London: Mayor Sadiq Khan, Boris Johnson, attend prayer service on anniversary of Ukraine invasion

Bishop Nowakowski and Mayor Sadiq Khan with St Mary's Ukrainian School Choir Image: ICN/JS

A large congregation gathered at London's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral yesterday for a moving prayer service for peace, led by Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski. The church was adorned with 462 paper angels, representing children known to have been killed during the invasion. Many people wore blue and yellow ribbons - the colours of Ukraine.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, were among VIPs attending, together with faith leaders: Archbishop John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark, with his newly-ordained auxiliary, Bishop Philip Moger, Mgr Keith Newton from the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg of the New North London Synagogue, the Anglican Bishop of Fulham, Jonathan Baker, Archbishop Nikitas of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain and Fr Bohdan Matwijiwczuk of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

A screen on one side of the altar showed photographs of people who have lost their lives in the war.

The service began with a rousing hymn sung by St Mary's Ukrainian School choir: "In the meadow a red kalina is bent low .. but we will raise it up."

After a welcome from Bishop Nowakowski , faith and community leaders were invited to light candles - there were 52 - one for each week of the war.

During the service, Bishop Nowakowski prayed: "Open the eyes of those who have been overtaken by a spirit of deception and violence, that they be horrified by their works."

Rabbi Wittenberg read from the book of Esther, including the passage: "And now, Lord God, King of Abraham, spare your people, for your enemies regard us with deadly envy and are bent upon destroying the inheritance that was yours from the beginning." (Esther 13:15) The Rabbi recalled the bombardment of the Babyn Yar memorial in Kyiv by Russian forces last March. This monument marks the site of Nazi massacres of Jews during the Holocaust.

Fr Jan Novotnik, a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and the Church's national ecumenical officer for England and Wales, read the Beatitudes from St Matthew's Gospel (5:1-12).

After a time of prayer, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Mr Vadym Prystaiko addressed the congregants denouncing the war and calling for peace.

Mr Khan said Russia must pay for its crimes and aggression, the international community could have acted quicker to help and that Ukraine's "valour inspired the world".

He said: "One year ago, Ukraine was threatened by tyranny. The future of your nation was uncertain… Your borders were breached and many of your cities encircled. It looked like all hope was lost, but then something remarkable happened - Ukrainians didn't roll over, you resisted.

"Orthodox Christians, Jews, Catholics, Muslims and men and women of other faiths all stood together, united under one flag and by one unshakeable belief… A belief that all Ukrainians have the right to choose their own destiny. Your valour inspired the world."

During the service Boris Johnson was cheered by the congregation before he left. Sadiq Khan also received a strong ovation after his address.

At the end of the service, the cathedral choir sang the Ukrainian anthem: "Lord, O the Great and Almighty" praying for God's protection and blessing.

Many stayed on in the Cathedral for a minute of silence - led by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street and in churches and communities across the UK.

Visitors were also shown the Ukrainian Welcome Centre, set up just after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia last year.

The Ukrainian Welcome Centre is a partnership initiative between the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. It is supported by UK Government departments and many non-governmental, religious and charity organisations, private sector, and individual sponsors. Designed to help Ukrainian nationals arriving in Great Britain after being displaced by Russia's war against their country, the centre is a point of contact for all essential information for arrival, settling and long-term living in the UK as well as a social hub helping Ukrainians stay connected to their culture and heritage. For more information if you a Ukrainian looking for support, or a British person interested in getting involved - either hosting a refugee or assisting in some other way - see the link below.

Later in the afternoon there was an Ecumenical Memorial Service at the Statue of St Volodymyr the Great in Holland Park by the Ukrainian Institute. Many participants went from here to a peace vigil outside the Russian Embassy.

LINKS

To see a further report, more pictures and an interview with Bishop Nowakowski visit the Bishops Conference site: www.cbcew.org.uk/prayer-service-and-minutes-silence-marks-first-anniversary-of-the-invasion-of-ukraine/

Ukrainian Welcome Centre: www.ukrainianwelcomecentre.org/

Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ukrainianchurch/