On January 24, 2026, Saturday, the National Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, Metropolitan of Lviv, together with Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak and the Knights` chaplains, celebrated Holy Mass for all Knights of Columbus—both living and those who have passed away, and especially for those who lost their lives on the battlefield, sacrificing their lives on the altar of their homeland and for a just peace for Ukraine.
In his sermon, the Metropolitan said:
For the Church in Ukraine, afflicted by war, loss, and pain, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a refuge in piety, but a school of hope and courage. Therefore, gazing upon the Heart pierced by a lance, we learn that the love of Christ is greater than hatred, and life stronger than death.
My Dear Ones!
From its inception, the Knights of Columbus have been a movement of lay people who have chosen not to separate faith from life. Therefore, your fraternity is not based solely on organizational structures, but on shared roots in Christ.
St. John Paul II, addressing the Knights of Columbus, said: "The Church needs your witness of mature faith, your devotion to family, your willingness to serve where human dignity is threatened."
These words resonate especially powerfully today. During the war, your fraternity became a space of concrete love: love for the suffering, for refugees, for families separated by the front, for priests and parishes in need of material and spiritual support.
Therefore, one of the greatest gifts of the Knights of Columbus is unity across borders, languages, and differences. This unity is not the work of human strategy, but the fruit of a shared commitment to the Heart of Jesus.
St. John Paul II recalled: "Christian unity is born from the contemplation of Christ`s love and is expressed in a willingness to serve one another."
In a world wounded by division, your unity is a prophetic sign. You demonstrate that community can be built not on interests but on the Gospel; not on force but on sacrifice; not on fear but on trust in God.
And so today we turn our thoughts to our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, whose heart was shaped like the Heart of the Good Shepherd. He was a priest who saw the plight of families left without support and responded not with words but with deeds.
After the Holy Mass, a closing and organizational meeting was held, during which a report on the past year and planned activities for the coming year were presented, as well as a joint carol singing session at the Metropolitan Curia of the Archdiocese of Lviv.
Author : Oleksandr Kusyy
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