People Pack Into Ukranian Church In Denver For First Mass Since Russian Invasion Began

(CBS4) - Sunday marked Day 4 of the crisis in Ukraine, and dozens of people in the community came out to a Ukrainian church in Denver, not only to support those overseas, but also the thousands living in the state.

"The world changed last week," said James Foy. "My friend is a Ukrainian immigrant, I see the pain she's going through."

The 10:30 a.m. mass at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on Shoshone Street brought feelings of somberness and worry for many.

"When you think of an invasion of an independent sovereign nation in the 21st century, it's like 'OK,' you kind of think enough is enough and you got to draw the line," said Ross Jacobs Meyer, who attended the mass with his wife Mojgan Taherynia for the first time.

It's the first Sunday service since the war in Ukraine began. Parishioners and community members filled nearly every seat in the church, many dedicating the mass to the Ukrainian people.

"I'm frankly ashamed as an American on how we've treated and bailed on other countries," said Glenn Gaines, who also attended the church for the first time.

Taherynia knows what it's like to live in a country that's at war. She was a child in Iran when the country was at war with Iraq.

"It breaks my heart," said Taherynia. "And it brings all that horror, air raids and everything, back to me. It really, I have kind of like personal emotion for it."

Solomiya Kandyuk has family living and fighting in Ukraine. She fears what the future will bring for them as the war continues.

"The war is just useless," said Kandyuk. "I would just want the Russian soldiers and Putin to leave Ukraine alone because we did not ask for this, because we did not want this to happen."