Pastor: Prayer the ‘greatest weapon’ to bring peace in Ukraine
The pastor of South Orange’s Our Lady of Sorrows Church told those gathered for a March 29 prayer service that asking for God’s intercession will make a difference in ending the evils of war currently being experienced by the Ukrainian people.
“The people of Ukraine need God, the whole world needs God,” Father Brian X. Needles told the more than 100 people in attendance, including several members of North Jersey’s Ukrainian community. “Ukraine is being decimated right now… but as Padre Pio reminds us, prayer is the greatest weapon we have. And tonight, we unleash that weapon.”
In addition to Father Brian’s comments, the prayer service featured music from the Our Lady of Sorrows choir and prayers recited in Ukrainian. Father Sviatoslav Hot, pastor of Maplewood’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Holy Ascension, also thanked those in attendance for supporting Ukraine during its ongoing conflict with Russia. And he asked them to continue praying for the Ukrainians, pointing out that he believes their prayers have motivated the Ukrainian soldiers and saved innocent people’s lives.
This prayer service is not the only time Our Lady of Sorrows Church has supported the people of Ukraine. Father Brian said the parish recently collected $5,888 in donations for Catholic Relief Services’ Ukraine aid, and more funds were collected during the prayer service. Additionally, he said he will continue praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for peace in the region during the parish’s Eucharistic Adorations each week. He hopes all Catholics will “bombard Heaven with prayers” of their own, as well.
“Sometimes when we see what’s going on in the world, it can make us feel powerless — but we’re not,” Father Brian said. “There is nothing more powerful than a simple prayer sent to God. When we talk to God in prayer and beseech His love and His mercy, things can change, even if it’s in ways we did not expect. When we turn to the Lord and seek His power, great things can happen.”
Visit www.olschurch.com for more information on Our Lady of Sorrows Church. For links to organizations that support Ukraine, go to www.rcan.org/where-give-help-ukraine.
Father Brian X. Needles urged those gathered to pray for peace in Ukraine during a prayer service at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange on March 29, 2022. 
More than 100 Catholics from Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange and the North Jersey Ukrainian community gathered to ask God for His intercession in the Ukraine War during a prayer service on March 29, 2022. 
A man bows his head in prayer during a prayer service for peace in Ukraine at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange on March 29, 2022. 
The choir of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange performed during a prayer service for peace in Ukraine on March 29, 2022. 
Father Sviatoslav Hot spoke with parishioners following a prayer service for peace in Ukraine at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange on March 29, 2022.
Featured image: The Ukrainian flag was displayed during a prayer service for peace at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange on March 29, 2022. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera/Our Lady of Sorrows Church)
