Tomasz Zielenkiewicz
There are over 3,700 Knights of Columbus in Ukraine. Despite the ongoing war, they are expanding their structures, welcoming new members, and continuing humanitarian aid. Their goal is to support families affected by the war in cooperation with Catholics of both rites – Greek and Latin.
“This is the second year of our campaign; the goal was to provide school backpacks for the children of fallen and missing soldiers,” Myrosław Mazur, state treasurer of the Ukrainian State Council of the Knights of Columbus and coordinator of the campaign, told Vatican News.
Backpacks prepared from the heart
The school supplies are purchased locally in Ivano-Frankivsk. The Knights also cooperate with a large retail chain that prepared special markings for the school bags. Afterward, the Knights of Columbus and volunteers pack the supplies together. The finished backpacks are sent to parishes across Ukraine where the councils of the order operate. There, they are given to the children most in need.
“This year we managed to make about a thousand such backpacks and distribute them to 70 Knights of Columbus councils,” Myrosław Mazur said.
As he explained, the councils participating in the campaign are located in various parts of Ukraine. Parish priests and the Knights of Columbus themselves are responsible for identifying the families who will receive help. Thanks to their knowledge of the local situation, they can reach families requiring special care.
This year, the campaign was also expanded to include the families of missing soldiers. The Vatican News interviewee pointed out that their situation is particularly difficult because, until the official confirmation of death, families remain in a state of uncertainty and often cannot receive the same social support as the families of the fallen.
“This is more than just things”
Participants in the campaign emphasize that handing over a backpack is much more than material help for the children. Conversation, presence, and interest from adults are also important. “In addition to material support, this campaign also gives mental and psychological support to children who have lost their loved ones in the war,” Myrosław Mazur said.
Ihor Todoriv, a member of Council 15804 and a participant in the campaign, drew attention to the children’s reactions during the distribution of the school supplies. As he emphasized, it is then visible how much they need contact and a sense of security.
“A child’s psyche is built in such a way that the fact that their father died can remain with them as a lifelong trauma,” he said. He added that the presence of men who show care to the children, talk to them, and spend time with them can help them, at least to some extent, fill the void left by the loss of their father.
During the meetings, the children received backpacks, talked to the Knights, took pictures with them, and talked about what they would use individual items for.
“It was clear that for them this was much more than just a thing. Everyone was most happy about it, because the children’s emotions are very direct, very sincere,” reported Tetiana Mazur, wife of Myrosław Mazur and a volunteer participating in the campaign.
Support for mothers and grandmothers as well
“These children are very wounded. Their hearts are wounded by the war. They are already children of war,” Tetiana said. She points out that the meetings organized by the Knights allow for an increase in positive experiences in the lives of children whose everyday reality has been marked by loss.
Tetiana also spoke about the change that appeared on the children’s faces after receiving the gifts. “They thanked from the bottom of their hearts, the Knights wished them a good school year, success in school, and sometimes the children promised that they would study well. They immediately looked into the backpacks, shared their impressions, said for example that they would take them to sports classes or use the water bottle they received. It was clear that their hearts were filled with very good emotions,” she emphasized.
As she noted, women who are raising children alone after the loss of their husbands also need support. “It is a great joy to see that thanks to the involvement of the Knights of Columbus, they find a strong shoulder to lean on mentally in this tragic situation,” she added.
Ukrainian Knights of Columbus emphasize that material aid is one of the elements of broader support for a society affected by war.
“We need support as a country that is defending itself, but also the feeling that we are not alone,” Tetiana Mazur said.
The Knights of Columbus in Poland have also been carrying out other aid activities for Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Previously, they organized food, medical, and hygiene product collections, and provided financial assistance, among other things. Their activities can be supported by visiting the website of the Polish State Council of the Knights of Columbus.
