OLYPHANT, Pa. — Fr. Nestor Iwasiw has been praying for peace in Ukraine for the last several weeks, but on Thursday morning, those prayers grew more urgent, after Russia launched an invasion there.
"The only way we can overcome this evil is through prayer," Fr. Iwasiw said.
Fr. Iwasiw is the pastor at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church in Olyphant. His parents are from the country that is now under attack by Russian forces.
"It just leaves you speechless. That's where our church originated in Kyiv, so it's really sad to see what's going on over there."
He's been offering special petitions during recent services. Parishioners are reaching out asking what else they can do.
"It's very worrisome. Here we have a country that was independent, and some enemy comes in and tries to take it over. And it's just not right."
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