“Death Is Not the End”: How Priests from Across Ukraine Learned to Support Terminally Ill Patients and Their Families

Helping those who are no longer recovering requires not only courage and compassion, but also specific knowledge and skills. These were acquired by participants of the “Palliative Care and Spiritual Support” training held in Kyiv and Lviv. Priests, seminarians, and active parishioners from different parts of Ukraine gathered to learn how to support people at the end of life — not only spiritually, but also practically.

During the training, participants focused on real-life cases, role-playing exercises, maintaining boundaries while communicating with palliative patients, and emotional self-regulation.

“The topic is not easy, but the trainer managed to present it in an accessible and understandable way,” says Natalia Lytvynova, a parishioner from Kharkiv. “Both the theoretical foundation and the practical skills were extremely valuable, because there is often no one to discuss such issues with. Despite the topic of death, what stood out most was the welcoming, friendly, and warm atmosphere.”

The openness of the priests, who shared their own experiences from parish life, was especially meaningful for participants.

“This is the first training I have attended with so many priests and deacons. You are not only clergy — you are also psychologists, you are people’s hope. You help save souls. I am very happy that there are such достойні people whom others can turn to with their problems, and who will not simply say, ‘Pray, and everything will be fine,’ but, when necessary, will refer a person to a doctor or psychologist for professional help,” shared parishioner Anton Hlumakov.

Priest Viktor Kudrenko from Kyiv thanked the organizers for the opportunity to hear diverse and engaging real-life stories from people who work closely with their communities.

“Everything was organized at the highest level. This is my second training within the framework of this project. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and to share my own experience with colleagues,” he said.

The training is especially relevant during wartime. Ruslan Khalak, a seminarian at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, shared that their church sometimes conducts four to five funerals for fallen service members in a single week.

“I constantly see both the dead and the loved ones they leave behind. People do not always cope with such loss. For some, death means losing everything — losing meaning itself. That is why it is critically important for a clergyman to convey that this is not the end, that there is continuation and hope beyond death,” he emphasized.

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 and Lviv Orthodox Theological Academies.