Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) says its support for the Church in Ukraine topped €9.5 million last year.
The Catholic charity’s 2022 annual accounts show almost 10 percent of its aid went to support 353 vital projects in Ukraine. Some of that was spent on internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Ukranian Bishop Yosafat Hovera is grateful for the support.
“We sincerely thank Aid to the Church in Need, [its] colleagues and benefactors for the gesture of sacrifice, solidarity and support. We are praying for you and may God bless you.”
Aid to the Church in Need support
Over the year ACN provided:
- Direct emergency aid to over 2,200 IDPs via Church institutions
- Essential equipment – including portable ovens – for 231 parishes, monasteries, seminaries and other Church institutions caring for displaced families
- Subsistence aid for 7,447 priests and religious providing spiritual and material support. The religious include the contemplative Benedictines in western Ukraine. They opened their cloisters to families fleeing the fighting. So far they have helped over 500 people since the conflict began
- Vehicles, so that the Church can bring relief to difficult-to-access places and provide pastoral support.
“Under the conditions of war, Ukrainian society has been facing challenges with danger related to life, property and basic means of existence,” says Bishop Hovera.
“However, seeing the support of the international community, we do not feel left alone with our difficulties.
“Priests and consecrated people, enduring all the problems caused by the war, keep supporting parishioners, refugees… and everyone searching spiritual and material help.”
Another Catholic bishop, Pavlo Honcharuk, thanked ACN for supporting the Church’s essential work in Ukraine.
“I would like, on behalf of all those who receive aid, as well as myself, to sincerely thank you all for your open hearts and your help.
“It doesn’t matter whether it was a lot or a little, what is important is that you have not remained indifferent to our situation.
“I sincerely thank you – may God bless you.”
Aid money
Last year, ACN’s 23 national offices reportedly received over €145 million from more than 364,000 international benefactors. It does not receive any government or state subsidies for its work.
Africa was ACN’s biggest beneficiary. It received 31.5 percent of ACN’s support.
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