Vatican City: Amid the grim echoes of war in eastern Ukraine, a group of 32 young people from the embattled city of Kharkiv found a moment of light and peace as they met Pope Leo XIV during the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The youth, aged 10 to 17, were welcomed with warmth and compassion by the Holy Father. Among the gifts they brought was a framed photo of Maria, a 12-year-old classmate who was tragically killed in a bombing last year while shopping with her mother, just weeks before she was due to join them in Italy.

“It was incredible,” said Tetiana, 17, still overwhelmed by the experience. “Even now, it feels surreal. Being near the Pope, taking a photo with him—it’s something I never imagined.”

These young people, from the Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kharkiv, are part of a humanitarian exchange programme organized by the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Kharkiv and Caritas, with support from Italian Catholic networks. The three-week visit to Rome, Como, and Ponte di Legno offers them a temporary escape from the horrors of war—bombs, shelters, and fear.

As they were enjoying moments of normalcy in Rome, Kharkiv was once again under attack by Russian drones, leaving several dead and dozens injured. The contrast between the peace of St. Peter’s Square and the devastation at home weighed heavily on the group.

One volunteer, Nicola Gini, described how some of the children instinctively looked to the sky when a plane passed overhead during the papal audience. “You could see the fear in their eyes,” he said. “The fact that here, they don’t have to run after five seconds—that’s the real gift we’ve given them.”

The encounter with Pope Leo XIV, whose first act as pontiff was a call for peace, was deeply emotional. Vitaliy, 15, said, “Seeing him with my own eyes was already amazing, but being in a picture with him—that’s beyond words.”

Sister Oleksia Pohrsnychna, who has worked at St. Nicholas Cathedral since 2018 and accompanied the children, shared how moved she was by the Pope’s words. “He simply said, ‘I always pray.’ It was a moment of profound comfort,” she said.

When a volunteer from Frontiere di Pace whispered to the Pope, “Don’t forget Ukraine,” the Holy Father responded firmly, “No, never.”

The group’s tribute to Maria, their young classmate killed in the conflict, added a poignant layer to the visit. “By presenting her photo, it’s as if she were with us,” said Nicola. “This connection, forged through suffering and memory, was strengthened in that moment.”

The children spoke openly about the trauma they endure daily. “We don’t sleep properly, we constantly run to bomb shelters, we live under extreme stress,” Tetiana explained. “When I talk to Italian kids, I tell them how lucky they are not to know the sound of sirens. War makes you value even the smallest, simplest things.”

Many of these children have been uprooted from their homes, cut off from school and friends. The war has shaped their reality in ways no child should endure.

In Rome, the children are hosted by families of the Church of St. Joseph of Cupertino, sharing meals at the parish and joining 280 other local youth in summer camp activities. Fr. Paolo Pizzuti, the parish priest, recounted a touching moment: “One boy asked, ‘Where are my Italian parents?’ when they were a few minutes late to pick him up. That sense of belonging, even briefly, is beautiful.”

Photos of the children are shared with their families back home. “They write to say thank you for giving our children a chance to live normally—to sleep without fear, to play without glancing at the sky,” said Sister Oleksia.

After Rome, the group will travel to Como until June 27, staying with host families and meeting local communities through the Frontiere di Pace project. From there, they’ll head to Ponte di Legno, where the group Amici in Cordata nel Mondo will welcome them for the final leg of their healing journey.

For these Ukrainian youth, the meeting with Pope Leo XIV, and the love and support received in Italy, have become a beacon of hope in a dark chapter of their lives—a reminder that peace, though distant, is still worth believing in.