Ukrainian Catholics gathered in Holy Name Cathedral on Feb. 24 to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to pray for the dead from the ongoing war.

Cardinal Cupich joined Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Chicago, along with priests and laypeople and interreligious leaders, for a “panakhida,” a Ukrainian memorial prayer in which the dead are prayed for and are commended to God.

The service began with the singing of both the U.S. and Ukrainian national anthems. People filled the cathedral to near capacity. Some participants draped Ukrainian flags over their shoulders.

After the memorial service, Cardinal Cupich and Bishop Aleksiychuk offered remarks followed by prayers led by representatives of various religious communities including the Armenian Orthodox Church and the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist communities. 

During the service, Cardinal Cupich recalled visiting Poland and Ukraine during the summer of 2023.

“As I met people of all ages forced to flee their homeland, a profound sadness overcame me,” he said. “They told me stories of family members killed defending their homeland, of the destruction of their homes and towns, of family separation, of leaving behind their lives and livelihoods, yes even the barbaric abduction of children. In Ukraine, I traveled to areas where people were massacred for no reason other than they were walking down the street or searching for food. I walked through cemeteries created to bury soldiers and other victims of the war. I prayed in a church where hundreds of funerals had been held since the war began.”

He also witnessed the courage of Ukrainian people and the compassion of the Polish people coming to the aid of their neighbors.

“The world must stand with Ukraine and tell the truth,” the cardinal said. “Peace can only be built on truth. What is the truth? (1.) Ukraine is not the aggressor in this war. (2.) The invasion by Russia was unprovoked and in breach of international law and the UN Charter. (3.) Ukraine’s sovereignty was violated, a sovereignty that was promised by the guarantor states when Ukraine disarmed the third biggest nuclear arsenal in the world over all of its nuclear weaponry having received security assurances against the threat or use of force against its territory or political independence. The United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom made this commitment when they signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on Dec. 5, 1994.”

Twenty years after Ukraine was assured of its freedom, Russia invaded, making it clear that it did not recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty, he said.

“I witnessed firsthand the destruction and the displacement of people. I was in Bucha and saw the results of the massacre of innocent victims by Russian troops,” Cardinal Cupich said. “To deny any of this and make Ukraine the aggressor is false and must be rejected. Ukraine wants peace but it also wants everyone to tell the truth. The world should stand by Ukraine with respect for its heroism and its right to live in freedom and peace.”

That peace can only come if the truth is told, he said.

“I have come to learn and value Ukraine’s history, culture, language, traditions and heritage,” he told the congregation. “The war is not just about annexing territory, it is also about Russia’s refusal to recognize Ukrainians as a people with their own identity and Ukraine as an independent sovereign state. If Russia were to succeed in this regard, the entire world would suffer a great loss. So tonight let us pray for and honor the dead, remember those suffering each day from the invasion and pray for peace, but let us also tell the truth, so that the peace being pursued will be a lasting peace and not a pretend peace that will only lead to more destruction, more death and more broken promises.”

Tatyana Nedoshytko was one of many people from Ukraine who attended in the service to pray for their home country.

“So many victims, so many civilians, so many warriors have died, and it shouldn’t be in vain,” Nedoshytko said.

It is time for the fight, which is not a new one, to end, she said.

“We can’t live in this constant pain thinking we are always under threat,” she said. “We can’t be threatened all of the time. We don’t wish anyone anything evil. We just want to live free, be free. We believe the next generation shouldn’t have to go through the tortures like we experience now or what past generations had to go through.”

Andriy Zajac, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago, attended the service with his family.

“We know a great many people in Ukraine who’ve had to flee,” Zajac said. “Many people have had to essentially upend their livelihoods to go to neighboring countries — especially the families and kids. It’s horrible what they are going through.”

The war in Ukraine has changed Zajac’s perspective on Ukraine.

“It’s definitely gotten me a lot more proud of my Ukrainian heritage, especially in contrast, in opposition to what we are facing as a people, as a country,” he said. “I find it quite inspiring that even if for a moment we had the world united with us, and people were actually paying attention and listening to us for what many would call a first time.”

The changes in relations between the United States and Ukraine have made things more difficult, he noted.

“There’s an air of unease, and that’s part of why I’m here today to show that we’re still here and we’re still fighting,” Zajac said.