Father Terry Sawchuk from Holy Angels Catholic Church in Schreiber has deep ties with Ukraine. He is the third oldest in a family of ten children who are descendants of Ukrainian immigrants. He is a passionate and caring man with a strong sense of community and well know by all residents of Schreiber, even by those not in his parish. He has an uncanny ability to transcend the traditional role of priests from the past and when he speaks he conveys his messages of hope and kindness in a way that both believers and the not so faithful still appreciate.

Linda Williamson had the honour of talking with Father Terry at the Schreiber Media Centre a few days before the Easter celebrations were to start. He started by telling his story about how he became a priest and the path he has followed which led him to Schreiber.

His quick sense of humour is evident when he talks about his grandmother who lived in Schreiber years before and was employed as a “call girl” for the CPR. 

Father Terry is a firm believer in how memories that are shared lead to a healthy sense of community and help to fulfill a sense of belonging that many people seek when connected to others. Memories help us to hope and can provide a foundation to build on during times of uncertainty. He then went on to liken what is happening to the people in Ukraine and shared some stories of how even in the face of adversity, people overcame and even grew stronger by having the hope that comes from shared experiences. 

With Easter upon us Father Terry took time to tell a few stories of some personal artifacts that he holds close to his heart, and how they represent different aspects of the meaning of Easter and the connection to his Ukrainian heritage.

One particular story tells of a previous invasion of Ukraine where a cemetery was paved over in an effort to remove any sense of community but a single artifact that was hidden would actually emerge to represent hope in the area that would then help to rebuild a community. A kind of resurrection from the ashes of war to a renewal of sorts. This story has added significance nearly 80 years later in light of the situation in Ukraine at this present time.