Candlelight prayer vigil for Ukraine planned in Southport

Two organizations in Southport are coming together to support Ukraine in a spiritual way.

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — Two organizations in Southport are coming together to support Ukraine in a spiritual way.

The Southport Interchurch Fellowship and Southport Indivisible are hosting a candlelight prayer vigil at the peace post on the waterfront at 6 pm on Friday. Reverend Deacon Sally Learned says the group of 17 churches organizes to meet the needs of the vulnerable people in the community.

“While we do that, we know that we’re not alone and we’re a part of a bigger global community,” Learned said. “The pain and the war devastation that is occurring to the Ukrainians, the threat to their sovereignty and their democracy. We have wondered what to do.”

The Reverend believes as a people of compassion, it’s critically important to send intentions out into the world.

“When we intentionally put our prayer and our intentions out there, we send our energy out into the world that God or whatever higher power we wish to call that takes that energy and manifests that into the world,” Learned said.

They invite people of any belief system to join them in sending prayer and intentions of peace and healing to the people of Ukraine.

“We think of ourselves as being at the end of the road in Southport and at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, but in this event, I look at us as being as close as we could possibly be to the people of Ukraine, that we can reach across the ocean and send our intent and prayers to them,” Learned said.

If you would like to participate, the group asks you to show up a little before 6 pm to get settled and bring a candle with you. They plan to have flyers with information on how to help Ukraine financially and through other donations at the event.