Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan shares a video message from a Caritas site in Krakow, Poland, on why Catholic Charites of New York was in the region with Cardinal Dolan talking to Ukrainian Refugees and aid workers. 

Monsignor Kevin Sullivan traveled to Poland last week to witness relief efforts by Catholic agencies, including Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA).  Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, CNEWA, Caritas and other international organizations have set up relief outposts just across the border in Poland where refugees have sought safety. 

“We know that Ukrainian refugees are going to wind up in New York, ” said Monsignor Sullivan in the video. “I’m here to see what they’ve experienced so we can be compassionate, [so] we can be fair, [so] we can be effective in helping those in who need to resettle in New York to do so. Housing, yes. Jobs, yes. English, yes. All of that is very important. We also need to think about the emotional well-being of those who have been traumatized by this destructive, devastating war.” 

Monsignor Sullivan was part of a delegation led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is chairman of CNEWA. They were joined by Auxiliary Bishop John S. Bonnici, a board member of Aid to the Church in Need; Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of CNEWA; Michael La Civita, CNEWA’s communications director, and Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the Archdiocese of New York.