Cleveland Unites to Pray for Peace
By Dick Russ
More than 1,200 people gathered in downtown Cleveland to pray for peace on the evening of Saturday 24 February, the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, led by Bishop Edward C. Malesic, partnered with Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat of Parma, Ohio, to welcome faithful from many churches and denominations from across the Greater Cleveland area.
“Just stop the killing,” pleaded Bishop Danylo, whose local parishes have welcomed many refugee families over the last 2 years. “I ask everyone to pray, whatever prayers they say, be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim. Just pray for peace. People of goodwill are standing for the same principle on which our nation of America was founded. Freedom.”
Bishop Malesic, whose Diocese covers 8 counties across Northeast Ohio and has more than 600,000 faithful, made an impassioned plea for peace in his homily to the overflow crowd gathered in his Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist.
Accompanied by his Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost, the leader of the Cleveland Diocese said from the pulpit, “We gather tonight to offer our prayers for the repose of the souls of those killed in this war, and for healing and recovery for those who have been maimed.”
Looking at a children’s choir, which sang hymns in Ukrainian and English, and noting how many Ukrainian children have been killed, injured, or kidnapped into Russia, Bishop Malesic said, “All children should be able to sing without fear. Children should not be caught in the middle of a war.”
The Cleveland Maidan Association, which coordinated the ecumenical prayer service, has counted more than 410,000 Ukrainians killed or wounded since the Russian invasion. More than 30,000 of the dead are civilians, including 2,000 children. Physical damage to Ukraine is now estimated are more than half a trillion U.S. dollars.
Dr. Taras Mahlay, President of the Cleveland Maidan Association, put his career as a physician in Cleveland on hold when the Russians invaded his family’s homeland. For two years he has been coordinating medical relief efforts and supplies for Ukraine and has seen firsthand the carnage inflicted on Ukrainian civilians and military.
“The injuries now are probably worse than they were before,” he said. “Lives are being lost. I am doing significantly more now saving lives than when I was working fulltime.”
One of the severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers who is being treated in Cleveland attended the prayer service and spoke with reporters afterward. “It is very hard to live just one day during the war, and to describe two years of war is extremely difficult,” said Ukrainian Army Lt. Myroslav Pylypchuk, who stepped on a Russian landmine and had to have his leg amputated. “I wish I could go back and be with my colleagues, but due to the severe nature of my injury, I cannot.”
Also among those praying for peace were Dennis and Marina Serdichenko, who arrived at the service barely an hour after arriving in Cleveland from their home in Odessa, Ukraine, where she was a military chaplain.
“It is getting harder and harder, worse and worse,” Serdichenko told reporters after the 40-minute vigil. “We are actually in great danger. Every day we are under bombing and rocket attacks. It’s hard, but we work and do everything we can to stop this evil and have a victory. We really believe that Ukraine will have freedom, that Ukraine will win.”
At the conclusion of the service, which had the participation of more than two dozen clergy from Roman and Ukrainian Catholic clergy, along with Ukrainian Orthodox and Protestant clergy, those gathered were reminded that in addition to prayers, there are actions they can take to help relieve the suffering of the people of Ukraine.
“Advocate, organize, raise your voices, visit our legislators,” urged Marta Liscynesky-Kelleher, President of the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio. “May God hasten the day that we all gather to celebrate victory.”
Praying and organizing for support was echoed by Lt. Pylypchuk. “Ukraine depends to a great extent on the help that is coming from outside,” he stated, “from the United States, from Europe. Unfortunately, Ukraine is not in a position to manufacture all the things necessary. The people are exhausted physically and financially.”
Bishop Danylo also made a plea for assistance, and encouraged the faithful to keep praying and working toward steps that could bring an end to the war.
“Please help us to have advocacy to the U.S. government,” he asked. “Right now, the Europeans are a little faster than us. We are slowing down the latest 60-billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine. We were the first to help. Ukrainians are not asking for American Marines or soldiers, or the Air Force to fight for us. We just need help to fight this giant. We only want the Russians to leave and to let us live in peace.”
