Far From Home, Three Young Ukrainian Sisters Receive a Warm Embrace

By Robin Jovanovich

Right before the start of the new school year, Rev. Msgr. Donald Dwyer, pastor of Resurrection Church, received a call from ReSet Westchester, an organization that welcomes and resettles refugees.  They asked if the parish would consider supporting three young girls from Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, which was bombed and nearly destroyed by Russian troops earlier this year.  The girls were living with their parents in a cottage in Port Chester.

 “The Zabialo family had fled through Hungary and spent three months in Krakow, Poland, before arriving in America,” said Msgr. Dwyer in an interview in his office at the church.  “The parents wanted their daughters to receive a Catholic education.”

So, during Sunday Mass, the pastor shared their story and asked the congregation if they would be willing to help Viktoriia, a second grader, Anastasiia, a sixth grader, and Valentyna, an eighth grader, receive that education at Resurrection School.  He asked again the following Sunday.

“The outpouring was overwhelming,” he said.  “The parish gave so generously that the girls’ tuition is covered this year and next.”

Their transition has been amazingly smooth thanks to a Resurrection parent and parishioner, Juliana Bidiak, who is from Ukraine, and offered to translate for them in their classrooms.

Mrs. Bidiak, who translated our questions to the girls, said they were quick learners who had made great progress in reading English.

How did they like their new school, their new community?   “The teachers are much better and nicer here,” offered Valentyna.  “We like that the teachers call us by our first names, which teachers don’t do in Ukraine,” added Anastasiia.  All three said they had made new friends and were discovering new things about life in America every day.

Principal Gina Fonte said the whole school community has embraced the girls and is excited to learn about their culture.  “They will learn here, and we will learn from them.” Msgr. Dwyer added proudly, “We teach empathy and foster world citizens.”