When the Rev. Oleh Zatvarsky came to St. Louis from California, his first interaction with the community was at the International Institute of St. Louis' Festival of Nations in August. He was overjoyed to see thousands of people in the region represent their countries with pride.
Zatvarsky and his family enjoyed food and music from countries around the world while at the festival, including his home country — Ukraine.
"It was so beautiful to be there … and it was really beautiful [to see] how many different nations just live in one city and how [they get along with] each other," he said. "People just know how to take the best thing from their countries and give something from their culture, so it will be really sad if St. Louis loses Ukrainians."
Zatvarsky moved with his family to St. Louis in August to become the first permanent priest at St. Mary's Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church in south St. Louis County in at least 20 years. However, his time in St. Louis could be coming to an end if the federal government does not renew temporary protected status for Ukrainians. He and a few thousand Ukrainians who came to Missouri after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 are worried about their futures in the U.S. since their TPS will expire on Oct. 19.
The uncertainty is visibly weighing on Zatvarsky as he sits in the quiet sanctuary before Wednesday evening mass. The father of two said he was excited to come to St. Louis to help the parish, but now that his future in the region is unknown, he has been overcome with sadness.
"They [parishioners] were just happy to have a priest who will be living over here, who is easy to reach, and he can always help them solve their problems and pray for them," he said with deep sorrow in his eyes.
And some of those parishioners are also in limbo. Zatvarsky tries to offer life and encouragement to his parishioners when they come for Mass and private prayers because many of them already feel the weight of living in the community without legal status. They have been unable to secure jobs because they no longer have work authorization, and they cannot drive because they were not able to renew their driver's license.
He said many of them are scared right now because they do not want to return to Ukraine.
"Some of them don't even have a place to go; it was destroyed. A lot of their family members may be serving right now in the military, or unfortunately, they can already be dead because of the war," Zatvarsky said.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and launched airstrikes, causing many to flee for safety in other countries. In April 2022, the Biden administration announced the Uniting for Ukraine parole program, which was created to bring up to 100,000 Ukrainians to the U.S. for up to two years, but only if they found a U.S. sponsor. The administration also extended the TPS program in October 2023 to Ukrainians who were already in the country.
In 2022, the International Institute told St. Louis Public Radio that more than 200 Ukrainians were coming to the region through Uniting for Ukraine, and that over 700 Missourians applied to sponsor Ukrainians. The International Institute did not respond to a request for an update on the number of Ukrainians it has resettled over the past four years.
However, St. Mary's Catholic Church's Deacon Eugene Logusch, who is Ukrainian American, said there are over a thousand Ukrainians on TPS in Missouri.
"Many families [are] doing numerous kinds of jobs, educated people — in fact, doing menial, what somebody might view as menial work — really working very hard to get established and to contribute to American society," said Logusch, who has been with the parish since the 1990s. "The war has dragged on, and now, of course, due to some uncertainties in the whole process, numerous families are really suffering."
He, along with many Ukrainians in the region, is hoping the federal government extends the TPS program and listens to state and local leaders as they push for extensions.
On Thursday, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page sent Missouri's congressional delegation a letter asking them to work toward passing bipartisan legislation that would extend TPS for Ukrainians because of the ongoing war.
"In the St. Louis region, Ukrainians who fled the war have become our neighbors, coworkers and fellow parishioners," Page said. "They contribute to local businesses, pay taxes and support our communities. Losing their protection and ability to work would disrupt their lives, separate families and harm employers who depend on them."
The letter also includes over 40 notable community members in support of a TPS extension for Ukrainians and some have ties to people from Ukraine or with immigrant families.
U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-St. Louis County, is also urging Congress to quickly work on extending TPS for Ukrainians. He said in a statement that they are living in Missouri because they fled a war-torn country, which they cannot safely return to today.
Until an extension comes, Logusch is informing parishioners who come to the parish for advice to follow all laws and to obtain a lawyer, if they have the means.
At the moment, Zatvarsky is continuing with his life. He said his parishioners feel safe because he faces the same circumstances, but they believe an extension will come soon.
Moreover, he is concerned for his family and friends who are still in harm's way. He said he does not keep count of deaths because it is horrifying. He prays that an extension is on the horizon because he said life in Ukraine is unpredictable right now.
"We don't want to go anywhere else. We really love this community. We really like the city … and we like to live in safety and peace," Zatvarsky said. "We don't want to hear any airstrikes. We don't want to see our family members dead laying down on the ground, because that is how it is right now in Ukraine."
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