(Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

PRAYERS FOR UKRAINE

‘Slava Ukraini’: City-wide prayer service held in P.A. to support Ukraine

Mar 5, 2022 | 9:20 AM

As fighting continues in Ukraine, those in Prince Albert with a heart for prayer spent time doing just that in support of their brothers and sisters in that country.

Dozens gathered inside Embassy Church at Plaza88 on Friday night to offer prayers, encouragement, and songs to show their support for the people of Ukraine, and ask for God’s help amid an unprecedented time in history.

The parking lot outside the plaza was full, with some people having to park their vehicles on nearby street corners before walking in.

Inside the building, people of different ages, races, and Christian backgrounds filled the chairs in the main auditorium. Some lightly waved Ukrainian flags, others wore ribbons on their jackets with Ukrainian colours. Some even wrapped the blue and yellow flag around their shoulders like a cape, symbolically paying homage to those still in Ukraine fighting for their country.

Near the front of the auditorium, before the steps to the main stage, stood an Orthodox Church painting of the Virgin Mary holding her baby son Jesus.

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The service began with a prayer and a few Christian contemporary songs before moving into a time of reading from the Holy Bible.

Those who read passages included Fr. David Butorac from St. Albans Anglican Cathedral. When talking about the service, he was humbled by how different traditions came together for one cause.

“It was really important to involve the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, especially given Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian history and background, that we all come together.”

Butorac added it was special to have a service that used elements of different church denominations, some that might be unfamiliar to others.

Messages of encouragement were also given by Fr. Butorac, Bishop Hero of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert, and Pastor Meghan Mayer of Embassy Church.

After a powerful message from Stacia Michael, a pastor from Gateway Covenant Church, the Ukrainian national anthem was played. As the words echoed through the speakers in the church and projected onto screens, you could faintly hear others signing along with emotion in their voices and passion from their hearts.

Two members of the local Ukrainian community then took the stage sharing stories of how the Russian invasion has impacted their families at home and abroad. One man, Roman, ended his speech in his native tongue of Ukrainian, concluding with the words “Slava Ukraini”, which means Glory to Ukraine.

That same phrase was repeated multiple times in the service, once by Fr. Andrei Kachur of St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church and another time by Fr. Michael Lomaszkiewicz of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

During the service, he spoke twice, once in English and the other time in Ukrainian. In his first speech, he referenced Christ’s story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. His message from that story was one of thanksgiving, saying to the crowd, “you are Good Samaritans, you are my friends.” He told those in attendance that while Ukraine may appear left in the ditch, the world is reaching out like the Good Samaritan, and tending to their wounds and needs.

His second speech was a strong prayer, which he delivered in Ukrainian.

Fr. Andrei Kachur from St. George’s also shared a prayer in Ukrainian.

Afterward, Fr. Lomaszkiewicz said he was grateful to see the community support for his home country and everyone coming together calling it a joyful moment is a difficult time.

“And the prayer of these priests can make big changes. We believe and we hope that Ukraine can prevail, and everything can come back to normal life. Events like this, they are strong, they’re powerful and this is how prayer works, all together with our voices.”

Donations were also being accepted at the service to be given to various charities like the Red Cross.

This ecumenical prayer service was just one of many ways the community has come together in solidarity for Ukraine.

On Thursday night, hundreds gathered at a rally outside city hall which included members of the Ukrainian community, city councillors, and First Nations leaders.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @pa_craddock