Some of the hundreds of people who gathered February 28 at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church for a prayer vigil for the Ukrainian people. Several hundred people gathered February 28 outside the St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church the evening of February 28 to participate in a candlelight vigil for the people of Ukraine. Hosted by Archbishop Daniel, President of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, participants were led in prayer and song for the roughly 90-minute ceremony. Prelates from around the country also attended, as did the Ukrainian Consul General in New York, Oleksii Golubov. Among the Franklin dignitaries in attendance was state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, state Sen. Bob Smith., Mayor Phil Kramer, Deputy Mayor Crystal Pruitt, Township Council member Ed Potosnak, Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka, and Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo Among those speaking was Gov. Phil Murphy, who told the Ukrainians in attendance that the state "stands with you." Speaking of Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, Murphy said he started "an unprovoked invasion, a war of choice by a thug at the top of a kleptocracy who plays by his own rules and is putting millions and millions of lives at risk. I don’t think he ever expected to see solidarity like this tonight." "We stand together in prayer, we pray for peace, we pray for the souls of those who have been lost and sadly will be lost, ... and the many other innocent millions of Ukrainians who we pray to remain alive and safe," Murphy said. "We pray for people around the world, including here in New Jersey and including in Russia who are reasonable people who stand with Ukraine in solidarity." "I promise each and every one of you ... to be all Ukrainian every single night right until an end that keeps as many folks alive and in good health as possible," he said. "The state of New Jersey stands with you, the United States of America stands with you, and we will never, ever, ever waiver." The Franklin Reporter & Advocate live-streamed the vigil:
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