Bishop says people can donate to Ukraine via Derry Diocese

Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown, has established contact with the Archbishop of Lviv (Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki) to channel donations to those who, he says, are “suffering so terribly in Ukraine”.

Archbishop Mokrzycki has spoken directly to Dr McKeown of the many refugees taking shelter in diocesan and parish centres in the western Ukranian city.

The Derry Bishop says many people have already established ways of conveying donations to those in need, such as via a range of emergency aid agencies.

He says he has now set up an alternative method of providing aid through the church in Ukraine.

He explained: “If you have not made alternative arrangements for donations, and wish to channel donations to the Archdiocese of Lviv, you can send any donations via this diocese. Parish cheques can be sent to this diocese, payable to the ‘Diocese of Derry’. This money will be passed by us to a bank account nominated by the Archdiocese of Lviv.

“Given the nature of the emergency, the Archbishop has requested that a single payment be made from here. Therefore, I would propose that any parish which wishes to use this method of donating will gather any donations and send a cheque to the Diocesan Office by March 18, at which time the diocese will make a payment of collected donations to Lviv. This is a very short timeframe, but the emergency is now.”

Dr McKeown says such donations are not liable for UK matched funding and gift aid will not be possible.