The Rev. Yurii Bobko, pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Lyndora and a native of Ukraine, prays for peace in his homeland as he leads services Sunday morning.

The mood among worshipers Sunday morning at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church was sadness and anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion into a country where many have relatives or a connection through lineage, but there was hope and faith that God will bring peace.

After the Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m., the Rev. Yurii Bobko’s sermon focused solely on the invasion.

“As Christians, we have gathered here the last two days to pray for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” said Bobko, who was born and raised in Ukraine. “Prayer, for Christians, is the most powerful weapon.”

He asked his congregation of about 30 to remember Ukrainians in their daily lives and prayers, and to pray the invasion does not escalate into a larger scale war in which Putin could use nuclear weapons.

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