Amid the conflict and turmoil of war in Ukraine, the traveling Pilgrim Icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been a consoling presence at parishes where the image has been displayed for veneration.

Since the program began in January, more than 300 blessed Sacred Heart icons have traveled to parishes worldwide. Poland welcomed its icon during a prayer service at Jasna Góra Monastery in Czestochowa on Feb. 23; the icon’s pilgrimage continued on to Ukraine on March 2, including inaugural Masses at both the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv and the Latin Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Lviv. Now, six golden-framed icons, as well as countless smaller replicas and prayer cards, are circulating through more than 200 participating parishes in both countries.

“As soon as we knew about this icon and that it would travel to Ukraine, council leaders called me and said, ‘Put me on the list, sign us up,’” said District Deputy Petro Fylypiv, who is a coordinator of the icons’ pilgrimage across Ukraine.

The program coincides with the release of Pope Francis’ last encyclical, Dilexit Nos, as well as the 350th anniversary of the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who revealed Christ’s deep love for humanity through his Sacred Heart. For the Knights of Columbus, this devotion — cherished by Blessed Michael McGivney — continues to inspire men to live lives of faith, sacrifice and service.

The official program icon depicts Italian artist Pompeo Batoni’s famous 1767 image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is now located in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. During the pilgrim icon tour, councils organize a Holy Hour dedicated to the Sacred Heart at their parishes; parishioners and Knights are encouraged to lead the enthronement of the Sacred Heart in their homes.

“The pilgrimage is of immense importance to us, especially now, in time of war,” said Ukraine State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak. “The icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands as a symbol of God’s love for people. War brings with it aggression and hatred, yet we thirst for love and charity. Our people will rush to the icon to meet Jesus as a source of compassion, love and forgiveness.”

To many Ukrainians today, the Sacred Heart represents a shared expression of love for their deeply suffering homeland.

“It seems to me that when he was crucified on Calvary, it was his heart that spoke through all his actions,” said Oleksandr Kryvenko, a member of St. Nicholas Council 18216 in Kyiv. “And the heart is a symbol of the Ukrainian soul.”

Everywhere the icon travels, it is met with reverence and thoughtful preparation, local Knights report. Councils spend weeks organizing each pilgrimage, while chaplains work even longer to prepare booklets filled with prayers, scriptural readings and daily reflections for the seven-day pilgrimage — ensuring that this sacred time becomes a true encounter with faith.

“Our people have always had a deep devotion to icons — worshiping the Lord through them, experiencing his presence, and seeing the beauty and greatness of the Creator,” explained Father Vitalii Martsyniuk, Ukraine’s associate state chaplain and pastor at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Parish of St. Demetrius in Fastiv. “This has been a great strength for our people, especially in such difficult times.”

The Pilgrim Icon Program is also connected to the Order’s Cor initiative, known and well-received in Ukraine and Poland. All men, not just Knights, are invited to this prayerful and fraternal endeavor.

“This is a valuable opportunity to emphasize the role of men in the Church,” said Father Rafał Grzywacz, chaplain of Our Lady in Częstochowa Council 14004 in Radom, Poland. “These men are not merely shadows, but individuals on whom the modern Church can rely. This is the very essence of the Cor initiative.”

In Poland, the Pilgrim Icon Program has inspired Knights to establish a new life-giving charitable initiative that raises funds to provide a 3D echocardiography machine for use in an operating room in one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country. The machine is able to offer life-saving treatment to even the smallest newborn children.

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus — the spiritual rescuer of all hearts — deserves to be honored not only with our prayers,” said Poland State Deputy Marek Ziętek, “but also with concrete work that will save human hearts.”

The charity that flows from the Heart of Jesus inspires Ukrainians in their duty to defend their homeland — both on the battlefield and on the spiritual front, explained Father Andrii Bodnaruk, chaplain of Blessed Martyr Omelian Kovsch Council 18432 in Kyiv.

“It inspires us to love the person who is next to me today,” he continued. “Not in some abstract sense of loving all humanity, but in the real, immediate act of loving those under the same roof.”

“[The pilgrim icon] is symbolic at the time when Ukraine is bleeding as a result of Russia’s relentless attacks on our territory, the daily killings of innocent people,” added Yuriy Maletskiy, immediate past state deputy of Ukraine. “This image — a heart bleeding — symbolizes the current state of our people living here in Ukraine. Everyone sees something personal in this image.”