On September 20, at the Vienna Cathedral of St.Stephan, the Medjugor prayer for peace was held. Stanislav Shirokoradyuk OFM, ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol, took part therein.
Metropolitan Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna led a six-hour prayer service for peace in Ukraine at the cathedral, the official website of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine has reported, citing KAI.
Bishop Shirokoradyuk spoke about the life of Odessa in wartime, reiterating the importance of prayer. "Prayer for peace is the most important support that Ukraine now receives from all over the world. Because without the help of God, peace is not possible," the Bishop stressed.
The Ordinary of the Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol spoke about the faithful who had been gathering in the church for prayer since the beginning of the Russian attack. He saw confirmation that prayer, especially for the dead, is a great power and it is crucial for peace.
"Odessa has experienced many miracles," the Bishop said. Three times Russian warships targeted Odessa, but then they always turned around. Twice they did it because of a strong storm at sea, and the third time because the ship's crew decided to refrain from attacking. To date, Odessa is not occupied and "a certain normality" reigns in the city, despite the ongoing missile attacks and 40 thousand internally displaced persons.
Priests and sisters of the diocese remained in their places to pray with people and support them spiritually, even in the territories of the diocese that are already occupied by Russia, such as Kherson. The Bishop also cited the example of Austria, when a strong prayer movement emerged in the Alpine Republic after 1945, the penitentiary rosary campaign (Crusade of Reparation of the Holy Rosary for Peace in the World) initiated by the Franciscan Fr. Petrus Pavlicek. This country has become independent in 10 years – and this example gives great hope.