The Diocese of Duluth is inviting parishes to take up a special collection at Masses this weekend, as Saturday marks the Feast of St. Joseph.

“Honoring St. Joseph as the patron of exiles and the afflicted, parishes are invited to take up a special collection for victims of the war in Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis,” the diocese said in a Facebook post.

The collection for the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe would go toward aiding the victims of the war primarily, with part of it going to other projects in the region. Such projects include training seminarians and lay leaders, supporting social service programs, providing a youth ministry, and more, the post said.

Catholics are also encouraged to donate individually to support those suffering in Ukraine through Catholic Relief Services at https://support.crs.org/donate/donate-ukraine.

The call for aid comes after Russian attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24. In light of that aggression, CNBC reported that if Russia establishes even "patchy" control of Ukraine, "analysts predicted refugee flows of 5 million to 10 million people from Ukraine to Western Europe.” 

Around 3 million people have already fled Ukraine because of the conflict, according to an NPR report, with almost 2 million of them crossing the border to Poland. 

Catholic Relief Services provides aid after emergencies and disasters around the world. "We take a comprehensive approach to international disaster relief," the agency says on its website. "As experienced first responders, we provide lifesaving help to get survivors back on their feet. Then we help people obtain the tools and skills they need to manage their own recovery.” 

Pope Francis recently tweeted that, on March 25, he will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.