Washington National Cathedral Hosts Ecumenical Prayer Service for Ukrainian Children

On November 1, 2026, clergy and parishioners of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family participated in the ecumenical prayer service “Children Praying for Children,” held at Washington National Cathedral.

The event was organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States in partnership with Ukraine House, the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), and Washington National Cathedral. The prayer service was dedicated to Ukrainian children whose lives and childhoods have been deeply affected by Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Special attention was given to the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported or forcibly removed from their homes by Russia.

Participants prayed for their safe return to their families, for the protection of all children in Ukraine, and for a peaceful future in which every child can grow up without the fear of war. Very Rev.

Archpriest Robert Hitchens, pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine and expressed gratitude to the organizers for this important initiative on behalf of Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak.

Among the special guests were children from Ukrainian military families who had traveled to the United States, as well as students from the Ukrainian School in Washington, DC, who read prayer petitions during the service.

The prayer service brought together people in solidarity with Ukrainian children affected by the war, emphasizing the importance of continued prayer and collective efforts to secure the safe return of children forcibly taken from Ukraine and reunite them with their families.