Light in the Darkness

May 6, 2026

During frequent power outages in Kyiv, Ukraine, Knights equip parishes with generators to offer warmth and electricity to the community

By Kateryna Kolodii

May 6, 2026

Knights unpack a generator during a delivery at a parish in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. — Knights unpack a generator during a delivery at a parish in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, in March 2023.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, churches across Ukraine have become more than places of prayer. As missile and drone attacks repeatedly damage the country’s energy infrastructure, leaving cities without electricity — sometimes for weeks — parishes offer warmth, stability and human connection to people seeking refuge.

With support from the Supreme Council, the Ukraine State Council launched the Powering Our Parishes program in 2023 to transform church buildings into “Mercy Centers” — communal hubs where residents can find warmth and electricity during blackouts.

Over the past three years, the initiative has delivered 161 generators throughout Ukraine, including 29 units distributed this year. The generators have enabled dozens of parishes to continue their ministry during prolonged power outages.

“Thanks to a generator from the Knights of Columbus, we were able to provide warmth, electricity an

d help people get through this difficult period,” said Grand Knight Yurii Manko of St. Volodymyr Council 15800 in Kyiv.

A PLACE OF RESILIENCE

This past January, as temperatures in Kyiv reached a record low of minus 20.2 degrees Celsius (minus 4.36 degrees Fahrenheit), power outages became a regular occurrence across the city. During this crisis, the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ — the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — opened its doors as a “Point of Invincibility,” offering light, warmth and basic assistance to anyone in need, with the capacity to host around 100 people at a time.

Knights serve dinner to people in need at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine. — Ivan Sichak and Dmytro Hladii of St. Volodymyr Council 15800 serve dinner to people in need at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine, in January.

Many apartments across Kyiv relied on Soviet-era centralized heating plants for warmth, with electric heaters serving only as a temporary solution. As the plants — many of which also generated electricity — were destroyed by missile and drone strikes, indoor temperatures dropped so low that residents were forced to sleep fully dressed. Residential heating became a matter of survival.

Beyond providing generators, Knights offered daily support to those seeking aid at the cathedral.

“Above all, they ensured order and were responsible for the technical side — especially the operation of the generator,” Manko said. “Everything depended on it: light, heat and the ability for people to remain in the cathedral. This was especially critical during severe freezes.”

Over time, the space became a gathering place for local residents, volunteers and displaced persons fleeing combat zones. Some came for a few hours, while others stayed overnight or longer, depending on the need. In February, members of the Order of Malta stayed at the cathedral during a humanitarian mission.

UNITED IN FAITH

The situation in Kyiv worsened after a massive shelling attack Jan. 24 severely damaged the capital’s energy infrastructure. Support from the Patriarchal Cathedral continued, but the escalating crisis required a broader network of aid.

“Ukraine experienced one of its hardest winters since the full-scale invasion,” recalled Father Liubomyr Yavorskyi, economos (finance officer) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and a member of Council 15800 in Kyiv, who coordinated the relief efforts. “Kyiv remained the enemy’s primary target. We witnessed the horrors caused by the lack of electricity: high-rise buildings without heat, water or the means to cook. Entire districts were plunged into darkness.”

The morning after the shelling, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, received a message from Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, archbishop of Krakow: “How can we help?”

People in need attend a dinner at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine. — Elderly and low-income residents and other people in need attend a dinner at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine, in December 2025

On the first Sunday of Lent, Cardinal Ryś, who is a member of John Paul II Council 14000 in Krakow, decreed that all collections taken during Masses across the archdiocese would support relief efforts in Kyiv. Knights from councils throughout the city assisted by printing and distributing flyers containing QR codes and bank transfer information after Masses.

“This was an unprecedented cooperation between the Church and city structures,” Father Liubomyr explained. “Often, aid arrives too late, but this was remarkably timely.”

This collective effort provided more than 200 generators, 900 heaters and 200 charging stations to Kyiv. The equipment was distributed among support centers, schools and parishes, where it continues to provide light and heat across many neighborhoods.

“When we distributed the aid, we always emphasized: ‘This warmth comes from your fellow Christians in Poland,’” Father Liubomyr said. “We didn’t just see institutions; we saw children and elderly people who were freezing. We brought them warmth from a neighbor, and it moved people to tears.”

POWERING HOPE

Generators supplied by the Knights have provided life-saving warmth beyond the capital. In Brovary, about 15 miles northeast of Kyiv, the Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is served by the Pauline Fathers, the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit. Due to its proximity to the capital, the city is especially vulnerable as a transit zone for drone attacks.

“Shahed drones pass over us on their way to Kyiv, and often, before reaching the capital, they strike targets in our city,” said Pauline Father Roman Laba, a parish priest.

As a result, the city has frequently experienced prolonged power outages, especially during winter.

“The longest I remember was 36 hours without electricity during a severe freeze,” Father Laba said. “It was very difficult. I slept in my clothes. In the morning, you wake up freezing cold.”

Children from Kyiv participate in a children’s camp at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ amid power outages caused by Russian attacks in February.

A turning point came in February 2026 when the Knights donated a generator to the Pauline monastery in Brovary, which operates Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.

“This generator essentially helped us survive, because the monastery had no heating other than electric,” Father Laba explained.

The church, which has about 200 parishioners, became a refuge for the wider community.

“We opened a warming center in our chapel, where people could come, receive hot food and tea, charge their phones, or simply sit, talk and warm up,” Father Laba said.

The parish also became a shelter for people displaced by the war. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, nearly 5 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes, especially in the eastern regions of the country, where fighting and occupation have devastated cities and villages. Many turned to parishes like Our Lady of Perpetual Help for support.

“We are deeply grateful to the Knights of Columbus,” Father Laba said. “For this generator, for their work, and for standing with us in such difficult times for Ukraine.”

*****

KATERYNA KOLODII writes from Lviv, Ukraine.

Santiago Catholic Trade School instructor Jeff Rice (foreground) oversees students constructing a confessional.

Light in the Darkness

A PLACE OF RESILIENCE

UNITED IN FAITH

POWERING HOPE

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