Posted March 13, 2014

A special prayer service for peace in Ukraine will be held Sunday, March 16 at 5 p.m. in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia. The cathedral is located at 830 North Franklin Street.

Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy (Archdiocese) of Philadelphia, and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, will lead the service and be joined by Archbishop Charles Chaput of the Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Archbishop Antony, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States.

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The current crisis in Ukraine is of particular concern not only to the more than 1 million Americans of Ukrainian heritage of which 280,000 were born in Ukraine, but locally to the more than 60,000 Ukrainian-Americans who live in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area.

“As people of faith,” Archbishop Soroka said in a recent statement, “it is times as these when we raise our voices in prayer to Almighty God. May the Lord strengthen his people with courage and fortitude as they endure the suffering and mourn the loss of their loved ones. May he strengthen his people in Ukraine and guide them to a peaceful resolution of this conflict and open their minds to dialogue and reconciliation. May they end the divisive violence and restore tranquility to their nation.”