By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our newsletter
ROCKFORD — In the days since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, Catalina Suchoski said her days have been filled with two things: tears and prayer.
On Monday, as she stood outside Christ the Savior Orthodox Church on the city’s south side, the native of Argentina whose parents are Russian and Ukrainian did both. This time, however, she was flanked by nearly 200 people united in both their faith and concern for Ukraine.
“We have to work through it and prayer is the only thing right now we can do,” said Suchoski, who came to this country in 1961 and to Rockford in 1963. “We need peace, and we’re all united into it.”
Photos: Candlelight vigil for Ukraine at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Rockford
The church that hosted the candlelight prayer vigil was founded roughly seven decades ago by refugees from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Faith leaders from several different Christian denominations and other religions joined together to pray for an end to the war.
“Because there are so many Christians who are responding with the love of Christ, I’m not surprised the streets were filled this evening,” said the Rev. Jonathan Bannon, who led the prayer service.
“People are wondering what they can do right now, and we really don’t want to underestimate the opportunity to simply pray,” he said. “That’s one of the strongest tools we have when we feel helpless.”
(story continues below photo)
Bannon led prayers in both English and Slavonic, a liturgical language shared in Eastern Europe. He said that many church members still have ties to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries, as well as members who are recent refugees from Syria.
“Yesterday the church was packed with tons of people praying for an end to the suffering,” he said. “People really cling to their faith, especially when you have a situation where even people in Russia don’t know why what’s happening is happening.”
Suchoski, who a day earlier attended a prayer service delivered in Russian at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Church in Rock City, was married and her children were baptized at Christ the Savior in Rockford. She said prayer has been healing for her, but she still worries daily for Ukrainian people, including family members she still has living in the country.
She said she has been calling, texting and crying daily as she prays for their safety.
“We went through too much bloodshed in this world, absolutely, and we don’t need another war,” she said. “It needs to be stopped. For us here, for our grandkids and our great grandkids.”
Photos: Candlelight vigil for Ukraine at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Rockford
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.