The Greek Catholic congregation of the „Handmaids of the Immaculate Virgin Mary“ has 103 sisters working in 16 different towns and cities of Ukraine. Their apostolate is focused above all in the field of education, catechesis and the care of the sick. They run kindergartens, prepare children, young people and adults for reception of the Sacraments, care for children from difficult family backgrounds, look after the needy, lonely and elderly and visit the sick. They help out in the parishes and among other things take care to ensure that the churches are always clean and beautifully decorated. They also sew liturgical vestments and bake the Prosphora, as the Eucharistic altar breads used in the Eastern Catholic Churches are known. And they run a retreat house, a hostel for female students from poor family backgrounds and an orphanage – and generally help wherever they are needed. Some of the sisters also teach in the seminaries and universities.
During this present time of war they are also caring for the internally displaced; they have opened up several of their houses to refugee families and are taking care of war orphans. It is an apostolate of loving devotion that is more than ever needed today.
But in all this the sisters themselves need help. Ten of them are already elderly and 39 are dependent on medical treatment. Some of them are constantly in and out of hospital. And the war has additionally had an impact on the health of the younger sisters. The constant fear and stress have not left them unaffected, and yet they have to stay strong in order to be able to go on helping others. At the same time the cost of living has risen sharply in Ukraine.
We hope to be able to help the sisters with 20,000 Euros in basic support for their life and ministry. It will also enable those sisters who need medical treatment to continue receiving it. Sister Chrystophora Buschtyn, their provincial superior, has written to thank us: “May God grant you and all your benefactors his richest blessings!”
