BOSTON -- At a special Mass on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley led the faithful of the archdiocese in joining Pope Francis' consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, praying for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.

The Mass took place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, with special guests representing the local Ukrainian Catholic community. Cardinal O'Malley was the principal celebrant, and Bishop Robert Reed was the homilist. The event was broadcast live on CatholicTV.

In his homily, Bishop Reed spoke about the significance of the feast of the Annunciation in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

"Our prayers are very much with the millions of suffering and displaced people, as well as those who are fighting on both sides. We seek peace, and we believe those words spoken by the angel Gabriel -- we believe them with all of our hearts -- that 'nothing will be impossible with God,'" Bishop Reed said.

He also spoke of the ongoing battle of people of faith against the devil and recommended the intercession of the Blessed Mother as a chief weapon.

"She knows of our present struggle. She feels our anxiety and our sorrow," Bishop Reed said.

After the Mass, Father Yaroslav Nalysnyk was invited by the cardinal to address the assembly. He is the pastor of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Jamaica Plain and also serves as a chaplain at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Father Nalysnyk said that after the invasion of Ukraine, his patients told him they were less worried about their own diagnoses and prognoses than they were about the Ukrainian people and "our common future, our common humanity."

He recalled his visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help two weeks earlier. After the prayer service, he was approached by a 10-year-old boy who had seen on television that a child in Mariupol died because of a lack of water. The boy offered his pocket money to Father Nalysnyk and asked him to send it to Ukraine to buy food and water so no more children would die.

Father Nalysnyk said that boy "shows us the best of what humanity can offer to the suffering people in Ukraine: love, compassion, empathy, solidarity, and tangible help."

He said many of his parishioners and patients have asked him where God is in this tragedy. His answer to them, he said, is that God is with every person suffering now.

"In this liturgy, we want to send a message of hope, a message of peace, a message of freedom, and a message of solidarity against evil, war, and destruction," Father Nalysnyk said.

He also spoke about the history of the Ukrainian Church, which is the largest Eastern rite in the Catholic Church. Under the regime of the Soviet Union, many Ukrainian bishops, priests, and laypeople became martyrs, and the Church functioned underground. Father Nalysnyk shared that he was ordained secretly in an underground church in 1990, one year before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Father Nalysnyk said his parish has adopted the motto, "Prayer, truth, and action." He encouraged all listening to adopt this motto by praying for peace, speaking the truth about Ukraine's unique cultural identity, and offering support.

He said the season of Lent reminds them that the agony of Christ's Passion on Good Friday is followed by his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

"Ukraine is wounded now and bleeding, going through her own passion, but will arise again with the power of the resurrected Christ," Father Nalysnyk said.

Myron Kravchuk also addressed the assembly, representing Ukraine Forward, a nonprofit based out of Christ the King Ukrainian Church.

Following his pastor's remarks, Kravchuk spoke about Ukraine Forward's work to collect and transport medical supplies for the people of Ukraine. They are in contact with doctors and hospitals in Ukraine, who provide them with lists of items needed. Kravchuk explained that there are three ways people can contribute: through monetary donations, Amazon wish lists, and lists of supplies that can be purchased in stores.

After the consecration, Kravchuk handed out flyers with information about Ukraine Forward to those leaving the cathedral. He told The Pilot that they are grateful for the help they have received from the people of Boston.

"We really feel the support, and we're super grateful for that," he said.

Cardinal O'Malley also spoke before concluding the Mass, leading the assembly in praying the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The cardinal said many of those present were old enough to recall the decades of the Cold War, when the faithful would pray after every Mass for the conversion of Russia and peace in the world.

"We lived to see the Iron Curtain fall and the Berlin Wall fall, and now we're horrified to see this Cold War begin again. But we all believe in the power of prayer," he said.

The cardinal said the first consecration to the Blessed Mother took place when Jesus told the Apostle John, "Behold your mother."

"Today, we consecrate our world, especially the Ukrainian people and Russia, to her loving intercession," he said.