A Quiet Strength

March 24, 2026

In Ukraine, Knights’ wives support their husbands’ mission of service amid the trials of war

By Kateryna Kolodii

March 24, 2026

Supportive Wives_1.jpg — Ukraine State Treasurer Myroslav Mazur and his wife, Tetiana, attend the country’s state convention in Ternopil, May 2025.

The role of women in Ukrainian society has changed profoundly as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the United Nations, more than 5,000 women and girls have been killed and 14,000 injured since the war began, while millions have assumed primary responsibility for their families amid displacement, loss and constant danger. Today, many serve as the sole support for children and elderly relatives.

As Knights of Columbus in Ukraine have stepped up to coordinate humanitarian assistance, serve families affected by the war, and sustain parish life, the quiet work of Ukraine’s women aids their efforts.

“Service always requires time and inner readiness,” said Mariana Mostovyak, wife of State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak. “But when you see concrete results — families being supported, help reaching those in crisis — you understand that these efforts truly matter.”

TOGETHER IN SERVICE

In 2022, in the days and weeks following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many women actively joined volunteer and humanitarian initiatives to support those most in need while men defended the country. During this time, much of the aid was organized around Church and civic communities — including the Knights of Columbus, who quickly became involved in coordinating humanitarian assistance. One of the first forms of such support was assembling care packages for people affected by the war, with entire families taking part in this effort.

State Advocate Andrii Melnyk; his wife, Nataliia; and their children were among those who helped assemble care packages at the start of the war in 2022.

“Our entire family was present — my husband, myself and our three children,” recalled Nataliia. “It was important for us to set an example for our children — to show them that helping others is a core value and that everyone can be of service to their fellow citizens.”

For nearly five years, Tetiana Mazur, wife of Ukraine State Treasurer Myroslav Mazur, has led the Mothers in Prayer community in the Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy. Mothers in Prayer is an interdenominational Christian prayer movement that has established thousands of communities around the world.

“My service in the Mothers in Prayer community and my husband’s service in the Knights of Columbus are like two wings of one mission,” Tetiana said. “We support each other so that our families become stronger, our faith deeper, and the service each of us carries out — in our own way — more fruitful.”

In addition to gathering in prayer, Tetiana, along with the Mothers in Prayer community, joins her husband and the Knights in visiting boarding schools for children with disabilities and orphans, as well as a home for mothers and children.

“The Mothers in Prayer community and the Knights of Columbus act separately, but when they come together, they bring warmth, love, kindness and care to children,” Tetiana explained.

Supportive Wives_2.jpg — Ukraine State Advocate Andrii Melnyk leaves morning Mass with his wife, Nataliia, and their children at the state convention in Ternopil in May 2025.

HOLDING THE FAMILY TOGETHER

Many women in Ukraine have lost their husbands to the war or endure lengthy separations while they serve on the front lines. Supporting their husbands often begins with taking full responsibility for the home and family.

Kostiantyn Shmyhailo, a member of St. Nicholas Council 18620 in Kryvyi Rih, has been on the front lines for more than two years. In his absence, his wife, Oksana, encourages their family, sends support to her husband, and finds strength in her local community.

“I take care of all the household matters so that he doesn’t have to worry about anything,” Oksana said. “We support him by sending photos, sharing news about the children’s and grandchildren’s achievements, and trying not to burden him with unnecessary problems.”

Kostiantyn’s service as a Knight began before the war, during the early formation of his local council.

“When it all started, there were only three Knights in the entire city, and my husband was one of them,” Oksana recalled. “Six months later, he was called up to serve, but before that he was very actively involved in developing the Knights.”

Fear has become part of her daily life, leading her to seek strength in routine and in her parish community.

“Living in constant anxiety is very difficult,” Oksana said. “My children support me, work helps distract me, and our St. Nicholas parish in Kryvyi Rih is a community of people who are always there.”

FAITH THAT ENDURES

Some brother Knights have laid down their lives in service to their country. Before the war, Kateryna Tarasova and her husband, Denys — who later became a Knight — lived with their family near Zaporizhzhia, just a few kilometers from the front lines. In the first days of the full-scale invasion, Denys signed up to defend his country. Although he had no military experience, he had a clear inner conviction that he could not act otherwise, Kateryna said.

“We didn’t even discuss that decision,” she recalled. “He simply said: ‘If not me, then who? I am going to defend my country and my family.’”

Thanks to his wife’s support, faith remained a source of strength for Denys even in the most dangerous conditions of war. For her, their shared faith was a way to remain spiritually close to her husband despite the distance.

“While at war, he constantly participated in liturgies — even if only online,” Kateryna recalled. “And every time he returned to Zaporizhzhia, the first place he went was the church.”

Supportive Wives_3.jpg — Wives of Ukraine State Council officers attend the Ukraine State Convention in Ternopil in May 2025.

During his service, his wife’s support was constant: caring for the children and enduring the uncertainty and fear that came with the war. When Denys informed her that he was being deployed on a mission and there would be no communication, there was only one thing she could do — pray.

“I asked all my friends to pray,” Kateryna said. “Later Denys told me that he felt it very strongly — especially when they were lying in a trench under targeted mortar fire.”

In January 2023, Denys was killed at his post, and Kateryna was left with two children — 15-year-old Varvara and 10-year-old Klymentii — and the responsibility to carry their life forward.

“We need to know the history, to know the past. But not to live in it,” Kateryna said. “We are responsible for what happens next. We have to try to believe and strive to stay positive.”

Although the Knights of Columbus is a men’s organization, its mission affects — and depends on — families. In wartime, wives’ support means holding families together across distance, responding to new needs as they arise, and sustaining family life even after loss.

“Every Knight’s wife takes a path of conscious service alongside her husband,” said Mariana Mostovyak. “And for every Knight, there is no stronger motivation than knowing that his family stands behind him.”

To learn more about the Order’s work in Ukraine and to support those efforts, visit kofc.org/ukraine.

*****

KATERYNA KOLODII writes from Lviv, Ukraine.

Knights stand near the site of a residential building destroyed in a Russian attack in Ternopil, Ukraine.

A Quiet Strength

TOGETHER IN SERVICE

HOLDING THE FAMILY TOGETHER

FAITH THAT ENDURES

Related Articles

Local Impact

Light After the Explosions

Light After the Explosions

Local Impact

Building Brotherhood on College Campuses

Building Brotherhood on College Campuses

Local Impact

All Aboard for Charity

All Aboard for Charity

Local Impact

Boxing Joy to the World

Boxing Joy to the World

Local Impact

Knights on Ice

Knights on Ice

Local Impact

On Mission With Blessed Carlo

On Mission With Blessed Carlo

Local Impact

‘You Visited Me’

‘You Visited Me’

Local Impact

Bound in Brotherhood and Charity

Bound in Brotherhood and Charity