‘Heart to Heart, Person to Person’

September 2, 2026

From a global novena to coordinated relief efforts, Knights and their partners continue to stand with Ukraine

By Jarosław Herman and Kateryna Kolodii

September 2, 2026

Clergy and staff representing the Knights of Columbus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association gather for Mass at the Church of Our Saviour in New York on May 4. — Clergy and staff representing the Knights of Columbus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association gather for Mass at the Church of Our Saviour in New York before the “United in Hope for Ukraine” event on May 4. (Photo by Gregory A. Shemitz)

More than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Knights of Columbus around the world continue to stand in solidarity with the war-torn country, uniting in prayer and providing material aid.

Last February, leading up to the fourth anniversary of the invasion, Ukraine State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak proposed an international prayer campaign, inviting brother Knights across jurisdictions to join in a novena for peace in Ukraine.

From Feb. 15-23, Knights in Poland, Korea, the United States, France, Mexico, Lithuania, the Philippines, Canada and Ukraine prayed the novena, offering nine days of prayer across thousands of miles for one intention.

“Prayer does not replace our daily efforts, but it gives them spiritual meaning and helps us remain human even in a time of war,” Mostovyak said.

State Deputy René Sansores of Mexico South (center) and other Knights of Columbus from Mexico pray the Novena for Peace in Ukraine at St. Ann’s Church in Mérida, Yucatán, on Feb. 19.

NINE JURISDICTIONS, ONE NOVENA

In Ukraine, Knights connected online to pray the novena together, with a different council leading the prayer each day. Other participating jurisdictions sent videos of Knights praying in their own communities as a sign of support for their brother Knights in Ukraine, with a different jurisdiction highlighted each day.

The novena provided a way for Knights in different countries to pray with Ukrainian brothers they might never meet in person.

In France, where the novena was shared with all grand knights, Territorial Deputy Arnaud Bouthéon estimated that several hundred Knights took part.

“The brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus is not just empty words. It is a reality,” Bouthéon said. “This novena demonstrates — through faith in action — our spiritual and fraternal unity.”

The invitation crossed the Atlantic as well. In Mérida, Yucatán, State Deputy René Sansores of Mexico South helped organize the local response. Several councils from the Yucatán region were invited.

“Our brothers in Ukraine are going through a very difficult time, and we need to do something for them,” Sansores said. “Mexico South places all your pain and sorrow from this war at the feet of Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking her to give you strength and to bring an end to this terrible moment.”

In Texas, State Deputy Ron Alonzo said the steady stream of news about suffering and destruction had left him feeling helpless. He described the novena as a deliberate time to reflect and join his prayers with those of brother Knights Orderwide.

Knights of Columbus from Ukraine pray the Novena for Peace in Ukraine at the Church of St. Basil the Great in Kyiv. — Knights of Columbus from Ukraine pray the Novena for Peace in Ukraine at the Church of St. Basil the Great in Kyiv on Feb. 23.

“By the eighth day of the novena, something began to change within me, as the anxiety I had been carrying gave way to a quieter trust,” Alonzo said. “The novena did not erase the tragedy unfolding overseas, but it gave me a way to channel my concern into something meaningful. Prayer became action. Solidarity became tangible.”

Mostovyak urged people throughout the world not to allow the protracted war to dull their concern for the Ukrainian people.

“We ask that you do not stop praying, do not become accustomed to the war, and do not allow human suffering to become just everyday news,” he said. “Peace begins with a change in the human heart, and we believe that the Lord hears the prayers of his people.”

‘PRAY, INFORM, ACT AND HELP’

The Order’s response extends beyond prayer. Through the Ukraine Solidarity Fund and in cooperation with Catholic partners, including the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and humanitarian missions of the Holy See in Ukraine, the Knights continue to provide material support to Ukrainians affected by the war.

On May 4, the Knights of Columbus, CNEWA and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe hosted “United in Hope for Ukraine,” an event highlighting the continuing humanitarian needs of those affected by the war.

The evening event, preceded by Mass at the nearby Church of Our Saviour, brought more than 30 participants together at CNEWA’s headquarters in New York City, while nearly 600 more joined virtually.

“With every care package, every prosthetic [limb], every pilgrimage for widows and scholarship for orphans, we show the Ukrainian people that God is present, that God has not forgotten about them,” said Szymon Czyszek, director of international growth in Europe for the Knights of Columbus.

Michael J. La Civita, CNEWA’s communications and marketing director, said the organizations’ cooperation also sends a message beyond Ukraine.

Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia speaks about the war in Ukraine at CNEWA’s headquarters in New York — Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia speaks about the war in Ukraine during the “United in Hope for Ukraine” event at CNEWA’s headquarters in New York on May 4. (Photo by Gregory A. Shemitz)

“When we’re working together,” said La Civita, “it’s a demonstration to the rest of the world: The Church is united, the Church is strong, the Church is focused.”

That cooperation has taken many forms. In 2022, the Knights of Columbus and CNEWA established Mercy Centers serving Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw and Hrebenne, a village on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

“We do it as a sign of unity of three major Catholic organizations that are present in the United States but have a global reach,” said Czyszek. “Only the unity of Catholic organizations can be a proper response to great suffering.”

The gathering offered participants a firsthand account of what Ukrainians are experiencing. Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, a member of St. Josaphat Council 7530 in Washington, D.C., was among the featured speakers, sharing stories of his time on the front lines in Ukraine. Archbishop Gudziak has traveled to Ukraine 55 times since 2014, including visits to communities only a few miles from the front lines. He emphasized both Ukrainians’ gratitude for support from the United States and their continuing need for assistance.

“Every time, they say, ‘Please thank the people that pray, inform, act and help,’” said Archbishop Gudziak. “It has been heart to heart, person to person, community to community, organization to organization, church to church.”

Despite the “great exhaustion” and “great loss” experienced by Ukraine, he said, not one person he encountered told him that he or she wanted to give up. He added that by the end of 2025, the country’s economic and social damage was estimated at $667 billion.

During his presentation, Archbishop Gudziak transitioned from statistics on destroyed homes and infrastructure to photographs of young Ukrainians killed in the war. He also noted that despite the millions internally displaced, the country has avoided large refugee camps, in part because families and communities continue to take people in.

Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of Salina, Kansas, chair of the USCCB Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe and a member of Salina Council 601, pointed to the less visible effects of the war, including the psychological and spiritual toll of living with constant air-raid sirens, attacks and uncertainty.

“We can’t forget the people of Ukraine,” said Bishop Vincke. “I know it can become very political in many ways, but we’re not about that. We’re about helping the human person most of all.”

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.

JAROSŁAW HERMAN is a member of Blessed Michael Sopoćko Council 17667 in Kraków, Poland.

Dignitaries cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House in Washington, D.C.

‘Heart to Heart, Person to Person’

NINE JURISDICTIONS, ONE NOVENA

‘PRAY, INFORM, ACT AND HELP’

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