Washington DC: One year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which poses a challenge to world peace, the Catholic organization ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ (ACN) has so far handed over 9.5 million Euros to help the war-torn Ukrainian people. The 292 projects implemented in Ukraine by ‘ACN’, which works among persecuted Christians, is a blessing to tens of thousands. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
Along with providing emergency aid including food, ACN is also implementing plans to ensure pastoral care facilities for believers. ACN has donated around 205 generators and 78 heating devices in the wake of power plants being destroyed by Russian shell-rocket attacks. About 15,000 people are directly receiving the help of ACN.
More than 80 vehicles, including cars, were made available to parishes, convents, seminaries and dioceses to facilitate the pastoral care of refugees and to meet urgent needs. Financial assistance is provided to 738 seminary trainees. In addition to parish churches, funds are provided for the food and health care of those in convents and seminaries.
As parishes and seminaries have become refugee centers, plans are underway to renovate kitchens and distribute equipment, including portable ovens. Summer camps for children and youth are a huge boon to the stressed-out Ukrainian population. So far, 6,549 priests have received Holy Mass stipends and 130 liturgical kits have been given to priests ministering to people in conflict zones.