‘We Do Not Forget’

Dec. 1, 2024

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori visits Ukraine to meet with Knights and victims of the war

By Karolina Świder

Dec. 1, 2024

Lori Ukraine Bucha GRB_3224-rgb.jpg — Archbishop Lori prays Oct. 19 at a memorial to 119 victims of the 2022 Bucha massacre on the grounds of St. Andrew the First-Called Church in Bucha. Volodymyr Ostapchuk (right), a member of Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky Council 16890 in Irpin, was present in Bucha during the Russian occupation and guided the supreme chaplain during his visit. (Photo by Andrii Gorb)

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore visited Ukraine Oct. 19-21, his second visit to the war-torn country. For three days, he saw firsthand various efforts of the Knights of Columbus to serve those in dire need and assured victims of the ongoing war of the Order’s continued support.

The supreme chaplain’s journey highlighted the founding mission of the Knights of Columbus, rooted in the vision of Blessed Michael McGivney and its principles of unity, charity, fraternity and patriotism. He reflected on those principles during Mass at the Cathedral of St. Alexander in Kyiv on the first day of the trip.

“We must remember that the unity Christ calls us to is not simply a theoretical concept but a living reality. In times of suffering, unity becomes our greatest strength,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “Here in Ukraine, we see this unity vividly in the work of organizations like the Knights of Columbus …. Their work is a testament to the Gospel values of charity, unity and fraternity.”

Mass in Kyiv was followed by a meeting with Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, and local Church leaders.

The supreme chaplain then departed for Bucha, a city about 18 miles (30 km) northwest of the capital that has been particularly affected by the war. Russian forces seized Bucha in the first days of their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. When they withdrew weeks later, several hundred civilians, including children, were found massacred; some had been tortured or sexually assaulted. Bucha is now dotted with monuments commemorating the victims.

Archbishop Lori and his delegation stopped to pray at the memorial near St. Andrew the First-Called Church, where more than 100 Ukrainians were buried in a mass grave. He also joined Knights from Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky Council 16890 in nearby Irpin to distribute coats to children of fallen soldiers.

“One of the things the Knights do to bring a little bit of cheer and a little bit of goodness is to provide warm winter coats for young people,” Archbishop Lori explained to families at the distribution. “I’m very happy to work with the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine and present you with these coats.”

On Saturday evening, the supreme chaplain was able to meet widows and orphans of the war during a dinner organized by local Knights. The gathering included prayer, a shared meal and the presentation of gift baskets to the women and children, whom Archbishop Lori invited to turn to Father McGivney as an intercessor, describing his particular care for the vulnerable and the abandoned.

Lori Ukraine Coats GRB_4506-rgb.jpg — The supreme chaplain assists with a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids distribution in Irpin on Oct. 19. (Photo by Andrii Gorb)

“For those of you who have lost loved ones, who are carrying the heavy burden of grief and loneliness, Blessed Michael McGivney’s life speaks to you,” said Archbishop Lori in his remarks. “He reminds us that we are called to hope — not a blind hope that ignores the reality of suffering, but a Christian hope that looks beyond it.”

On Sunday, Oct. 20, the supreme chaplain celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv alongside Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Odesa, who is state chaplain of the country’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic Knights.

In his homily, Archbishop Lori spoke again of hope and faith.

“This war may try to destroy your homes, your communities and your peace, but it cannot destroy your identity as the temple of the living God,” he said. “You are his people, and he walks with you in every step of this difficult journey.”

After the Mass, the delegation prayed at the tomb of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the revered head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 2001 to 2011, who died in 2017. The cardinal was instrumental in bringing the Order to Ukraine in 2013.

The supreme chaplain spent his final day in Ukraine, Oct. 21, in the Lviv region, where he visited several charitable initiatives — including St. Clement Church, where the Knights plan to open McGivney House, a resource center for community members in need, and a cluster of modular homes for internally displaced families in Briukhovychi.

He also visited the Field of Mars military cemetery in Lviv to pray for Ukrainian soldiers who have lost their lives.

“As I walked past one grave after the other, the enormity of this war began to dawn on me,” he commented later.

In Lviv, Archbishop Lori also formally presented an ambulance to Bishop Bubniy on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. The ambulance, emblazoned with the emblem of the Order, will serve the hospital in Chornomorsk, Ukraine, which has suffered a lack of critical resources.

Lori Ukraine Ambulance GRB_5799-rgb.jpg — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, standing with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv (center) and Past State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy, prepares to bless an ambulance Oct. 21 in Lviv, Ukraine. The ambulance is a gift from the Knights to a hospital in Chornomorsk. (Photo by Andrii Gorb)

“This ambulance is more than just a vehicle — it is a symbol of hope and compassion, a testament to the unwavering support we offer to those who are suffering,” the supreme chaplain said. “We pray that this gift will bring healing, save lives and offer comfort to those in need.”

The ambulance was received by hospital director Serhij Soltyk, who, in words of gratitude to the Knights, said, “Your commitment to providing help to those in need — whether through medical aid or moral support — demonstrates the depth of your compassion and the strength of your mission. This ambulance will be an essential tool for our hospital, helping us save lives and deliver medical assistance to those who need it most.”

At the conclusion of his visit, Archbishop Lori met with more than 60 K of C chaplains and members of the state council, and other guests, listening to testimonies of the courageous work of the Ukrainian Knights and chaplains in times of war.

“I came to Ukraine on behalf of our supreme knight, Patrick Kelly, simply to tell you that the whole Order remembers you,” said the archbishop to the gathered Knights. “We do not forget. … I simply wanted to come to reaffirm the commitment of the Order to all of the projects and all of the needs of the people in Ukraine.”

Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, who was present at the meeting, thanked the supreme chaplain for his prayerful support and for his visit.

“This is very important,” Archbishop Mokrzycki said, “not only for us chaplains of the Knights of Columbus, but also for our Ukrainian Church in general, and for our lay brothers. Such a presence is very important, because it reminds everyone that the war goes on.”

*****

KAROLINA ŚWIDER writes from Kraków, Poland.

Pope Leo XIV speaks with Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori.

‘We Do Not Forget’

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