Storrs Congregational to Hold Thursday Prayer Vigil for Ukraine

Storrs Congregational Church, UCC will hold a prayer vigil—Prayers for Peace in Ukraine—from 12:15-1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 17. The vigil will take place on the lawn at 2 N. Eagleville Road in front of the church’s Peace Pole. In case of rain, it will be held in the Waggoner Chapel on the church campus.

The service will include music provided by guitarist and retired University of Connecticut Geology Professor Dr. Ray Joesten. The public is invited.

The vigil is a reflection of the congregation’s designation in 2018 as a Just Peace church within the United Church of Christ (UCC), said the Rev. Dr. Debbie Pallatto-Fontaine, the church’s interim pastor. Just Peace is a movement that calls for non-violent action to alleviate systematic injustice of every kind. It affirms the right of people everywhere in the world to basic needs such as food, healthcare, adequate housing, and a safe environment.

"As a Just Peace church, our congregants are committed to advocating for and acting upon issues of peace and justice in our community and beyond,” she said. “We cannot just listen to and read about the current suffering in Ukraine and all who are opposing war in that country. We must use our voice to speak out for peace, not war; love and compassion, not hate.”

SCC’s Peace Pole seemed a fitting setting for the vigil, Pallatto-Fontaine said, as it is a symbol of how SCC puts its mission into action.

The pole features the word “peace” in eight languages, and is rainbow colored, a nod to the congregation’s Open and Affirming policy. Open and Affirming congregations within the United Church of Christ are committed to accepting into full participation in the life of the church people of any age, economic status, gender, marital status, race, sexual orientation, and physical, emotional and mental capability.

The pole was dedicated in April by the congregation’s Just Peace team. It was donated by the Jan Hoyle family and dedicated to the memory of the late Rev. Don Hoyle, a local champion for the environment and other social justice causes.

About Storrs Congregational Church, UCC

Storrs Congregational Church, UCC regularly sponsors outreach activities in the areas of hunger and food justice, refugee resettlement, environmental stewardship, mental health and more. Its

food pantry serves those in need in the greater Tolland and Windham communities.

On March 20, 2022, at 10:00 am, the church will host a Zoom sermon by the Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, a public theologian, author and environmental advocate. Antal’s sermon will be presented via Zoom and also projected on a screen at the front of the church meeting house, located at 2 North Eagleville Road in Storrs. The public is invited to attend in person or view the service on Zoom by accessing the link on the church website at www.storrscongchurch.org A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation and refreshments will be served.

For more information on these and other programs, visit the church website at https://storrscongchurch.org