Sunday, March 6 the faith community and the community at large came together for a public event to pray for peace and safety in Ukraine and stand in solidarity with her people. This one hour program included words of support from faith leaders of different faiths and backgrounds, prayers, song, silence, personal stories, and call to action.
Thank you to our speakers, especially Rev. Volodymyr Grinchenko, who spoke from the heart about his family, who are still living in Ukraine, and the deep impact the invasion is having on his home country. If you watch nothing else of this video, please take time to listen to his words.
Speakers included:
Rev. Elizabeth Jackson, HARC President, Pastor of Otterbein United Methodist Church
Rabbi Mark Perman, Congregation B’Nai Abraham
Father Dennis Buck, St. Catherine Eastern Orthodox Church
Paula Myers, Baha’i
Rhoda Keener, Hebron Mennonite Church
Rev. Les McIntosh, Impact Ministries
Rev. Ed Poling, Church of the Brethren
Rev. Volodymyr Grinchenko, Clinical Chaplain for Hospice of Washington County
Rev. Valerie Wills, Unitarian Universalist, Interfaith Coordinator
Regrets came from Imam Momin Shahzad, who planned to be there but was unable to make it.
The vigil was organized by the Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) and Congregation B’Nai Abraham.
Ways to donate to the cause (document attached)