Support for Religious Sisters in Ukraine 

The Greek Catholic congregation of the Handmaids of the Immaculate Virgin Mary has 103 sisters working in 16 towns and cities in Ukraine. They run kindergartens, prepare people for the Sacraments, care for children from difficult homes; they look after the needy, the elderly, and the lonely. They take care to ensure that churches are always clean and beautifully decorated. They sew liturgical vestments and bake the Prosphora, as the altar breads are known in the Eastern Catholic Churches. They run a retreat house, a hostel for poor female students, and an orphanage. They teach in the seminaries and the universities. They generally help wherever they are needed.  

And during this time of war, they also care for the internally displaced. They have opened up several of their houses to refugee families and are taking care of orphans of war. It is an apostolate of loving devotion that is needed more than ever today.  

But in all this, the sisters themselves need help. Ten of them are already old, and 39 are dependent on medical treatment. Some of them are in and out of the hospital. And the war has impacted the health of the younger sisters. The constant fear and stress have affected them, but they have to stay strong in order to help others. And at the same time, the cost of living has risen sharply in Ukraine. 

We hope to help the sisters with $22,090, for their basic needs and medical treatment. Sister Chrystophora Buschtyn, their provincial superior, has written to thank us: “May God grant you and all your benefactors his richest blessings!” 

Code: 438-05-39