Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore concelebrated Mass Oct. 19 at the Cathedral Church of St. Alexander in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
“The resilience of the Ukrainian people is nothing short of extraordinary,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “Your courage, faith, and perseverance in the face of war remind us that God’s grace is with us.
“Just as Christ walked with the suffering, he walks with you now. He is present in the courage of those defending their homeland, in the prayers of those who seek peace, and in the hands of those offering aid and comfort.”
Joining Archbishop Lori were Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, , Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Exarchate of Odessa and Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, who was the principal celebrant.
Several members of local Knights of Columbus chapters attended the Mass with their families.
Archbishop’s Lori is the Knights’ supreme chaplain, and his Oct. 19-20 trip to Ukraine included expressing solidarity with the Knights in the war-torn nation.
After Mass, Archbishop Lori traveled to the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the site of an atrocious war crime. Here, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, hundreds of innocent civilians were targeted in Russian attacks on noncombatants in March 2022. The bodies of close to 460 Ukrainian civilians were found, including 243 children.
The visit crystallized the brutal reality of the war in Ukraine while also showing the strength and spirit of hope in Bucha. The archbishop heard directly from families who lived through this massacre. The Knights provided coats to children whose fathers were murdered.
The delegation also went to St. Andrew the First Called Apostle Orthodox Church, where 116 of the dead of Bucha are buried in a mass grave. Archbishop Lori prayed at the memorial on the site to commemorate those whose bodies were discovered.
Later that evening, Archbishop Lori attended a gathering hosted by the Knights of Columbus for widows and orphans. He spoke to them about the great care Blessed Michael McGiveny, founder of the Knights, provided for those who suffered with similar loss.
“For those of you who have lost loved ones, who are carrying the heavy burden of grief and loneliness, Blessed McGivney’s life speaks to you,” Archbishop Lori said. “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. This hope sees the cross of Christ as a sign that God is with us in our pain, and that through the Cross, we are led to resurrection and new life.”
Archbishop Lori was joined by Bishop Bubniy, who led those gathered in a decade of the rosary, which was followed by a reception in the Church hall. Archbishop Lori spent the evening listening to the stories of women who had lost husbands, sons and brothers.
Archbishop Lori concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, the main cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, alongside Bishop Bubniy. The beauty of the liturgy served as a powerful reminder of the enduring faith of the Ukrainian people in the midst of war.
After the liturgy, the archbishop visited the Church’s crypt and prayed at the tomb of the late Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 2005 to 2011.
The Baltimore prelate then met with several members of the local Knights of Columbus chapters. He heard about the work they are doing to support those in need, their efforts to provide aid, and how they are helping many people cope with the immense challenges brought by the conflict.
He also met with Tetiana Stawnychy, president of Caritas Ukraine. They discussed the critical work Caritas is doing to provide comprehensive support for those most affected by the war and the need for sustainable solutions for social well-being in these trying times. The agency’s mission of service and hope continue to be a lifeline for so many in need.
