On March 23, 2022, the friars of the Province of St. Joseph, Spouse of the B.V.M. in Romania, in collaboration with the Pacea Humanitarian Foundation in Roman, Romania, transported humanitarian aid to the village of Bilshivtsi in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in Ukraine.

Four friars from Romania took part in a humanitarian convoy with two minibuses which transported basic necessities to the friars at the friary in Bilshivtsi and to the refugees who have been arriving there.
This humanitarian operation consisted in transporting foodstuffs (especially for infants), medicine, first aid supplies, mattresses, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. A portion of the supplies was purchased by the Foundation through donations specifically designated to help refugees; the rest was brought in a separate transport by Friar Gabriel BUDĂU along with some benefactors from the parish church in Chieming, Germany.
This was the fourth transport made to Ukraine involving members of the Pacea Humanitarian Foundation. The first three transports were organized in collaboration with various NGOs in Romania and elsewhere. They delivered supplies to the city of Chernivtsi, to various collection centers there, including the Food Bank of Ukraine and the Greek-Catholic Charity.
On Friday, March 25, 2022, a shipment of jam (about 24,000 jars) was again sent by the Pacea Humanitarian Foundation, to the same friary in Bilshivtsi. The jam will be used to feed the refugees housed at the friary (about 130). Any surplus jam will be donated to local hospitals.
Given the success of these humanitarian convoys, this operation will try to reach more distant and dangerous settings. After all, St. Francis of Assisi taught us to be courageous. We hope to succeed with the Good Lord’s assistance, because the people remaining in Ukraine are refugees in their own country and need help from us and everyone else.
Peace and All Good!

Friar Lucian-Mihai BOBÂRNAC, President of the Pacea Foundation