Tag: peace for Ukraine

Donating to help people in Ukraine

You can donate on the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s website www.ukrarcheparchy.us, and click on Donate through PAYPAL and select “WAR VICTIMS AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN UKRAINE”.

Write a check to the “Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia” and send it to the office at 810 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia PA 19123. Please write on the check “Humanitarian Aid Fund for Ukraine”.

There are no small or large donations. But your donation can change someone’s life for the better. The Lord God will repay the happy donor a hundredfold. Pray for the people of the war victims! May the Lord bless you and our brothers and sisters in Ukraine!

Let us keep each other in prayer as well as Ukraine.

Community gathered today in support of Ukraine

The community gathered in the church hall to support Ukraine in her current suffering. Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians alike. The rally started with praying Psalm 31 and concluded with a prayer offered by Fr Iura Godenciuc.

We we were honored by the Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Governor Ned Lamont and Mayor Justin Elicker.

Praying Psalm 31 for Ukraine

The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine has asked for Christians to recite Psalm 31 aloud.

Psalm 31:21-24

21 Praise be to the Lord,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he repays in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.

CT United States Congresswoman and Senator to visit parish

Christ is among us!

On Sunday, February 27, US Congresswoman Delauro and US Senator Richard Blumenthal will be ATTENDING the 10:30 Divine Liturgy to pray with us. They are not coming to make speeches.

Following the Liturgy, Congresswoman Delauro and Senator Blumenthal will meet with the community in the church hall. They are coming to speak personally with our parishioners and guests after the Liturgy.

This is a crucial time for us to be united as a community of faith and a community who works for the good.

Our daily prayer and sacrifice is for peace, justice and mercy in our hearts and in Ukraine.

Let us pray for each other.

Entrusting our prayers, aspirations to the Mother of God

This evening we gathered at 7pm to sing the Moleben to the Mother of God. In the time of suffering, violence and injustice (person, economic, social and religious) we approach the Mary, the Mother of God, placing ourselves under her mantle for protection. We especially pray for those killed and those injured in this war.

About 60 members of our parish community –far and wide– sustained each other in prayer led by Fr. Iura our pastor, Fr. Stepan Yanovsky, Fr Al Forlano and Fr. Gregory Lozinskyy (pastor of St John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Trumbull). Laity and clergy alike came to beg the for a peaceful resolution in Ukraine.

Let’s NOT be unmoved by the suffering of both fellow Christians and non-Christian children of God.

We are filled with anguish and anxiety that friends, family, colleagues, the poor and the elderly, children and the like can be threatened by a fellow Slav, a violent and self-centered man. Pope Francis has called us to place ourselves in the framework of the “weakness” of prayer to counter the power of arms.

The Pope’s recent teaching on the events in Ukraine runs along these lines: by our meek ascetism (our humble, disciplined work of prayer) we can counter the strength of cannons. We know from experience that prayer unites us to God the Father and makes us brothers and sisters; fasting takes something away from us in order to share it with others – even if the other is an enemy. The Lord teaches us to pray for our enemies.

Again, we have the experience that prayer is the real revolution that changes the world because it changes hearts. This kind of demon, Jesus says, “never comes out except by prayer and fasting.”

“May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war,” Pope Francis said.

We are grateful for the presence of the Mayor of New Haven, Justin Elicker tonight. His solidarity with us is meaningful. Likewise, we are grateful for the news media outlets who covered the service and took the time to meet people.

May Our Lady, the great mother of God hear and answer our prayers.