PARMA, Ohio — Ukranian Bishop Bohdan Danylo, of St. Josaphat in Parma, has just returned from the Ukraine-Poland border, standing on the edge of freedom and sorrow.
"So 11 million people removed from east and at least two and a half million came to Poland. It's mostly children and women. Could you imagine in Cleveland removing all the men age 18 through 60 and just seeing women and children? That's the reality of those who have flee," Bishop Danylo said.
His calling to help is bittersweet, as most of the refugees of the war are seeking solace in his hometown of Przemysl, Poland.
"There (are) no shelters. They are living in houses of other families, in schools, monasteries, or hotels, even," the bishop told us.
Bishop Danylo and volunteers from the Chicago-based Catholic Extension arrived with trucks filled with supplies and food. And, offering hope and comfort to the most innocent, who aren't fully aware of their reality.
"The sad part is when you have five-year-old preschool students singing a song about the end of war," Bishop Danylo said.
It's a war separating women and children, forced to leave their husbands, brothers and sons behind.
"Selective service is requiring anyone 18 through 60 to be ready to fight. I'm assuming majority of them were not yet called, you know, to fight, but they have to be ready. So, they're not allowed to leave Ukraine," the bishop said.
The people who have left their homes, with sometimes only a suitcase, do need your help. But Bishop Danylo says, they need so much more.
"They need medical supplies, they need a place to stay and somebody has to pay for that," the bishop said. "Pressure our federal government and governments across the world to be united and try to stop that war."
His greatest fear is that Russia won't stop, recalling the brutalities of World War II -- a time the Polish will never forget.
Holding back tears, Bishop Danylo said:
"Perhaps today, they are repaying in kindness to Ukrainians ... they are welcoming them."
To help Bishop Danylo and the Catholic Extension in their Ukrainian mission, click HERE.
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.