"God is always on the side of the innocent victim. He stands with us. We stand because millions of people around the world—people like you—pray for us and support us. They believe that goodness and truth have their own divine power, and evil, lies, and death will never have the final word. We live because we are not alone! Thank you for being with us!” said the Head of the UGCC.
The prayer service was attended by four UGCC bishops from the U.S.—Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishops Paul Chomnycky, Benedict Aleksiychuk, and Bohdan Danylo—as well as Metropolitan Antony Scharba, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Also present were Roman Catholic bishops from Pennsylvania: Mark L. Bartchak (Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown), Larry Kulick (Diocese of Greensburg), Keith Chylinski, Christopher Cooke, Michael Fitzgerald—auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Edward Deliman, bishop emeritus.
Archbishop Nelson Pérez welcomed His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the cathedral, comparing Ukraine’s path to the Way of the Cross:
Along the way of the cross do we walk the rugged path of peace. All people of good will want peace… Peace, however, means more than the absence of fighting. . As Pope Paul VI said , ‘If you want peace, work for justice’ Any future work toward peace must include justice to redress the reality of trauma unleashed upon Ukraine and respect for her historical sovereign borders.
"Your support empowers me to wipe away the tears of widows and orphans who have lost their loved ones, to find the right words for our wounded soldiers, and to console those whose homes and lives have been shattered. We draw our strength from you—your prayers, your generosity, your presence," said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He emphasized that while the third anniversary of the full-scale war against Ukraine is painful—bringing death and destruction—it is also a victory, as Ukraine, which was given no chance against a vastly superior enemy, has stood firm for three years.
" We want peace. Every Ukrainian longs for peace—for nights without air raid sirens, for mornings without explosions, for days without casualties and nights without fear. But a ceasefire is not peace, and a political deal cannot bring justice. A truce that leaves people suffering under occupation is a cruel mockery. Without justice, peace is impossible—it becomes an illusion, a hollow promise.
The prayer service was accompanied by the choir of the Roman Catholic cathedral under the direction of Sherilyn Angelini, performing "God Almighty, Eternal One" in English. His Beatitude Sviatoslav then led the congregation in singing the hymn in Ukrainian.
