Thousands to walk Via Dolorosa today in Jerusalem with prayer for Ukraine

Orthodox believers from Ukraine and various corners of the earth will walk the Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow, bearing copies of famous wonderworking icons of the Mother of God from Ukraine, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“Every year, on Holy Friday in Jerusalem they have a cross procession along those streets where the feet of Christ the Savior stepped, Who bore His heavy Cross. The rite of this procession is celebrated every year, headed by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine,” said Met. Anthony (Pakanich), Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“The mission ‘The Way of the Lord in Prayer for Ukraine’ is a large-scale procession organized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This procession is a doubly-special prayer for our much-suffering Ukraine,” the hierarch continued. The idea for the mission first appeared in Eastern Ukraine, where war has continued unabated for three years already.

“This is a special prayer that unites Jerusalem and Ukraine. Parishioners of our Eastern dioceses took the initiative for such a procession. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry blessed this prayer. Icons from all corners of Ukraine are brought to Jerusalem. At the same time, prayers are offered at these icons in northern, southern, eastern, western, and central Ukraine. We, faithful people, place all of our hope in God, and therefore we believe that the Lord, Who suffered during these days in Jerusalem, and the Mother of God, who was present, will certainly help,” said Met. Anthony.

Following the procession along the Way of Sorrow, organizers will present the icons to Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem in his residence on the eve of Holy Saturday, with a request for prayer for Ukraine.