Members of Calgary’s Ukrainian community remain fearful for the safety of their loved ones following the deaths of three people at a village checkpoint in eastern Ukraine on Sunday.
The violence follows an international agreement, reached last week in Geneva, which aimed to ease tensions in the contested section of the country.
On Sunday, Catholics packed into the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Church for Easter mass and the blessing of food. While the resurrection of Christ is a time of celebration for the parishioners, many in the building are preoccupied with concerns for their family members back home.
Easter is a time to spend with friends and family, and while their loved ones remain overseas, they stay in touch through phone calls and emails.
Sunday’s mass included prayers for those suffering in Ukraine.
“I think it's weighing heavily on everyone's hearts,” said Ann Zalucky, a member of the University of Calgary Ukrainian Student Society. “It's supposed to be a religious, peaceful time. Having this looming, you can feel it in the air, there's a lot of people with family back home, and you're trying to celebrate, yet still having this worry constantly in the back of your mind of what's going to happen next and the uncertainty of what's going to happen next.”
Russian troops are stationed at the Russian Ukrainian border and the United States has announced plans to deploy ships to the region.
Nearly a month ago, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and locals fear troops will move into eastern Ukraine where there is a large Russian speaking population.
With files from CTV's Kevin Fleming
