Kraków Archdiocese raised nearly 6 million złoty for Ukraine in response to Cardinal Ryś’s appeal, providing generators, heaters, food and other supplies to Kyiv residents.
Cardinal Ryś’s Appeal and the Faithful’s Response
The collection was a response to the appeal made by the Metropolitan of Kraków on January 24, 2026. Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś referenced a dramatic message from Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Sviatoslav Shevchuk and highlighted the extreme conditions faced by Kyiv residents – frost, lack of electricity, heat, and light. The Metropolitan decided that the collection gathered in all churches of the archdiocese on Sunday, February 1, would be entirely dedicated to helping the war-torn country of Ukraine. Donations from the collection plates were joined by private payments to the account of Caritas of the Kraków Archdiocese.
Nearly 6 Million Złoty and Concrete Help
A total of 5,740,000 zł was raised. According to Caritas, the funds were quickly converted into tangible support for Kyiv residents. To date, items purchased and delivered include: 31 high-power generators, 172 medium-power generators, 900 heaters, 200 charging stations, several tons of food, and industrial supplies. The equipment and aid are being delivered to so-called “Points of Resilience” created at Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic parishes in Kyiv. Additional transports with generators and products ordered by city residents are planned in the coming days.
“We Warmly Thank You for the Gift of Heart and Solidarity”
In a communiqué from the Metropolitan Curia in Kraków, to be read in all churches of the archdiocese on Sunday, gratitude was expressed to the donors. “We warmly thank you for the gift of heart and solidarity with the suffering residents of Kyiv and its surroundings, who are suffering due to war destruction,” was written.
Empty Plates Prediction Proven Wrong
The collection had been emotionally charged from the beginning. Some commentators expressed the opinion that the decision to allocate the collection to Ukraine would result in “empty plates.” The results of the collection, however, proved the opposite. “Some accused me of lying that we hadn’t collected 5 million. You were right. We collected almost 6,” commented Jesuit Łukasz Sośniak. Similar voices also appeared among Kraków clergy, who noted that they had not seen such high donations from the faithful for a long time.
