More than a hundred people wanted to once again offer their condolences to the relatives of the Ukrainian girl buried on Wednesday morning following the sad hit-and-run that moved the entire province.
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“The family feels supported. They feel that they are part of the community,” Father Volodymyr Kouchnir told the media, a few minutes before the ceremony, which lasted just over an hour, embellished with Ukrainian songs.
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It was the second day of the funeral of Mariia Legenkovska, 7, who died last week, hit by a driver at the corner of Rouen and Parthenais streets, in Montreal.
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The sober celebrations presided over by Father Kouchnir took place in the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia.
heavy sighs
A few feet from Mariia’s white, wreath-adorned coffin sat her parents, brother, and sister. During the farewell, they received the condolences of more than a hundred members of the Ukrainian community and Montrealers who patiently paraded in front of the family.
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Letting out heavy sighs as he shook hands, young father Andrii Lehenkovskyi looked devastated shortly after reading a poem for his daughter.
The latter landed in Quebec just a few days ago.
While his family had taken refuge here this summer, fleeing the war, the father of the family had remained in Ukraine until then. He was part of the territorial defense.
Mr. Lehenkovskyi was able to join his family urgently even though he is one of the men aged 18 to 65 who must make himself available to defend the country.
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“It’s All Connected”
The theme of war, which is still raging there, also took center stage during the ceremony. Mariia’s death is practically considered collateral damage, for many.
“There is this event here, and the events of this year. This is a consequence of what is happening in Ukraine. They come here and experience this tragedy. It’s all linked,” confided to the Log Simon Kouklewsky, member of the Ukrainian community in Montreal.
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“This is unfortunately a second tragedy for the family. Like thousands of families, they had to leave the country because of the war”, added Eugene Czolij, ex-president of the Ukrainian World Congress, who also addressed the audience.
He used the moment to call on NATO members and Canada to help Ukraine stop the Russian attacks.
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“What can be done? We have to deal with the heart of the problem. Stop the invasion of Ukraine”, he suggested as the message to take away from this drama.
“Your mourning is also our mourning. Your pain is also ours,” Father Kouchnir finally told the Legenkovska family towards the end of his speech, emphasizing the generosity of the Ukrainian and Montreal community.
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A father, Juan Manuel Becerra Garcia, was charged with hit and run causing death the day after the fatal collision.