Lutsk-Zhytomyr Roman Catholic Diocese During the First World War: Charitable and Socio-Political Activities

The activities of the Roman Catholic Church were an important factor in preserving and reviving the national identity of the Polish minority in Volyn under the conditions of the Russification and discriminatory policies of the Russian autocracy during the First World War. The Catholic clergy actively worked to aid the Polish population and refugees affected by the war. During the First World War, the Roman Catholic clergy of the Lutsk-Zhytomyr diocese, together with the majority of the Polish population in Ukraine, provided significant aid to war victims and refugees from the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia. Catholic churches collected funds for the affected Polish population, shelters were established, and care was provided for wounded soldiers. Roman Catholic priests became organizers and members of various societies and organizations that provided aid to the affected. The acquisition of democratic freedoms following the Russian February and Ukrainian national revolutions of 1917 contributed to the development of Polish national life, in which the clergy participated. The most important direction was the development of Polish education. Due to the efforts of Catholic priests, parish schools were opened in many provincial towns and villages. The Roman Catholic Church helped preserve the national identity of Poles in Ukraine and fought for their national rights. The Church became a decisive factor in countering assimilation processes, aiming to preserve the national identity and culture of the Polish population in the region, while also engaging in wide-ranging cultural and public activities.