Praying for Peace in Ukraine

Order holds prayer vigil in response to global appeal by Pope Francis

In response to the call of Pope Francis for a Day of Prayer for Peace in Ukraine, the Knights of Columbus held a Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven — the birthplace of the Order — on Jan. 26.

“At this precarious moment for the people of Ukraine, we call upon Knights and their families around the world to heed the call of our Holy Father and invoke the power of prayer for a peaceful solution to the tensions in the region,” said Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly.

The Holy Hour included eucharistic adoration led by Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, praying of the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Prayer of St. Francis, in addition to Ukrainian hymns and prayers, and remarks from Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford.

“There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. People who live near the frontline are living without the basic necessities of life,” Bishop Chomnycky said in his remarks during the Holy Hour.

“I must express my profound thanks to the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, to the USCCB, and especially to the Knights of Columbus for their continuing financial and moral support, medical expertise that they offer for the suffering people in the warzone and to the traumatized veterans and soldiers.”

On Sunday, Jan. 23, Pope Francis called for an international day of prayer for peace on Jan. 26 to stop the Ukraine crisis from worsening.

“Prayer unites us to the Lord, who is the source of all unity and peace,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “We can trust that our prayers of supplication do not go unheard and so I urge brother Knights to follow the call of Pope Francis and maintain earnest prayerfulness, not just for a day but until the Ukraine crisis passes.”