As more than 150,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the United States—many with school-age children—Ukrainian Catholic churches and schools in America have been some of the best environments to welcome them.
Families arrive without much more than without much more than the clothes on their backs. They must grow accustomed to foreign languages and customs. Children, especially, struggle with the trauma of what they have experienced and the oftentimes long journey to safety.
The children who have entered Ukrainian Catholic schools can maintain their language and culture. They are welcomed with open arms and smiling faces.
One of the smiling faces is that of the school’s administrative assistant, Irene Lesiw.
School administrative assistants know where the important things are. They know where the master key is. They know how to work the intercom and where the bandages and special treats are. They know everyone’s birthday.
At St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School in New Jersey, Irene has registered dozens of children from Ukrainian refugee families. She knows their hidden stories. She knows where the important things are.
She says, “Our teachers are not only helping these students academically, but they’re also helping them bandage the trauma that they’ve gone through. When we have the bells go off, the kids, they just get scared. So, we are very sensitive to their needs right now, and we’re helping them in every way we can.”
This includes Mrs. Olha Verkholiak, the school’s pre-K teacher. She speaks both Ukrainian and English, and teaches a class of mostly refugee children.
Irene went on,
A lot of kids want to go home because they miss their father, they miss their family, they miss their teddy bear, which is just so sad when you hear things like that.”
One student described to Irene her journey out of Ukraine. “There was just nobody on the road, but the rockets were flying right over them,” Irene said. “So, I just can’t imagine what they must be going through.”
Irene is there to hear their important stories. The children have seen firsthand the horrors of war. Many have left behind their fathers who were mandatorily conscripted as soldiers, or they’ve watched missiles fly over their heads on their escape from their beloved homeland.
Catholic Extension Society has worked alongside the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S. since 1979. Today, their Ukrainian Catholic schools desperately need our help to educate and serve refugee children arriving to the U.S., to provide a place where they can heal, study and thrive.
A refugee mother is grateful for the Ukrainian Catholic school
Maryna, a refugee parent has, four children (ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade), all recently enrolled at St. Nicholas.
Her family’s journey to the United States took a month and a half.
“Well, in this moment I’m just happy that they are safe, and they can continue their studying,” she said.
Her children and many others like them have been through so much this year. Every day, one of the newly enrolled pre-k students from Ukraine asks about his dad back home. Even emergency vehicles passing by trigger traumatic responses, as their young minds recall the air raid sirens back home.
But, being in a Ukrainian school in the U.S. makes an enormous difference, according to Maryna.
This school, it looks like a big family actually. It is. And everyone tries to support us, to help us, to guide us. And, of course, everyone is friendly—teachers and children.”
This much-needed stability goes a long way for families living a nightmare without an end in sight.
Maryna says, “When I watch the TV, of course, I’m crying sometimes. It’s emotional, because it’s a pity that the people must go through this, through these hardships and suffer. Especially when I see those bombings of some regions and … children are dying. It’s, it’s terrible. What can I say?”
Meanwhile, in music class at St. Nicholas, her children are being taught by their bilingual teacher, a special song in the Ukrainian language, which is translates to:
“Lord, oh the Great and Almighty,
Protect our beloved Ukraine,
Bless her with freedom and light
Of your holy rays.“
Sister Kathleen Hutsko, SSMI, St. Nicholas School’s principal, said they didn’t have the resources to help these families, but they simply could not turn a blind eye to them.
“We had to open our doors. Nothing could be closer to being back in Ukraine as here because they hear their language, their culture. Every classroom has children who know Ukrainian and English.”
She too knows their hidden stories–their important things.
“They’ve suffered so much. I mean, in the very beginning when we took them, some of these little ones, we couldn’t even do a fire drill. We still can’t do fire drills because of the noise, the sirens. They really tense up. There was a loud sound and the little girls just went underneath the table. They were that shell shocked.”
But, at the end of each school day at St. Nicholas and other Ukrainian Catholic schools in the U.S., there are signs of hope and promise.
Irene said of the refugee families, “When we dismiss the children, you just see the parents are all smiling faces and just keep saying thank you to us. Almost every day. They keep thanking us, thanking us because they know their child is okay, they’re learning and they’re in a safe environment. We’re doing God’s work.”
Administrative assistants know where the important things are. And so do we.
The cost to educate a student at St. Nicholas and other Ukrainian Catholic schools is $450. Refugee families from Ukraine have absolutely no ability to pay that tuition.
The school operates on a shoe-string budget. Even modestly paid Catholic school teachers are digging into their own pockets to try to help these refugee families who they are passionately serving.
Please help these Ukrainian-American Catholic communities welcome and support refugee children and families.
