US Catholics' Aid Revives Ukrainian Church After Soviet Oppression

Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe has channeled over $230 million to support the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's remarkable recovery.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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As the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) continues its remarkable recovery from decades of suppression under Soviet rule, a decades-long effort by U.S. Catholics to support its rebuilding is set to receive renewed focus this Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The annual Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, launched under St. John Paul II as communist regimes began to fall, will be taken up in many U.S. Dioceses, providing crucial funding for the UGCC and other Catholic institutions across 28 nations formerly under communist control.

Why it matters

The story of the UGCC's resurgence is inextricably linked to the fall of the Soviet Union and the return of Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky to Ukraine in 1991. The UGCC's revival has been significantly aided by the sustained generosity of U.S. Catholics through the annual collection, which has helped the Church emerge from the catacombs and rebuild its presence in Ukrainian society.

The details

The Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe has channeled over $230 million to thousands of projects since its launch, supporting infrastructure development, pastoral programs, Catholic education, media outreach, seminarian training, evangelization efforts, and pro-life ministries. The program currently awards an average of $7.6 million annually to approximately 300 projects across the region.

  • The annual Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe will be taken up in many U.S. Dioceses on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
  • Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky returned to Ukraine in March 1991, marking a pivotal moment for the UGCC after decades of suppression under Soviet rule.

The players

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)

A Catholic church in communion with the Holy See, the UGCC faced decades of suppression under Soviet rule before experiencing a remarkable revival following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky

The former head of the UGCC, who led the church in exile from Philadelphia before returning to Ukraine in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk

The current head of the UGCC, who attributes a significant portion of the church's success to the sustained generosity of U.S. Catholics.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

The organization that has overseen the annual Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe since 1991, directing funds to support a wide range of initiatives in the region.

Bishop Gerald L. Vincke

The chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, who emphasizes the profound impact of the collection program.

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What they’re saying

“Because of this worldwide solidarity, because of this specific act of mercy, you helped us not only to come forth from the catacombs, but to rebuild our very presence in Ukrainian society.”

— Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (OSV News)

“I see the incredible good that is happening. Just to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters — and they are our brothers and sisters ─ it means the world to them, to know that they can count on us to help them, to care for them and really just be a presence in their life.”

— Bishop Gerald L. Vincke, Chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe (OSV News)

“Through you, the Church in America, we feel the power of the whole Church helping with us and being with us.”

— An anonymous bishop from Eastern Europe (OSV News)

What’s next

Donations to the Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe can be made online at https://www.igivecatholic.org/story/USCCB-CCEE.

The takeaway

The ongoing support of U.S. Catholics through the annual Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe has been instrumental in the remarkable revival of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, helping it emerge from decades of Soviet oppression and rebuild its presence in Ukrainian society.