Although Catholics in Ukraine make up less than 10% of the population, their help has been crucial in saving lives and preventing thousands of people from being left without shelter.
Petro, for example, is one of the leaders of the Greek-Catholic Church, and he told us this:
PETRO MAYBA
Department for Formation, Greek-Catholic Church
I think we’ve helped thousands and thousands. For example, I’m a Salesian, and we have our house that holds 30 people. There's also the vocational school, where about 120 people can live. During the first year of the war, my residence was full. And the school was the same—some would leave, others would arrive.
Additionally, the Church’s network of contacts has been vital for bringing in humanitarian and logistical aid—not only food and medicine, but also vehicles.
Other institutions, like Aid to the Church in Need, report on their website that they have allocated over 16 million euros for the reconstruction of churches and support for the formation of seminarians and novices. Education, in war zones, is often one of the first abandoned areas.
Another major priority has been the protection of the most vulnerable. Church institutions have helped finance organizations that care for orphans and minors who wanted to move from Russian-occupied areas to Ukrainian-controlled zones. One of the directors of these centers addressed members of the Order of Malta to thank them for their financial support.
TATUATA LYNAR
Vorzel Children and Family Center
We’ve completely renovated and restored our gas boiler room, which provides heating to the children’s buildings. For me, this is very important, because winter is coming, and you don’t know how you’re going to keep the children warm.
I thank the ambassador for his help and support, and I thank the international community, which has not abandoned us in our suffering. Because, unfortunately, even though we smile and appear more or less emotionally healthy, that’s not the case. We are all traumatized people. And thanks to you, among other things, we’re still alive.
The reconstruction of orphanages and educational centers has been key to helping preserve children’s mental health in a war environment, where their closest family members are under constant stress.
This is what many children draw when asked to draw whatever they want.
LESIA YARUCHYK
Child Psychologist
The thing is, war has disrupted all the basic human needs. Children are the group with the least life experience and are particularly sensitive to factors like the sirens, which go off very often in our area.
It’s not only children's mental health that’s concerning. At this psychiatric center on the outskirts of Kyiv, people with severe mental illnesses are housed. They explain that during the Russian retreat, soldiers used the facility as a shield to avoid Ukrainian attacks. Those days were incredibly tense. That’s why even small amounts of aid are deeply appreciated—like bread falling from the sky.
JRB
Trans. CRT
