Despite harsh economic realities, immense spiritual needs and a general decline in priestly vocations across Ukraine, the Knights of Columbus is helping chart a path forward for the country’s future priests.
In recent years, the Order has fostered a dynamic expansion of seminary councils around the world, thanks in part to the Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP), which provides seminarians with both financial assistance and moral support.
Nearly 90 seminarians now participate in Ukraine’s three seminary councils: Patriarch Josyf Slipyi Council 18687 at Ternopil Seminary; Holy Martyr Josaphat Council 18318 at Ivano-Frankivsk Seminary and His Beatitude Liubomyr Huzar Council 17475 at Kyiv Seminary.
In 2024, 17 seminarians in Ukraine received Knights of Columbus scholarships. Local Knights report that building relationships with these seminarians — and integrating future priests into council and parish life — helps form them for lifelong ministry and service to the Church.
“The Order helps seminarians not only study the social doctrine of the Church but also embody it through concrete acts of service,” said Ukraine State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak. “Such experience allows future priests to better understand the role of the laity in the life of the Church and offers practical ways to involve men in parish life.”
AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
Driving the Order’s strategic engagement with seminarians in Ukraine is Myroslav Mazur, state treasurer and a pioneer of the Knights’ presence in the country. Among his early efforts was the establishment of Council 18318 in Ivano-Frankivsk.
“Who created the first Knights of Columbus council?” Mazur rhetorically asked. “A priest — Father McGivney.” He further emphasized that the Order’s immersive approach in seminaries is “sowing seeds in very fertile ground,” adding, “The best way we can support vocations is to support a future priest.”
Councils identify talented, capable and committed seminarians who present a significant financial need. Through RSVP, the Supreme Council funds about 20% of the scholarships, with local councils covering the remainder. All seminarians in need qualify for K of C support, regardless of whether they are members of the Order.
Tadei Ulishak, a sixth-year Greek Catholic seminarian at Kyiv Seminary and member of Council 17475, is one of more than 1,000 men who joined the Knights since the start of the war in 2022. The Order’s dedication to serving others deepened his appreciation of the vital role of Christian men in society.
“This is an example that I want to follow,” Ulishak said. “We are not only seminarians preparing to serve parishes — we are already Knights who serve.”
As an RSVP scholarship recipient, Ulishak is grateful for both the material help and the personal encouragement the program provides. With a brother also in seminary, the financial burden on his parents is significant. In Ukraine, unlike in most North American dioceses, seminarians and their families are largely responsible for covering tuition and expenses. The Knights’ support, Ulishak affirmed, allows him to focus on his studies instead of worrying about how to pay for the next semester.
Father Vladyslav Ihnatiuk, who hails from Melitopol, had a path to priesthood marked by many doubts. The pivotal factor was encountering an exemplary priest whose “words did not differ from his deeds,” Father Ihnatiuk said. “I just saw how devotedly he serves.”
Inspired by the priest’s example, he entered the seminary in Kyiv, receiving financial assistance from the Knights through RSVP.
“My tuition was a large sum, and my parents certainly didn’t have such funds,” Father Ihnatiuk said. “These scholarships also influenced my decision to start and not to be afraid. Thanks to the contribution of the Knights of Columbus, I was able to begin studying, for which I am very grateful.”
Today, Father Ihnatiuk serves in St. Nicholas Parish in Dnipro, a key transit hub for the displaced, people he describes as being “broken” by the war with Russia.
“Many whom I serve are deeply wounded, often lacking both materially and spiritually,” he said. “I try to find words to give them hope.”
MORE THAN A SCHOLARSHIP
Through RSVP, the Knights of Columbus provides more than financial aid. For many seminarians, it offers something far more meaningful — spiritual brotherhood.
Father Serhii Sviderskyi, a Roman Catholic priest and chaplain of St. Alexander Council 16626 in Kyiv, also met the Knights during seminary. Their example left a lasting impression and led him to join the Order.
“The Knights of Columbus is a men’s community that lives the Gospel through tangible service,” he said. “They became an example of faith in action for me — a model of unity and fraternity.”
Today, Father Sviderskyi continues to draw inspiration from his brother Knights.
“I see men giving their time and energy to the Church,” he said. “This is real evangelization — a testimony to the world. These are men who not only pray but also serve as modern apostles.”
Ulishak, who joined the Knights in 2022, said he was drawn to “the idea of a men’s society where mutual support prevails.” His seminary council, which uniquely includes both seminarians and local parishioners whom are served by seminary clergy, offers an environment of practical formation and meaningful service.
“I saw people helping others without seeking personal gain — just genuinely living to serve,” Ulishak said. “True brotherhood not only exists —it can even be practiced.”
Mazur noted that many of today’s seminarians will become tomorrow’s chaplains. Their witness is already helping to renew the Church in Ukraine from within.
“Supporting seminarians is not just about scholarships,” Mazur said. “It’s about building connection — helping future priests know they are supported and believed in by their people. That’s not something you get from a presentation. It’s something you experience firsthand, by being a Knight.”
To learn more about the Order’s work in Ukraine — and to support these efforts — visit kofc.org/ukraine.