War in Ukraine

A broken rosary has become the inspiration to heal the war-torn nation of Ukraine, thanks to the efforts of a Philadelphia-area Ukrainian Catholic man and a dedicated group of volunteers.

Marking the first anniversary of the Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and praying that God will “have mercy and save us” and “convert those who foster aggression and war,” Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of Philadelphia, led a March 7 ecumenical prayer service for peace at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

In a country that has become one big conflict zone, the war has galvanized religious communities to open their doors to those who have been displaced and to lead various humanitarian missions.

Catholics throughout the U.S. are standing in solidarity with Ukraine, as that nation marks the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marks its first anniversary, the U.S. bishops’ international policy chairman pleaded for peace amid a war that has left “no corner of the globe untouched.”