'We Might Not Be Alive In 2 Weeks': Short Hills Church Helps Sister Parish In Ukraine

MILLBURN, NJ — When the Congregational Community Church in Short Hills reached out to its sister parish in the Ukraine recently to see if it could send donations in two weeks, it got a reply of, "We might not be alive in two weeks.”

Now the Congregational parish is trying to quickly raise money to help.

"The Holy Nativity of the Virgin is a Ukrainian Orthodox Church with 170 members," notes the parish in Short Hills on its webpage. "The village has recently come under attack and many of the younger members of the congregation are either defending the village or have been deployed elsewhere in the war."

The church has a connection to the Short Hills parish: One of the local parishioners is related to the Ukrainian parish abbot, Mary Romancio.

The parish is located in the village of Nova Moshchanytsia, about 230 miles west of Kyiv, Ukraine.

“The war in Ukraine touches our common humanity," Short Hills pastor Johann Bosman said Monday. "In addition to our thoughts and prayers, we’re also sending every member of this small parish money for food and emergency supplies because we feel for them, and what they’re going through. Imagine tanks on Millburn Avenue, and what we would really want others to do?”

The parish is raising money to buy food and more for the church. It said that $25 buys a few days worth of food.

They are accepting help through these venues:

• Send or drop off a check at the church office at 200 Hartshorn Drive, Short Hills, NJ 07078. Make checks payable to "Community Congregational Church," with "Ukraine" in the memo.
• Venmo at: @communitychurchshorthills
• Donate via credit card or learn more here: https://www.communitychurch.or...

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