“Make a Sacrifice for Ukraine”: His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s Call for Fervent Prayer and Fasting for Peace
On November 30, after the Liturgy at the Church of St. Clement Sheptytsky in Lviv, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, addressed the faithful with a call for intense prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine.
The initiative stems from a joint decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which concluded the day before in Zarvanytsia.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that the current phase of the war has become “particularly dangerous,” and therefore called on the faithful to offer prayers for their homeland during the pre-Christmas fast. He reminded everyone of the daily Rosary at 8:00 PM, which unites the entire Church via Zhyve TV.
The Primate also stressed that each week, every eparchy and exarchate of the UGCC has its own designated day of prayer and fasting for Ukraine.
“We see how various events of this full-scale war are unfolding before our eyes, and we ask ourselves: what should our response be? Let our response, as Christians who are ready for spiritual struggle, be prayer and fasting. Make this sacrifice for Ukraine,” urged the Head of the Church.
“No one will be able to defeat Ukraine,” continued His Beatitude Sviatoslav. “None of our enemies will succeed in discouraging us, provoking internal confrontation, or inciting fratricidal conflict. We must stand together to defend our freedom, dignity, and independence.”
Schedule of days of prayer and fasting for Ukraine in the eparchies and exarchates of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church:
- Monday — Kyiv Archeparchy; Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Crimean Exarchates;
- Tuesday — Lviv Archeparchy; Stryi Eparchy;
- Wednesday — Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy; Kolomyia Eparchy; Chernivtsi Eparchy;
- Thursday — Ternopil Archeparchy; Buchach Eparchy; Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy;
- Friday — Sokal-Zhovkiv Eparchy; Lutsk Exarchate.
