Kyiv: In the heart of a country scarred by war, where grief is no longer a rare visitor but a daily companion, Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn is helping Ukrainians reclaim hope from the ashes of loss. As Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Stryi and the head of the Military Chaplaincy Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, he has become a bridge between the frontlines and the homes left behind between pain and peace.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Synod of Bishops in Rome, which ran from June 30 to July 10, Bishop Manyshyn reflected deeply on the theme of the Synod: “Family Pastoral Care in the Context of War.” For him and the chaplains he oversees, the call is clear: to be a living reminder that faith can be a balm, and that love can reach even into the ruins left by war.
“In today’s Ukraine,” the bishop explained, “chaplains, volunteers, medical workers, and the families of soldiers all stand on a line. It is not just the front line of conflict. It is the fragile line between peace and war, between holding on and falling apart.” Manyshyn emphasized that when soldiers return home, they do not come back as the same people who left. “War changes them,” he said. “But it doesn’t have to destroy them. Through love, prayer, and community, that pain can be transformed into strength.”
That transformation, however, is not automatic. It requires support systems and that’s where the Church, and particularly the Military Chaplaincy, has stepped in with compassion, conviction, and practical care. Among the Church’s most impactful outreach programs is the initiative known as “The Women of Heroes.” Led by Natalia Dubchak, a mother who lost her son in battle and a veteran herself, the initiative recognizes that families, too, are victims of war.
Through this project, families of the fallen gather for training, retreats, and healing circles. Over 27 such support communities now exist across Ukraine. These are not merely therapeutic meetings—they are lifelines. They offer bereaved mothers, widows, sisters, and children a shared space where grief is honored and strength is rebuilt.
“We help them process their sorrow,” Bishop Manyshyn said, “but we also invite them to find meaning, to use their experience to lift others. When a grieving heart chooses to help another, healing begins.”
Since 2016, the Church has also run an annual Lenten fundraising campaign. These funds support psychological counseling, group therapy sessions, and pastoral outreach for both children and adults. Grief, after all, doesn’t discriminate by age. Children of missing or fallen soldiers are given safe spaces to talk, cry, and be children again even if only briefly.
“Pilgrimages and shared rituals help families know that their loved ones' sacrifices are not forgotten,” the bishop said. “We tell them: ‘We walk with you. Your grief matters. You are not alone.’” For Bishop Manyshyn, suffering is not the end of the story, but part of a greater spiritual journey. “No one escapes suffering,” he said. “But when faith is not just a doctrine, but a relationship with God, it becomes the light that leads us through the darkness.”
He invoked the words of Saint John Paul II, reminding listeners that even the most painful trials can become a gateway a “threshold of hope” that prepares us for something eternal. But he cautioned against superficial responses to grief. “We must not sanitize sorrow. God gave us the capacity for emotion, for tears. These are not signs of weakness. They are signs that we are human and still alive.”
As Ukraine continues to navigate the deep trauma of war, Bishop Manyshyn insists that society must learn to mourn collectively. “This is a time of national mourning. But people should not have to endure it in silence. Our responsibility as Church, as citizens, as fellow humans is simply to show up and be present.”
Sometimes, he said, the most powerful act of healing is not advice or instruction but being there with someone in their pain, offering a hand to hold, a heart to understand. As the war grinds on, the Military Chaplaincy under Bishop Manyshyn’s leadership stands as a symbol of hope in the rubble proving that when faith walks alongside the wounded, healing is not only possible, but profoundly real.