RI Ukrainian Community Prays For Peace Amid Russian Invasion

WOONSOCKET, RI — St. Michael the Archangel, a Ukrainian Catholic church in Woonsocket, has celebrated its faith and culture since the parish started in the 1890s. But on Thursday night, the community's prayers called for peace in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country.

The Rev. Mykhaylo Dosyak, a priest at the church, said he was heartbroken watching the news Wednesday night. Dosyak said his mother, sister and the rest of his family still live in Ukraine.

"I didn't sleep all night," Dosyak said. "I said goodbye to my mom, because I don't know if I'll see her again."

The church service was small, with about a dozen churchgoers in attendance. But their voices were loud as they said prayers in unison. Dosyak led the church in prayers for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, especially children.

"For the kids, because that kid is supposed to have a nice childhood, but now they [the country] go to war," Dosyak said in one of the prayers.

Others at the Mass said they were clinging to their faith as they hoped for peace.

"I'm praying in Ukrainian. I have a Ukrainian identity as my ancestry," said Sylvester Pitka, a fifth-generation Ukrainian. "Then I was raised in Serbia and immigrated to America. Three noncompeting life channels. It's my foundation."

Dosyak called on world leaders in the United States, Europe and around the world not just to denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin but also to find a way to stop him.

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He told the church community that Putin was "sick" and that his actions will lead to World War III if nothing is done. Dosyak also criticized the response of the U.S. and the rest of NATO, he told Patch.

"They're doing almost nothing," Dosyak said. "They're just talking, but sanctions don't work. I don't know what to say. I'm not a politician. I'm a priest."

Pitka also criticized Putin but added that his focus was mostly on the suffering of the Ukrainian people in Ukraine, in the United States and abroad. He said it's important for anyone who knows someone with ties to Ukraine to find a way to support them.

"The best way to approach is to ask what they really need in support," Pitka said. "It's hard for people to understand what Ukrainian people are going through."