Pope’s charity reaches children waiting alone in line for bread in Ukraine

By Benedetta Capelli

The Prefect of the Dicastery for Charity, Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, visited the Ukrainian cities of Zaporizhzhia and Poltava this week as part of his mission to bring Pope Leo XIV’s assistance and comfort to the country.

In the cities, the Prefect witnessed children standing alone in line waiting for bread, the joy of those rediscovering a sense of normality in the colourful classrooms of a school, and the tireless work of volunteers and religious communities who refuse to surrender to the brutality of war.

Around 2,000 people queue for bread in Zaporizhzhia

The Archbishop arrived in Zaporizhzhia, under contstant bombardment, the evening of 28 October.

Throughout the night in the city, air raid alarms sound without interruption. One can hear the buzzing of drones, missile explosions and distant artillery fire.

Many homes bear the marks of war, with windows shattered by explosions, while the population faces hunger.

Those accompanying the Papal Almoner were Prof. Massimo Ralli, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity; Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas; and Father Liubomyr Yavorsky, delegate of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyč.

Auxiliary Bishop Jan Sobilo of the Latin Diocese of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia welcomed the delegation.

The following day, the Dicastery Prefect celebrated Mass with around 100 faithful in the Cathedral of the Merciful Father, the Papal Almoner joined the Albertine Fathers in distributing bread, bringing those waiting in line the closeness of the Pope.

Children forced to grow up too quickly

Approximately 2,000 people patiently waited in the cold for their turn to receive bread and canned food.

Among them were women, elderly people and, above all, many children standing alone, each holding an empty bag in their hands.

The children have suffered greatly and have been forced to grow up too quickly and confront the cruel hardships of war.

The Albertine Fathers distribute bread every week to around 10,000 people, They prepare it themselves, with the help of volunteers, in a nearby house.

Last year, Pope Leo XIV, through the Apostolic Almonry, donated the oven used for baking the bread.

On alternate days, the same oven is also used by Protestant brothers and sisters, who prepare bread for the communities they serve. It is a clear sign that charity knows no boundaries.

A Church that becomes bread

After the distribution and a moment of prayer with those who had gathered, the delegation visited the house where volunteers begin preparing the bread at four o’clock every morning.

Archbishop Marín de San Martín spent time with them, sharing in the different stages of preparation. He then blessed the religious, volunteers and around 20 elderly people and people with disabilities who are welcomed at the house.

He also left a concrete contribution on behalf of the Pope to help ensure that this work can continue.

The bread, kneaded during the night and distributed in the morning, is a simplest and authentic sign of a Church that, one could say, becomes broken bread for its people.

Schools offering children a place of hope

The next stop was the humanitarian centre of the Donetsk Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia.

The delegation was welcomed by the Exarch, Greek Catholic Bishop Maksym Ryabukha.

The centre, associated with the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, includes a nursery and the Don Bosco primary school.

The nursery welcomes children aged between two and five, who are patiently cared for by their teachers in underground facilities, sheltered from the bombs.

Assistance to the schoolchildren

Surprisingly, many still smile here, witnessing that love and care can protect childhood even in wartime.

The primary school is also located underground. Its classrooms have no windows, but are brightened by the children’s many drawings.

On the upper floors, however, everything is ready for the day when peace finally comes.

The Pope’s Almoner also left assistance here with the hope that this community, too, can continue its work and live in hope for the future.

Assistance for people displaced by the war

The long day ended in Poltava, between Kharkiv and Dnipro, after a three-hour drive, where the Papal Almoner also brought the Pope’s concrete support.

The Donetsk Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church covers a vast territory, including Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Luhansk.

Some areas are close to the front line.

The priests present described the needs of their communities, particularly those of internally displaced people and those fleeing villages under bombardment.

Many arrive with nothing more than a small bag containing all their possessions. The most urgent needs include medicines, warm winter clothing, generators for heating, and nappies.