iryna at the Festival of Families that marked the World Meeting of Families. She and her daughter also narrated their journey from their war-torn homeland to Italy in the presence of Pope Francis.

Pietro and Erika Chiriaco, who welcomed the duo with love, said they did so out of gratitude to the Almighty. They further added that the “presence of the Ukrainian mother and daughter in their home is a blessing from heaven”.

Acknowledging the generosity of the Italian family, Pope Francis appreciated them for welcoming and being witness to “what it means to be a welcoming family.” “Welcoming is truly a ‘charism’ of families, especially large families,” the Holy Father said. “We may think that, in a large home, it is harder to welcome other people; yet that is not the case, for families with numerous children are trained to make room for others. They always find space for others.”

The 10th World Meeting includes three days of talks by various lay Catholics on marriage and family. It will conclude on June 26 with an exhortation by the pope after the Angelus.

Meanwhile, after the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of people fled their motherland for safety. According to the reports by the UN, more than 13 million Ukrainians have fled their homes. While more than 5 million sought refuge in neighboring countries, 8 million have been displaced within Ukraine. Ninety per cent of the refugees are women and children. The UN addressed it as Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.