Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, is visiting Poland for several days. He visited, among others Łańcut, where he took part in packing humanitarian transport with Easter parcels for Ukrainians, prepared by the Knights and volunteers from Radom and Częstochowa. P. Kelly also visited the centre in Rawa Ruska in Ukraine, located 10 km from the Polish border.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Knights have been organizing aid actions for refugees and specific aid works.
– The personal example of Patrick Kelly is a signal to other Knights around the world that it is necessary to take care of the most needy, to open their hearts to those who find themselves in a dramatic situation of an armed conflict – emphasizes Krzysztof Zuba, state director of the Knights of Columbus in Poland.
Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic lay charity, visited the Refugee Handling Centre in Łańcut. -We have prepared 10,000 Easter packages. They are to go to refugees, including those who fled to the vicinity of Lviv before the war. Greeting packets are a symbol of Easter, the holidays of hope and faith in Christ. We want to give them hope and send a message that all evil can be overcome with good – said Patrick Kelly in an interview with TVP Rzeszów.
Humanitarian aid and “Tents of Mercy” for refugees
Ever since Russian forces launched a military invasion of Ukraine, members of the Knights of Columbus in Poland, Ukraine and the United States have been engaged in humanitarian aid. – From the very first hours of the armed conflict, we collected information about volunteers from all over Poland who would be willing to accept refugees fleeing the war under their roof.
Thanks to the involvement of Knights throughout Poland, we managed to organize several dozen collection points and three main warehouses – in Krakow, Radom and Tomaszów Lubelski – says Krzysztof Zuba, state director of the Knights of Columbus in Poland.
The gifts collected in the warehouses were sorted and prepared for transport to Ukraine, specifically to Lviv. -There, the Ukrainian Knights, in agreement with the Archdiocese of Lviv, dealt with the distribution of gifts to other cities, incl. to Kiev – adds Krzysztof Zuba.
The Knights of Columbus from border regions, mainly from Tomaszów Lubelski and Lubaczów, ran two 24-hour “Tents of Mercy”, where refugees could warm up and rest after crossing the border.
As Krzysztof Zuba explains, people can eat something in the tent, take medicines and count on the full help of volunteers. The “Tent of Mercy” can accommodate approximately 150 people. It includes: a children’s corner, a prayer corner where refugees can thank God for his protection, and there is also a changing room and chairs. The Knights of Columbus makes sure that there is a priest in the tent and that the faithful can benefit from his pastoral ministry.
Support of the sisters from Łagiewniki in Kraków.
The Knights of Columbus invited sisters from Łagiewniki in Krakow to assist on the Polish-Ukrainian border, and for several weeks they offered advice, help, good words and support. -We are grateful to them for their service. The vast majority of the border crossings were made by women with children. Thanks to the sisters’ empathy, it was easier to overcome not only language barriers, but also all fears and anxieties related to the situation. The tent will be operational until the end of April, because many refugees still come to us with a request for help – says Krzysztof Zuba.
Support for the most needy
The Knights also initiated a prayer action: Bridges of Unity and Brotherhood in Prayer for peace in Ukraine.
-At the time of the Jasna Góra Appeal, at 21.00, together with their families and all people of good will, the Knights unite in prayer for a peaceful resolution of the armed conflict, explains the state director of the Knights of Columbus in Poland.
Members of the world’s largest Catholic charity organization are also responsible for the peregrination of the statue of St. Michael the Archangel of Gargano in the “Tent of Mercy” in Hrebenne.
On Wednesday 13th April, the Knights of Columbus sent another humanitarian shipment to Ukraine. At 6.00 p.m., a car with gifts for people left at the parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa at 57 Wernera Street in Radom. The Radom Knights also invite you to a meeting with Patrick Kelly – head of the Knights of Columbus in the world. -His presence in our country shows that the Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic secular charity in the world, wants to help all those who have suffered as a result of the war. The personal example of Patrick Kelly is a signal to other Knights around the world that they should take care of the most needy, open their hearts to those who find themselves in a dramatic situation of an armed conflict – emphasizes Krzysztof Zuba.
On 14th April, Kelly visited Częstochowa, in the morning a prayer was planned at Jasna Góra, in the afternoon he met with representatives of the Knights of Columbus in Poland. On 15th April, the superior of the Order is travelling to Krakow.
The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic male organization in the world. The community was founded by Fr. Michael McGivney, who in 1882 in New Haven, the United States, gathered a group of men who wanted to support each other and form in the Catholic faith. Their principles are: Mercy, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. They operate in over a dozen countries around the world and gather over 2 million men in their ranks. They have been present in Poland for 15 years and have almost 7,000. members active in over 200 parishes in 30 dioceses. The State Delegate in Poland is Krzysztof Zuba, and the State Chaplain is the Archbishop of Częstochowa, Archbishop Wacław Depo.
