"A Priest Doesn't Know Everything — And That's Perfectly Normal": Father Ivan from Kyiv Region on Stereotypes, Stress, and the Value of Honest Conversations

Father Ivan Petrushchak serves at the Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy temple in the village of Roslavychi, Kyiv region. He chose the priesthood to continue in his father's footsteps.

After graduating from seminary and later the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, he was ordained and began serving his parish. Today, much of his ministry centers on supporting people facing the realities of war: accompanying service members, visiting people living with cancer, and comforting families after the loss of loved ones.

"The requests we receive are probably the same for every priest these days because of the war. People are looking for support, hope, and faith that Ukraine will overcome this evil," says Father Ivan.

He first learned about the training through social media. After reading the announcement and registration form, he decided it was the right time to deepen his knowledge.

"I wanted to learn more about psychology and become more resilient to stress. Stress is everywhere now, and we need to know how to cope with it," he explains.

In addition to the informative lectures, especially valuable for Father Ivan was the communication with other participants of the training, in particular the exchange of experiences and real stories of people — including priests, seminarians, clergy spouses, and laypeople. They discussed how stress develops, what influences it, and how to respond in healthy ways. The training also offered practical guidance on recognizing when rest and sleep are enough — and when it is important to seek professional support.

Father Ivan encourages other clergy to take part in similar programs.

"Someone mentioned the idea that a priest already knows everything. I completely disagree with that. It's just a stereotype. We are all human beings, and each of us has expertise in different areas. Whenever there is an opportunity to learn something new, especially free of charge, and to exchange experiences with others, it's always worthwhile. Come, see, and give it a try. If it's helpful, continue. And even if it isn't exactly what you expected, every experience teaches you something valuable."

The project "Clergy and Communities in Support of Mental Health: Innovative Support Practices During the War in Ukraine" is implemented by Eleos-Ukraine in partnership with DanChurchAid and Norwegian Church Aid in Ukraine, with financial support from the Government of Norway (NORAD), in cooperation with the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy and the Lviv Orthodox Theological Academy.