Prayers for Ukraine

At St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday, February 27, Bishop Paul Bird asked for Prayers for Ukraine in his homily.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has prepared a statement on the unfolding violence in Ukraine, quoting Conference president Archbishop Mark Coleridge and Bishop Mykola Bychok, the leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia.

Bishop Bychok (pictured right) explained that the Russian invasion will result in “many more dead and injured, millions of refugees, more tears and pain”. The latest conflict follows years of suffering for the people in Ukraine, he said. Archbishop Coleridge, following on from Pope Francis, has urged Australian parishes, schools and other Catholic communities to make Ash Wednesday (March 2) a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Ukraine.

Bishop's Statement

Image on news item: A natural heritage site in Ukraine, Артем Жеребцов, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

We are a community of communities from the Murray to the sea.
Inspired by the Gospel and nourished by the Eucharist, we follow the example of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, reaching out in joyful and humble service, caring for all of God’s creation, growing in love day by day and looking forward to life with God forever.

Diocesan Vision Statement

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands in which the Diocese of Ballarat sits. We would like to pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders past, present and future. Their wisdom can help us care for the earth, our common home.

- Acknowledgement of Country -