Pray for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
Pray for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
With great sorrow, the Caritas Internationalis family shares the following communication from Caritas Ukraine following the tragic death of Yana Zhernovskaya, a social worker at Caritas Kharkiv, who was killed in a missile strike on 26 July.
Please join CAFOD in holding Yana, the Zhernovskaya family and the Caritas Ukraine team in your thoughts and prayers at this terrible moment. We stand with our colleagues at Caritas Ukraine who continue to provide life-saving assistance to those in need, under daily threat of attack and at great risk to their own personal safety.
"With heavy hearts, we share the tragic news of the death of our colleague Yana Zhernovskaya, a social worker at Caritas Kharkiv. On 26 July, we lost Yana in a Russian missile strike that struck her family's home.
"Her 10-year-old son was injured in the same attack. In 2022, due to the full-scale war, they were forced to leave their hometown of Vovchansk and start a new life in Kharkiv. Yana worked as a social worker on the 'V.I.T.A.L. – Initiative for Telemedical Care and Life Support' project. Every day, she devoted herself to helping others.
"This is a heavy loss for the entire Caritas community. Every day, despite the war, our colleagues support people who are going through the most difficult moments of their lives. Today, we mourn one of our own.
"We extend our sincere condolences to Yana's family and loved ones, her colleagues at Caritas Kharkiv, and everyone who knew her. No words can ease the pain of such a loss.
"But we want Yana's family to know that they are not alone. We are here for them—in prayer and in action, today and in the days ahead. May the Lord in His mercy welcome Yana home, and may He grant her loved ones the comfort and strength they need to carry this loss."
For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Rosalind Mayfield, CAFOD Media Lead
Melissa Nethersole, CAFOD Media Officer
CAFOD’s out-of-hours media line
CAFOD is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and part of Caritas Internationalis, working with communities across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America to fight poverty and injustice, including those worst hit by climate change. The agency works with people in need, regardless of race, gender, religion or nationality.
CAFOD is funded mainly by voluntary donations from people in the Catholic community of England and Wales. We also receive funding from fellow Catholic charities and development agencies, the DEC, trusts and foundations, and the UK and other governments.