Liverpool: Third aid convoy sets out for Ukraine

Cardinal Fitzgerald with the team

Source: Archdiocese of Liverpool

After a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald at the St Margaret Clitherow Centre, and a blessing of the drivers and vans, a convoy set out around 9am for the six-day journey to Ukraine, with three vans filled with essential aid.

Before leaving they received a message from Bishop Hryhoriy (Gregory) Komar, Auxiliary Bishop of Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy where they will be delivering the aid.

Bishop Gregory is the auxiliary bishop of the diocese and has a close association with the Archdiocese of Liverpool. He said: "Please know that we are praying for your Eminence, and for the drivers and for all who have helped prepare the vans for transport. With our love and prayers from Ukraine for our brothers and sister in our sister church in Liverpool."

This is the third trip that the archdiocese has made to the Ukraine/Polish border since launching the #Liverpool4Ukraine appeal earlier this year.

The vans will deliver items such as dried food, medical supplies and building tools to Bishop Gregory Komar, from the Ukrainian diocese of Sambir-Drohobych, who will take the goods for distribution in the Lviv region of western Ukraine.

Since the appeal launched back in March, the archdiocese has delivered over 1,000 boxes of donated goods to Bishop Gregory.

This trip sees six volunteer drivers from the Liverpool Archdiocesan Offices - they are Chief Operating Officer, Martin Miller, Safeguarding coordinator, Mark Robson, financial controller Andrew Davis and Accountant Darren Melling. Mike Sharkey and Leanne Westcott from archdiocese supplier Greenmount Projects will drive the other van on what will be Mike's third journey.

Martin Miller said: "Since we launched the #Liverpool4Ukraine appeal in March, we have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support of the people of the archdiocese who have donated goods, money and their time to make this appeal so successful.

"I am really looking forward to the journey as I am acutely aware of what we will be carrying and why we are going. We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine on a daily basis and being able to help in this way shows a physical expression of our prayer.

"We are in regular communication with Bishop Gregory and on every trip we have refined the aid that we have delivered to reflect the requests of the people of Ukraine so they are getting items they so desperately need."

The archdiocese partnered with local organisations to help make this trip possible. PSD Vehicle Rental provided three vans for the journey, Greenmount Construction supplied building tools and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust donated medical aid.

The food supplies being taken on this third consignment have been financed by donations from the appeal which has so far raised over £134,000. If you would like to make a donation or follow the daily log of the journey, see: www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/ukraine-support