Below is an annoucement relased by the Archdiocese of Toronto.
Dear faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto,
Like you I am watching in sorrow as the people of Ukraine suffer from the horrors of an unjust and merciless invasion.
On Friday, March 25, the Archdiocese of Toronto will answer the call of Pope Francis for dioceses around the world to pray for peace to help bring about an end to the war in Ukraine.
Fittingly, March 25 marks the 38th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s consecration of the world and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
I will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. (noon) Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica and pray the consecratory prayer. To watch the livestream, please visit click here. Across the archdiocese, many parishes will celebrate a noon Mass aligning with the Holy Father’s consecration at 5:00 p.m. Rome time.
In addition to our prayers, as a tangible sign of our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, I invite parishioners to make a financial donation in support of our brothers and sisters affected by this still unfolding tragedy.
To date, generous parishioners and benefactors from across the archdiocese have contributed nearly $300,000 in response to this effort.
The funds you donate will support two Catholic agencies: Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and the Office for Refugees for the Archdiocese of Toronto (ORAT).
CNEWA is funding mainly humanitarian relief in Ukraine in these challenging times. CNEWA, working through local organizations in Ukraine, recently provided funding to:
- Sheptytsky Hospital in Lviv, which is treating the wounded;
- The Ukrainian Greek Catholic eparchies of Chernivtsi, Kyiv and Sokal-Zhovkva for their receiving centres for people who are displaced;
- The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchal Curia for their efforts in caring for people who are displaced and to bolster the cybersecurity infrastructure of the church;
- Caritas Ukraine, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv for the support of their centres for people who are displaced.
For more information on CNEWA’s work in Ukraine, click here.
ORAT is preparing to sponsor families and individuals who are fleeing Ukraine. It is developing a program to assist parishioners of Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox parishes who wish to sponsor a family member and parish sponsorship of a Ukrainian family with a focus on those with no family link in the west.
Funds raised in our archdiocesan campaign will supplement funds raised by sponsoring parishes. For more information about ORAT and its programs for Ukrainian refugees, click here
If you wish to participate please click here to visit the Archdiocesan website. Your gifts are tax deductible and will be forwarded promptly to CNEWA and held in reserve for ORAT when its activities to assist arrivals from Ukraine begin.
Please continue to keep our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in your prayers.
May God continue to bless you now and always.
Sincerely in Christ,
Thomas Cardinal Collins
Archbishop of Toronto