In his March 15 daily message, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, pleaded with “the powerful of the world” to “do everything to stop this war.”

“God is on the side of the victims of this unjust aggression,” he said. “Our priests are in the occupied territories, in the besieged cities, and alongside our people share their pain, hardships, suffering, shedding tears with them, praying with them. Our parishes have turned into social service centers, where a lot of people can receive shelter and basic necessities for survival.”

“We are fasting and praying,” he added. “First and foremost, we are praying for our army. I encourage everyone to pray the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary at least once a day for our girls and boys who are dying for Ukraine today, shedding their blood.”