Wednesday 24 August 2022
15:00 – Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool
An ecumenical prayer service for Ukraine is to be held in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, at 3.00 pm on Wednesday 24 August 2022 – Independence Day for Ukraine. The service will be led by Bishop Thomas Neylon, auxiliary bishop of Liverpool, and Father Taras Khomych, chaplain to the Ukrainian community together with ministers from Churches throughout Liverpool. It is also hoped to have a live link to Drohobych Cathedral in Western Ukraine with Bishop Gregory Komar, who has close links with the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Father Taras says, ‘we will gather on our Independence Day to pray for peace in our country and will remember all those who have died and all who suffer as a result of the ongoing conflict. It is appropriate that we will join together in the Metropolitan Cathedral, dedicated to Christ the King, the Prince of Peace, and in Liverpool where I see this outpouring of love; where people give the impression they just want to embrace us Ukrainians. I see this terrible evil but also the grace which expresses itself in human faith and all those people around us. I am grateful for all the people who pray for Ukraine.’
Members of the local Ukrainian community will be taking part in the service together with the Ukrainian choir ‘Svitoch’ under the direction of Mrs Inna Ruzheva, accompanied by organist James Vowles-Wang.
Bishop Tom Neylon says, ‘this is a welcome opportunity to join with the Ukrainian community who have suffered so greatly in recent months and who continue to experience the horror of war. This year Ukrainian Independence Day must rightly be focussed on prayer for peace, for an end to this conflict and for all affected in any way’.
