Page 20 - The Portal magazine - March 2025
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THE P    RTAL                              March 2025                                     Page 20

        On the third anniversary…




        David Chapman reports



            HREE YEARS ago we heard of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. We thought it
        Twould be but a short time before the situation was resolved and Ukraine could enjoy peace once more.
        No-one thought that, three years on, the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile, just off
        London’s Oxford Street, would be filled to capacity with people of many nationalities and faiths, together
        with faith leaders and political representatives, gathered to pray again, most urgently, for peace and justice.


         This ‘Interfaith Prayer Service’ was a                                General Valerii Zaluzhnyi from the
        moving and dignified occasion, presided                              Ukrainian Embassy to the UK told the
        over with his usual warmth by Bishop                                 congregation that for three years the
        Kenneth Nowakowski. After he had called                              people of Ukraine have been fighting
        the large and vociferous congregation to                             for not just their land, but for their
        prayer, Bishop Kenneth spoke movingly                                freedom  and  justice.    “Ukraine  did
        of the shock and sadness he experienced                              not choose this war, but we choose to
        when war broke out – feelings that, sadly,                           fight to defend our cause, our families
        persist to this day. He spoke also with                              and our future.” He said that Ukraine
        immense  gratitude  for  the  support  and                           was “deeply grateful” to the UK. “Your
        friendship the Ukrainians experienced                                support gives us strength and hope.”
        from the British people.                                               Mere words cannot convey the

                                                                             beauty  and  poignancy  of  the  music
         Three candles were brought forward,                                 which was part of this service. The
        representing the three years of warfare.                             VIVO Quartet, the Modus String Trio
        The children of St Mary’s Ukrainian                                  and the Cathedral Choir contributed
        School then sang a song in English:                                  greatly to the prayerful atmosphere.
               This is what we want.                                         After the closing prayer by the Very
               This is what we need.                                         Revd Fr Bohdan Matwijczuk of the
               Together we strive for peace.                                 Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox
                                                                             Church there were two anthems. The
         Fr Taras Mykhalchuk, Pastor of Ss.                                  final one was our National Anthem,
        Peter & Paul’s Garrison Church in Lviv,                              the tune of which is sometimes
        spoke of his ministry there – including                              criticised as being banal. Not so on
        funerals every day. He impressed on us                               this occasion – it was most beautifully
        the need to pray, to hope and to love and                            sung  and accompanied  by  the
        these themes were repeated throughout       P ic tur es: © B asil  Y oudell  musicians and became a real prayer,
                                                    Pictures: © Basil Youdell
        the service. It was most noticeable that              signifying the gratitude of the Ukraine to this country
        there was no bitterness or anger expressed – as well   – its King, its leaders and its people. Before that was
        there might have been – but that there should be      the  Spiritual  Anthem  of  Ukraine, and  although  the
        prayer that justice and peace should prevail.         translation is hardly as poetic as the original, a couple
                                                              of verses will be a fitting end to this article:
         Prayers were offered by The Right Revd Dame
        Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London from the Church of          Lord, O the Great and Almighty
        England; by Archbishop Nikitas Loulias, of the Greek         protect our beloved Ukraine.
        Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain;         Bless her with the freedom and light
        by Archbishop Anba Angaelos OBE of the Coptic                of your holy rays.
        Orthodox Church and by Bishop James Curry of the             Bless us with freedom.
        Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster. Each of               Bless us with wisdom.
        these urged, in their own styles, prayer for the people      Guide us into a kind world.
        of Ukraine and for peace. Perhaps the most powerful          Bless us, O Lord with good fortune
        prayer was that offered by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg         for ever and evermore.
        of the New London Synagogue and Senior Rabbi of        To which let us all offer a fervent AMEN.
        Masorti Judaism.
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