Representatives of the UGCC visit the de-occupied territories of the Kharkiv region with humanitarian aid
Representatives of the UGCC visit the de-occupied territories of the Kharkiv region with humanitarian aid. A third of the area has been under the occupation of Russian troops for almost seven months and, therefore, particularly needs support and assistance.
With the blessing of Bishop Vasyl Tuchapts, Exarch of Kharkiv, humanitarian aid is delivered to the afflicted regions of the region by priests, nuns, and volunteers from Kharkiv parishes of the UGCC.
Fr. Andriy Nasinnyk (director of Caritas-Kharkiv), Fr. Mykhailo Stanchyshyn, SJ, and Sr. Oleksia Pogranychna, who serve and volunteer at the Kharkiv Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of the UGCC, have already visited and handed over food and hygiene kits to the residents of the nearby villages. The village of Vilcha, Vovchanskiy district, located a few kilometers from the Russian border, was one of the first to be targeted. The local parish of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God of the UGCC has been under occupation since February 24, but the church and parish building miraculously survived.
Sister Oleksia, the abbess of St. John and Paul Monastery in Kharkiv, has been helping Kharkiv and the surrounding areas since the beginning of the war. After the liberation of the territories, she actively visits the de-occupied towns and villages.
A large part of the volunteer work is also carried out by the parish of St. Demetrius in Kharkiv. In addition to humanitarian support for city residents, priests and church parishioners also visit the de-occupied territories, particularly Izyum, Balaklia, Shabelinka, and Donets. Bishop Hlib Lonchyna also joined the trip to Izyum, who prayed at the place of mass burials of tortured Ukrainians.
Prepared by Halyna Nasinnyk and Uliana Tymchuk
