Archbishop Borys Gudziak Joins African American Catholics in Atlanta and Leads Prayer Rally for Ukraine in Georgia
Most Rev. Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan Archbishop of of Philadelphia if the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, spent Sunday, May 18, in Georgia bearing witness to faith, dignity, and solidarity amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The day began in Atlanta at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, the historic “mother church” for African American Catholics in Georgia. Archbishop Gudziak concelebrated the Sunday liturgy alongside local clergy, joined by the seminarians of the Archeparchy and fellows of the Saint Gabriel Institute — a delegation of Ukrainian clergy and religious leaders visiting the South to deepen connections and raise awareness of the war’s toll on human rights and faith communities.
In his homily, Archbishop Gudziak reflected on the resilience of communities who have suffered deeply. “It’s very easy when you’re a victim to get stuck in your pain,” he said. “But it’s so important when you look at the pain of others and see how they lived with hope and went forward.” His words resonated strongly in a parish shaped by the ongoing struggle for racial justice in America.
Following the liturgy, the Archbishop and the group visited the tombs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, where they prayed a Panachyda. Standing in reverent silence at the resting place of two icons of nonviolent resistance and justice, the delegation offered prayers for their souls.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to Conyers, where Archbishop Gudziak led an ecumenical prayer rally on the grounds of Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church. The rally, co-hosted by Razom for Ukraine and the Saint Gabriel Institute, gathered Christian leaders of various denominations and civic voices in a public cry for justice and peace in Ukraine.
The rally highlighted two of the most grievous humanitarian concerns arising from Russia’s full-scale invasion: the abduction of more than 19,546 Ukrainian children by Russian forces, and the persecution of Christian communities in occupied territories, where clergy are being detained and churches shut down for resisting Kremlin control.
Archbishop Gudziak, who also chairs the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, underlined the power of prayer and the solidarity of other nations. “Your prayer makes bullets miss!”, he said. “It saves lives. It heals wounds. And your generosity keeps the people of Ukraine going.”
ukrcatholic.org
