CV NEWS FEED // A Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania has helped resettle five Ukrainian refugee families displaced by the war in their home country.
According to a local report, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Greensburg began working on its initiative to relocate migrants from Ukraine at the start of the war two years ago.
The diocese collaborated with the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, to settle the families in Westmoreland County, where they have been able to make a living while also “easing the region’s worker shortage.”
“It is my prayer that when we, the ecumenical, business and community leaders come together to move these efforts forward, we will serve as the new catalyst for economic growth in Westmoreland County,” Bishop Larry Kulick said.
Kulich noted that each family had to complete a screening process, and only agreed to relocation “after touring the area and meeting with employers.” The families are now in the process of applying for full citizenship.
In addition to connecting them with future employers, the diocese also helped the families find housing and funded three months of English as a Second Language courses.
The relocation program also includes access to translation services during the job interview process and early stages of employment.
As CatholicVote previously reported, families have been “one of the biggest victims” of the Ukraine War, in the face of “loss and trauma, as well as an increase in divorce rates within the last year.”
Kulich stated that “it is not out of a sense of obligation” that the diocese has been carrying out this work, but rather, that “we love our community, our region, and our state.”
Kulick added that he hoped to bring another five families who are already living in the US to Westmoreland by next summer.
