UGCC Head blessed the activities of the first chapter of Knights of Columbus in the UGCC Church.

During the sermon, UGCC Major Archbishop noted that the Ukrainian idea of knighthood is the idea of active realization into action of the highest ideals that are found in the Holy Gospel, in the Word of God.  A knight does not only listen to the Word of God, but he also fulfills it.  “Knighthood was always a building stone of the future because it fixated the inviolable foundations for individual, family, and community social life.  The Knights of Columbus were founded in order to cement the Word of God as a foundation for a quite complicated social entity, which existed in USA in the 19^th century.  Therefore, we rejoice in the fact that the idea of knighthood is beginning to be realized within the life of the laity of our Church,” stated the preacher.

It is worthwhile to mention that the community of the Knights of Columbus has among its members UGCC bishops, as well as priests and laity.

Also, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized in his sermon that the Word of God is not a sound or a random uttering that one hears in human conversation.  The Holy Gospel portrays God’s Word as a life-giving entity.  However, a person who hears the Word of God but does not accept it or does not turn it into action, does not realize it, loses fertile ground.  Yet, if someone does hear the Word of God and fulfills it, then he receives a foundation for her/his life, which no one can sway.  “Then the Word of God becomes akin to a cliff that provides fullness, stability, and a hope for the future.  Everyone who truly wants to live a real Christian life and reap from it the strength for life should transform it into action and realization in personal acts,” explained the Church Primate. 

In conclusion, UGCC Head expressed his gratitude to rev. Volodymyr Malchyn for the spiritual leadership of this community, as well as to the fellowship of the Knights, because the males “declare to the world and the Church that Christian principles are the building foundations of a home and a family.” 

Brother Bohdan Koval, a Knight of the Council of St. Volodymyr, also turned to the attendees and stated that it is a great honor to pray with UGCC Head in the Patriarchal Cathedral and to receive a blessing for ongoing activity.  “Now we are still few,” noted the Great Knight, “however with this mustard seed from the Evangelical Parable, there should grow a mighty and tall tree of a fraternal Knights organization, which will support and protect the Church, will serve one’s neighbor, and will defend Christian values.”

After the conclusion of the Liturgy, UGCC Primate participated in the meeting of the Main Council of the Knights of Columbus of St. Volodymyr, during which the discussion centered on the first Council of the Knights of Columbus in UGCC.  His Beatitude noted the importance of explaining culturally the ideas of the founders of the organization so that they can be “comprehended by the Ukrainian soul.”

Note:

Knight of Columbus is a worldwide known Catholic organization, initiated in 1882 by the Roman Catholic priest, Servant of God, Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut (USA), around which a small group of parishioners gathered in order to support the widows, families and orphans of this parish.  Today, this is an organization with headquarters in New Haven and some two million members in more than ten countries around the world.

The process of starting in Ukraine the organization of Knights of Columbus was begun by the previous UGCC Head, His Beatitude Lubomyr (Husar) who in August 2005 during a conference of the Knights of Columbus, taking place in Chicago (USA), invited the Knights to come to Ukraine. 

This initiative was later supported by UGCC Head His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Metropolitan Mieczysław Mokrzycki from the Roman-Catholic side.  The first Council of the Knights of Columbus in UGCC was created on September 20, 2013 at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv and bears the name of St. Volodymyr.  In Lviv there is a Roman-Catholic Council of the Knights of Columbus.  

The main objective of the Knights of Columbus – “the strong right arm of the Church” – as it was named by Pope John II – is to totally support the Catholic Church in its evangelization mission through propagating such virtues as kindness, unity, brotherhood and patriotism, as well as support for Catholic family values.

Those interested in the activities of the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine, please contact:

[email protected]

UGCC Department of Information

Knights of Columbus in UGCC