Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Friday is a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine
February 15, 2024
Two years ago, Bishop Mykola Bychok, eparch of Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, proclaimed that Friday be a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine.
The official episcopal decree, published on February 16, 2022, contains five clear instructions and calls to the clergy and faithful of the Melbourne Eparchy, which are intended to encourage us to pray and fast for peace in our Motherland. In particular, the bishop encourages his congregation to:
1. That all the faithful of our Eparchy reserve each Friday as a day of private prayer.
2. That Friday becomes a day of strict fasting.
3. All priests, deacons, and sisters to arrange communal prayer with their parishioners in their churches or convents each Friday.
4. All priests are to include the petitions for peace in Ukraine at every Divine Liturgy, during the Insistent Litany.
5. At the conclusion of the Sunday Divine Liturgy, the congregation sing the prayer for Ukraine “God, the Great, the only one.”
The decree takes effect on Friday, February 18, 2022, and will stay in effect until recalled. Therefore, approaching the 2nd anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine, we would like to remind all the faithful about this document and encourage special prayer and fasting for Ukraine. After all, Christ says, “But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).
