Growing up in Ukraine today means facing the daily threat of drone attacks, and more than 19,000 children in Russian-occupied areas have been forcibly deported since the war began — an act the United Nations has recognized as a war crime. The statistics paint a grim picture of lost innocence: More than 2,520 children have been killed or wounded, and one in five has lost a close relative or friend.
But the headlines tell only part of the story. Behind these numbers are millions of children suffering from the unseen wounds of war — fear, trauma and the loss of any semblance of a normal childhood. For too many, the thud of artillery has become a constant soundtrack.
These hidden wounds are precisely what Ukrainian Knights and their chaplains are working to heal. With financial support from the Order’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund, several councils organized youth summer camps that combine spiritual and psychological rehabilitation, offering simple moments of peace and joy to children disoriented by the war.
“We wanted the children to feel that despite the war, they have the right to live and enjoy life,” said Father Ruslan Ostafii, chaplain of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle Council 17258 in Odesa. “I want to put my faith into practice, to follow the example of Michael McGivney, and to help these children build their lives on God’s will and on valuable, true principles.”
In the relative safety of the Lviv region, Father Ostafii assisted Council 17258 with organizing a 10-day camp Aug. 11-21 for children whose parents are serving, missing, in captivity or deceased. The camp combined liturgy and prayer with physical activity, including hikes and other outdoor excursions.
“The demand is huge,” said Father Ostafii. “I had 50 kids sign up in three hours, with over 20 more waiting.”
He explained that therapy sessions for the children are another important aspect of the camps. “This is not a vacation with God,” he said. “These are children who are traumatized, not just by the war, but also because their parents who return from combat are not the same.”
The transformation among participants at the Lviv camp was evident in their shared moments of prayer and song, Father Ostafii remarked. Though many campers were unfamiliar with liturgy, they soon embraced it.
“One child encouraged the others, and by the end, they were even singing ‘O Great and Mighty God,’ the spiritual anthem of our country,” Father Ostafii said.
Sts. Borys and Hlib Council 17740 in Fastiv offered a similar program, hosting two seven-day camps in the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine in July and August. Forty children, most from families displaced by the war, participated.
Many of the children arrived withdrawn and cautious, with little prior experience in group activities. However, the Knights’ hands-on presence — accompanying the children on their journey, hiking alongside them and praying with them daily — provided an atmosphere of warmth and safety that eventually helped them to be more open.
“The children were open: A song plays, someone plays the guitar, the kids sing along,” said District Deputy Mykhailo Tsiapych, who helped lead the camp. “They made friends, regardless of age.”
This was particularly vital for children who had long been cut off from in-person contact with their peers. The results were staggering, said Tsiapych. One mother shared with him, “My son went to the camp — and he’s completely different.”
The respite these camps offer is desperately needed by children who come from liberated cities, such as Zelenivka, a rural settlement in Kherson, located about six miles from the current front line. Their reality is a dual crisis: constant physical danger and profound social isolation.
“Children in the Kherson region, from kindergarten to university, have been studying exclusively online since the pandemic,” explained Father Ihor Makar, chaplain of Liubomyr Huzar Council 18244 in Zelenivka. “There are no offline classes; they don’t gather in person.”
In Kherson, Father Makar added, “childhood is not happy. Drones drop bombs not only on soldiers but on civilians, and sadly, on children.”
The psychological toll is immense. Father Makar recalled a heart-wrenching encounter with a 13-year-old boy evacuated from a heavily shelled area who was so traumatized that he “couldn’t even form a sentence.”
To give children a reprieve from this grim reality, Father Makar organized a summer camp June 22-30. He and fellow Knights from his council accompanied the campers on a perilous journey across the country to the relative safety of Ivano-Frankivsk. Parents were hesitant to let their children attend, and some refused, fearing attacks that can occur even in safer regions.
“I couldn’t guarantee their safety; you can’t guarantee that anywhere in Ukraine,” said Father Makar.
Despite the many difficulties, a group of children successfully arrived in Ivano-Frankivsk, where they experienced seven days of relief from the stress of life on the front lines.
“The children had incredible emotions from being together and wanted to stay,” said Father Makar. “They ask, ‘Father Ihor, when will all this end?’ Unfortunately, I cannot answer. I dream that my children can play near the church.”
The mission of healing also reached Kryvyi Rih, near the front line, where Father Ivan Talailo, chaplain of St. Nicholas Council 18620, organized a summer camp in Zarvanytsia, home of the miraculous icon of Our Lady. Assisted by members of his council, Father Talailo traveled 450 miles with about 30 children to the camp, where they spent eight peaceful days from July 21-27.
Father Talailo noted that the camp’s activities reflected the core principles of the Knights of Columbus.
“Regarding patriotism, it was nice to see that many children switched to speaking the Ukrainian language, as we are in a region where Russian is widespread,” he observed.
A particularly striking moment for Father Talailo was the children’s shared prayer. “It was very moving to see the children take their rosaries and pray for their parents, for the soldiers, and for Ukraine,” he said. “A big thank you to the Knights of Columbus for praying all over the world, and for supporting Ukrainians in this difficult time.”