In the three years since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has approved and financed 977 projects, including 175 requests for Mass stipends amounting to almost €3.5 million. In total, more than €25.2 million were made available to help the Catholic Church of both rites across the whole of Ukraine.
The support of ACN covered both the Greek Catholic and Latin Catholic Churches, including all 17 Greek Catholic exarchates and all seven Latin Catholic dioceses in the country. The type of support has changed over the course of time. Initially, the focus was on help for internally displaced people (IDPs), but after feedback from partners, the emphasis was moved to pastoral care. The main areas now are subsistence support for priests and sisters, the training of seminarians, trauma care and help with transport.
In 2024, ACN supported 1,472 diocesan priests, 1,380 sisters, 60 religious priests and brothers and 19 deacons. Additionally, 768 seminarians were supported in their formation. 7,200 children and young people profited from the “Holidays with God” pastoral camps during the winter and summer holidays. In 2024, ACN also facilitated four psycho-spiritual support centres and purchased 58 vehicles. These vehicles will be used both for pastoral care and the distribution of relief goods.
An example of the projects in 2024 is the acquisition of two vehicles which are serving as mobile chapels for pastoral care in the contested areas in the Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol and other parts of eastern Ukraine. In addition, repairs were made to the convent of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lviv and the church tower in the parish of Our Lady Help of Christians in Sudova Vyshnya, which had been damaged by missile attacks.
Bishop Maksym Ryabukha from the Exarchate of Donetsk, who is living in Zaporizhya because of the occupation of his region, describes the extraordinary challenges which the long-term war is causing in his diocese. Since 2014, the region has been marked by constant conflict, which makes people’s lives, and the pastoral work of the Church, particularly difficult. “War causes great pain, and a feeling of helplessness, grief and loss…In such times, life is dark and difficult – you can’t see anywhere and the whole of life is frozen. Only the attentiveness of friends, the warmth of supportive and helpful embraces, and the light of a glance full of hope let us believe that life still makes sense, that beyond the feeling of hopelessness a way is opening where love inspires hearts,” says the Salesian. In the midst of these difficult times, Bishop Ryabukha expresses his deep gratitude for the indispensable support of ACN, which is standing with the Catholic Church in the Exarchate of Donetsk: “Ukraine is grateful to all those who during these difficult 11 years of war – including three years with a large-scale invasion of our country – were at our side, who have supported us, who have given us the possibility of living and growing, who have done everything possible to heal our wounds, to bring back peace to our hearts, hope to our thoughts and faith to our eyes…Without you we would no longer exist.”
Bishop Stanislav Szyrokoradyuk of Odessa in southern Ukraine, which has likewise been badly impacted by the war, also describes the daily challenges with which people are confronted. “War has been raging for three years – death and destruction are daily realities. And the most difficult and painful challenge for the Church is carrying out burials. How difficult it is to answer the question ‘Why?’ Every day young men, women and even children are dying. What a high price for the independence of Ukraine.” Despite all the suffering, faith remains a support for many in these difficult times, emphasises the Franciscan bishop to ACN. “In all this we sense the providence of God, and we mustn’t lose our trust in God. And we will never stop thanking all those who make sure that we do not feel alone. Many thanks for your prayers and your solidarity with us.”