More than 30 parishioners of St. Luke, Toms River, prayed the Rosary for Peace in Ukraine March 21 as they walked from their church to nearby St. Stephen Ukrainian Catholic Church.

“We felt the support from cars as they drove by honking, waving and taking pictures,” said Joann Hall, member of and Baptism coordinator for St. Luke Parish. “When we arrived at St. Stephen, we were welcomed by more than 75 St. Luke and St. Stephen parishioners, who had also prayed the Rosary.”

The group of prayer pilgrims prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Litany of Our Lady of Victory, and sang the songs “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “O Spomahaj Nas,” which calls on the protection of our Blessed Mother.

The parishes of St. Luke and St. Stephen are about 1.3 miles apart, Hall noted. Those who couldn’t walk the distance met the group at St. Stephen’s.

“Once we all arrived, their pastor led us in prayer and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” Hall continued. “We sang ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth,’ and the Ukrainian parishioners also sang for us in their native language.

“At the end of our prayer service, both Father Bob [Grodnicki, pastor,] and Father Volodymyr Popyk [pastor of St. Stephen’s] pledged that this is just the first step in building our Catholic community and the friendship between [our parishes],” she observed. “The two pastors have a commitment to celebrate prayer services for peace at the two parishes on alternate months. We plan to invite them to St. Luke after Easter.”