“Hero’s Dish”: UGCC Media Project in Memory of Ukraine’s Defenders Presented at Patriarchal Center in Kyiv
On December 4, the Patriarchal Administrative Center of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church hosted the official presentation of the media project “Hero’s Dish,” initiated by the Department of Military Chaplaincy of the Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and implemented by Zhyve TV. The project aims to honor the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders, support their families, and foster the spiritual and psychological healing of those affected by the war.
As part of the project, families of the fallen, wounded, missing, and military personnel prepare their heroes’ favorite dishes and share personal stories that reflect their journeys of struggle, love, and inner strength.
The presentation program featured a promotional video, the presentation of awards to participants, speeches by guests of honor, and a concert by the Honored Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The event began with a minute of silence to honor the heroes of Ukraine.
Among the guests were project participants and their families, representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, government authorities and deputies, the Vitaliy Baranov Kyiv City Center for Assistance to Defenders of Ukraine, the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Military Chaplaincy Service of the National Guard, public organizations, veterans and families of Azov, as well as numerous media representatives.
The project’s initiator, Natalia Dubchak, emphasized that the main purpose of “Hero’s Dish” is to honor the memory of Ukrainian heroes and support the families of fallen defenders.
Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn, head of the Military Chaplaincy Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, addressing those present, highlighted the spiritual significance of the project and the value of being there for those who are bereaved: “Today, we must constantly seek meaning in everything we go through and carry out our military chaplaincy motto: ‘Be close.’ When you prepared the ‘Hero’s Dish,’ you testified to the love that dwells even in suffering. Each of us has a first meal in our lives — our mother’s milk. She gives birth to a child and feeds it with her own body. Similarly, your relatives are mothers because they give birth to Ukraine for us.”
Afterwards, Bishop Bohdan presented awards to the project participants.
The head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Military Chaplaincy Service, Oleksandr Vovkotecha, thanked the families of the heroes for their resilience and courage: “It indeed warms the heart. I thank the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for the opportunity to carry out such initiatives. Military chaplains must be close to our soldiers and their families. This is our common service.”
Father Ihor Yatsiv, head of the Information Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and host of the program “Hero’s Dish,” thanked the project team and all the families who braved sharing their testimonies: “A true witness is someone who has experienced something. Having gone through your pain and mournful nights, you give testimony that all of Ukraine should see. May those who are enduring the fresh wounds of loss find life-affirming support through your stories.”
At the end of the presentation, organizers announced the launch of a symbolic initiative: the creation of a special rosary that will be used in communal prayer for the dead, the missing, and for victory and a just peace. The first season of the project yielded 14 beads for this rosary: black ones in memory of the dead, white ones for the missing, and red ones for the living.
Each episode of the program combines sincere testimonies, shared memories, and the support provided today by the communities of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The first season of “Hero’s Dish” consists of 12 episodes and will premiere on Zhyve TV on December 13 at 8:30 PM.
