Help Tell Ukraine’s Important Story

In January 2023, freelance journalist and photographer Gregg Brekke and I traveled to Ukraine. We set out to witness and report on the role of the church, particularly that of Catholic sisters, as they offer humanitarian assistance to those affected by the war. We met Sr. Lydia Timkova, who risks her life to render aid to those on the frontlines. We met Sr. Edita Vozarova and her community who shelter, cloth and educate refugees. And we met with Basil and Nicolai Knutarev (pictured), two brothers who had been displaced from their homes in Irpin, Ukraine.

As we traveled and continued to meet more and more sisters, Gregg and I realized that the stark reminders of war were nearly always offset, sometimes miraculously, by the resolve and solidarity, persistence and humanity, of those both suffering and those offering succor.

This is a story that must be told; I am asking your help with telling this story, especially since other world events are overshadowing news from Ukraine.

“Solidarity and Mercy” is a book that will tell the story of the humanitarian response to Ukraine since Russia’s deadly invasion in 2022, with a special focus on Catholic sisters. It is under contract with New York’s Church Publishing and is expected to be out by the end of this year.

Our initial articles were published by Global Sisters Report as part of a larger project called "Hope Amid Turmoil," the most ambitious and challenging project undertaken at GSR. Some content from the book will be drawn from these articles, while we hope a large part of the book will be drawn from upcoming reporting.

(Some of the 2023 reporting can be found here and here. A story of an earlier trip I took to Ukraine in November of 2022 can be found here.)

Our $20,000 budget (for two people, based on travel we did last year) will make it possible for Gregg and I to return to Ukraine in the next few weeks -- to visit some of the hardest-hit communities where sisters and others are working, possibly near the front lines and in previously occupied regions.

We know from our 2023 travels that a trip of this nature is complicated and expensive as it requires special travel, translation, emergency evacuation insurance, etc.

In short, we need to raise $20,000 -- and quickly. Will you please contribute and help tell this powerful story?

Thank you for considering and supporting this project. It is important the story of Ukraine continue to be told. The publication of “Solidarity and Mercy” is one way to do this.

- Chris Herlinger

++ Chris Herlinger is a veteran award-winning journalist who covers religion and humanitarian themes and is the author or co-author of four books, three of them published by Church Publishing. He is the international correspondent for National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report. In a four-decades-long career, he has reported from more than 40 countries.

++ No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe fundraiser.