Father Ihor Makar, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest, was traveling through the Kherson region in eastern Ukraine to celebrate Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in early January when his car was struck by a drone attack. Shrapnel from the explosion not only pierced the vehicle, puncturing three tires and shattering the windows, but also lodged in one of his legs, causing a serious wound that led to surgery.
Similar strikes are all too common in Kherson and across Ukraine, said Father Makar, administrator of Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Parish in Zmiyivka, Kherson region, and chaplain of Liubomyr Huzar Council 18244 in Zelenivka. “If we look at the situation in Kherson last year compared to this year, things have gotten worse — more enemy drones, more gunfire, more deaths, injuries, and destruction,” he added.
And yet, despite the danger, Father Makar and brother Knights continue to risk their lives to bring humanitarian and spiritual aid to people in the conflict zones. The war has also spurred the growth of parish life, particularly through the 39 Knights of Columbus councils chartered across Ukraine since 2022.
During the Russian occupation in Zelenivka from February to November 2022, a group of men came together to support the desperate needs of those who remained in the area — mostly elderly and disabled.
“As trucks carrying humanitarian aid from abroad began arriving and departing one after another, we called on men to help unload supplies for those in need,” he said. “When a Knights of Columbus Charity Convoy arrived, bearing the Order’s emblem, the men became interested in becoming Knights.”
Initially, the men formed the Kherson K of C round table, and once conditions improved after the de-occupation, they formed Council 18244. It was a desire to serve that motivated the men to join the Order and work together to benefit the community, said Father Makar.
THE LIFELINE KITCHEN
While many people fled Zelenivka during the 2022 occupation, those who were bedridden or disabled remained behind. With the post offices closed, people couldn’t collect pensions, and most products were too expensive to buy, making it difficult to find food and other essential supplies, explained Father Makar.
This prompted Father Makar to start a Charity Free Kitchen, which was managed by parishioner Yevdokiia Kecha, her daughter Anastasia Fedchuk, and their husbands, Hryhoriy Kecha and Oleksandr Borysovskyi, both members of Council 18244.
The kitchen, supported by the Ukraine Solidarity Fund and various private donors, fed those with limited mobility who could not find food for themselves. Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy, exarch of Odesa and state chaplain of the country’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic Knights, donated funds received from the Supreme Council to finance food products for meal preparation.
Father Makar would send the donations to the Kecha family and Yevdokiia and her daughter woke up at 2 a.m. every day to cook meals at home. Despite the risk of being arrested, the family delivered hot meals twice a week to over 30 residents in Zelenivka.
“We kept feeding them for two full years,” said Yevdokiia. “We were told that Russian soldiers were asking why our car smelled so strongly. Russian troops were getting suspicious, so we started taking side roads to reach the people who needed food.”
Today, residents of Zelenivka still live under constant threat. “Just two days ago, when a rocket hit, my grandkids flew down from the second floor like a shot. The whole house shook,” recalled Yevdokiia.
When de-occupation occurred at the end of 2022, the newly formed Council 18244 took on the task of supplying food for the kitchen. Although the kitchen ceased operations in 2024, it still delivers bread once a week.
“We help however we can,” Yevdokiia added. “We just want to live to see victory. That’s all we ask.”
DEFYING THREATS TO DELIVER HOPE
Since 2022, Council 18244 has continued its efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and organize supply runs.
Even with enemy drones flying overhead, Knights have been able to coordinate small groups to safely distribute care packages and clothing to those in greatest need, and to deliver aid to hospitals. Supplies are purchased with funds from the Ukraine Solidarity Fund and prepared by Knights from councils in western Ukraine.
“The Knights who stayed behind were always ready to volunteer — unloading, reloading, delivering, packaging, or helping near the church,” said Father Makar.
The Knights have also helped organize disaster shelters and other safe locations (also called “points of invincibility”) that provide heat, water, electricity, mobile communication and more.
“We set up a point of invincibility very quickly,” said Father Makar. “Contractors were afraid because of the shelling, but the Knights worked hard to ensure it was preserved. They dismantled everything, laid the foundation themselves, and built it properly so the point could serve reliably.”
Council 18244 also supports medical personnel, providing medications and hygiene kits to both patients and doctors working under dangerous conditions. With hospitals often under shelling, the choice of medical personnel to stay — and the efforts to deliver aid — are nothing short of heroic.
“Getting to work is already a big challenge, as drone attacks are very common,” said Father Makar. “Yesterday, an ambulance went on a call, and a drone hit it. The ambulance caught fire, and both the paramedic and the driver were injured.”
Oleksandr Borysovskyi is one of the Knights who continues to deliver aid to the hospital, despite the constant threat of danger.
“They need help — and if no one does anything, they’ll be left with nothing,” said Borysovskyi.
The people in Ukraine don’t just need moral support, Father Makar said. They also need moral support, hope and faith — so that they know that someone cares, and that they are not alone.
“It reminds us that we will endure in this fight, that God has not abandoned us, and that he works through others,” Father Makar added. “The Knights are a vital pillar of support for the people and for peace in our country.”