On Sunday evening, March 27, hundreds gathered in-person at Christ Church Cathedral and online for an interfaith vigil for peace in Ukraine co-sponsored by EquaSion. In collaboration with the charity organizations Matthew 25: Ministries and Cincy4Ukraine, attendees were encouraged to donate clothing items or money for the people of Ukraine. 29 different faith organizations representing eight world religions supported and publicized the event.
The vigil program included first-person accounts from Ukrainians interwoven with prayers from faith leaders across the region and followed by beautiful musical numbers. Nazly Mamedova, a Ukrainian American attorney, narrated war experiences from Ukrainians, revealing atrocities and heartache mixed with glimpses of pride and hope. Each told by different people, the five stories reflected the perspectives of a child, mother, father, post-invasion emails from residents of Cincinnati’s Sister City Kharkiv, and those praying for all who have died in the war.
Faith representatives, Dean Owen Thompson, Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas Sr., Sasha Naiman, Inayat K. Malik, M.D, Chief Priest Acharya Kailash Sharma, Deacon John Gerke, and Bishop Wayne Smith, spoke after each Ukrainian account and offered wisdom and prayers. Representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, each had messages of unity, responsibility, love for one another, and the importance of working together for peace and justice.
Credit: C.K. Wang, Esq.
“For one hour I was as close as I could be, spiritually, to the suffering people of Ukraine,” said Chip Harrod, EquaSion’s Executive Director. “I was in the company of other persons of faith, of many faiths, who likewise wanted and needed this closeness and this opportunity to demonstrate our unity of concern and support.”
The evening ended with reverence for those who have died in the war. Before the final prayer in honor of the fallen, Dean Owen Thompson led a moment of silence for those who have been lost.
Watch online: Cincinnati’s interfaith vigil for peace in Ukraine.
If you are interested in donating to Ukrainian refugees, donations can still be made to Matthew 25: Ministries, which is currently shipping aid to Ukraine and to the surrounding areas to help people impacted by the conflict through these links: Matthew 25: Ministries online donation page, Matthew 25: Ministries’ list of items needed: https://m25m.org/disaster/ukraine22/. Donations benefit Matthew 25: Ministries and their work with the Ukraine Crisis. Enter the word “Ukraine” in the Special Purpose field of the online form and 100% of your donation will go to their Ukraine relief work.
Learn more about Cincy4Ukraine, a charity founded by Ukrainian Americans residing in Cincinnati that ships donated items to Ukrainian citizens still in their country.