Lenten Gift 2023 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

An Exciting Update on “City of Goodness” in Ukraine!

As you know, our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift Collection was for the benefit of Misto Dobra (“City of Goodness”) in Ukraine, which provides a home for displaced mothers and children (and their pets!), including victims of domestic violence and those who, due to poverty, face the threat of having their children removed and placed in orphanages. Since the invasion almost 2 years ago, it has also served hundreds of women and children displaced by the war, as well as children orphaned by the violence. City of Goodness provides protection, medical care, psychological support, social rehabilitation, and love.

We learned that City of Goodness was working on a new project – a facility to provide medical care and rehabilitation for medically fragile children. In early summer, our Lenten Gift of $37,678 was presented to Ukraine Forward to disperse to City of Goodness for this effort. In October, we were excited to learn that the project was nearing completion…

Presenting Our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift for City of Goodness in Ukraine

We are overjoyed and grateful to tell you that our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift raised $37,678.60 for City of Goodness in Ukraine!

Earlier this week, Fr. Jim, Kelly Meraw, and Stephen Ridge from our Collaborative Service Commission presented our gift to Fr. Yaroslav Nalysnyk, pastor of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain, and members of the board of Ukraine Forward, Inc., the U.S.-based non-profit that will disperse the funds to City of Goodness… We will continue to keep you updated with news from City of Goodness – check out their Instagram (instagram.com/misto.dobra) for frequent updates and photos of this incredible place! Thanks again to all who contributed so generously!

Collaborative Lenten Gift Update – Thank You!

As you know, our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift raised awareness and funds for City of Goodness in Ukraine. City of Goodness was a social service and support center that, with the onset of the war, has become a shelter for women with children, and families (and their pets!) from all over Ukraine.

We are thrilled and grateful to let you know that our Collaborative has raised over $37,000 for City of Goodness! Our gift will help with construction costs and the constant need for food, medicine, hygiene items, pillows, baby food and formula, and clothing. We are currently working with Ukraine Forward, the U.S.-based non-proft that will disperse the funds to City of Goodness, and we will keep you updated! Thanks again to all who contributed so generously!

This Weekend March 25-26: Special Second Collection for “City of Goodness”

Throughout Lent, the Service Commission shared the story of City of Goodness with you. We’ve told you how, on February 24, 2022, people all around Ukraine woke up to air raid sirens and bomb explosions and their lives changed forever. We told you how, in response, City of Goodness has transformed from a social service and support center into a shelter for Ukrainians fleeing war and violence.

This is our opportunity as a Collaborative to show Christ-like love for our neighbors in distress, and for each of us to answer Lent’s clarion call to love extravagantly. On behalf of the Collaborative Service Commission, we ask that you be as generous as your means will allow.

Checks can be made payable to your parish, with “2023 Lenten Gift” noted in the memo, and can be placed in the special second collection this weekend of mailed/dropped at either parish office. You may also contribute online by scanning the QR code on the posters in both churches or by visiting the Collaborative Lenten Gift page on our website.

Telling the Story – Part 3: Building a New History of the City of Goodness

Since the onset of war over a year ago, City of Goodness has become a shelter, a home that gives security, comfort, and love for women with children (and their pets!), elderly and disabled people, and evacuees from orphanages – children from birth to 7 years. They are now in the process of constructing additional buildings so hundreds more children and moms can be safe.

This place will become a rescue for those who lost their home due to war… for those who have no parents waiting for their loving families… for those who need home and comfort… While our buildings are looking for their patrons and are built brick by brick, hundreds of children, dozens of mothers, several elderly, our rescued pets are waiting in the already created and functioning buildings… they are waiting for food, medication, rehabilitation, treatment, psychologist services after experiencing terrible events… and every day we provide residents with everything they need, because they are our family and our great responsibility… All of us together are building a new history of the City of Goodness… brick by brick… window by window…

Telling the Story – Part 2: Ukraine One Year Later

It has now been just over a year since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Army expected quick victory, but instead were met with fierce resistance from the Ukrainian Army and Ukraine’s many citizen militias. Russia has received widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations General Assembly condemning the invasion and demanding a full withdrawal of Russian forces.

The invasion has caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and instigated Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, turning more than 8 million Ukrainians into refugees, with another 8 million people displaced inside Ukraine. Many Ukrainian men face mandatory conscription and many more, including teenagers, have opted voluntarily to join the resistance. This means that most refugees are women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

City of Goodness was originally established as a social service agency and shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence situations. With the onset of war their mission has expanded…

Telling the Story – Part 1: Introducing Ukraine Forward and City of Goodness

Day after day, we have watched and read about the horrific conditions that have beset Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion. Millions of people have died or fled their homes as refugees. Families have been torn apart and many individuals who have survived are struggling with serious injuries and terrible living conditions.

To find out how best to help, we contacted the pastor of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain, Fr. Yaroslav Nalysnyk. He recommended and vouched for Ukraine Forward, an initiative of the Ukrainian Educational Foundation of Boston…

Myron Kravchuk, a Christ the King parishioner and founder of Ukraine Forward, met with the Service Commission to discuss their history, mission, and current projects. One new project is with City of Goodness, a social service center for women and children. With the onset of the war, it has become a shelter for women and children from across Ukraine…

Announcing Our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift: City of Goodness in Ukraine

City of Goodness is a social service and support center that was originally established to care for women and children fleeing domestic violence. With the onset of the war, City of Goodness has become a shelter for women with children, families (with their pets!) and elderly people from all over Ukraine. They settle them, feed them, provide medical treatment, and try to make this time a little less traumatic for the little ones. They have also taken in evacuees from three orphanages from the South of Ukraine – children from birth to 7 years – and are constructing additional buildings (with bomb shelters) so they can accommodate another two hundred evacuee children.

Our gift will help with construction costs and the constant need for food, medicine, hygiene items, pillows, baby food and formula, and clothing…