The
symbiotic and profound prayers offered up from the altar, the choir loft
and the nave of
the Church were out of this world, reflecting what indeed we
are to experience
as we enter in the Heavenly Kingdom during Divine Liturgy.
Archbishop
Antony spoke in his sermon about the need to celebrate the Patron
Feast Day of
the parish by making important choices about who and what we
are. We must
reflect God’s love into the lives of others and make the
cathedral church a
haven for those seeking Christ in a very dangerous and
secularized world.
The bishop reminded all present that at the moment of
their baptism into the
Faith, the priest prayed that God would assign them a
Guardian Angel, who would
be their guide throughout life, through whom God
would speak to them.
Throughout all the liturgical services of the Church
we pray to God asking for
an “angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardian for
our souls and
bodies”. He called upon all present to remember that
the ONLY
mission of Christ’s Church – our Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church – is
the
salvation of souls. Nothing of any nature may interfere with or
supersede
this mission. We all must take our rightful place in
accomplishing this
mission – regardless of our status in society and regardless
of the our comprehension
of our talents. To those who are faithful to the
mission and willing to
serve, much will be given through the Holy Spirit.
A
very moving moment of the Liturgy came when a youth choir led by Panimatka
Marta Steliacsang an ancient version of the Lord’s Prayer, which the Archbishop
heard for the first time in the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate of the
Romanian Orthodox
Church in Romania,
during the consecration of a renovated Cathedral back in
1997. He heard
this beautiful hymn sung by over six thousand people and
to hear the youth sing
it again literally brought tears to the eyes of
Archbishop Antony and the
faithful present.
At the end of the Liturgy His Eminence greeted Fr. Volodymyr
on the
occasion of his tenth anniversary as pastor of St. Andrew
Cathedral. The
Archbishop had the opportunity to dine with the parish
board on Saturday
evening and was moved by their united expression of their
gratitude for the
appointment of Fr. Volodymyr as their parish priest.
His Eminence
reflected on the fundamental transformation and extensive growth
of the parish
under Fr. Volodymyr’s leadership.
After the Liturgy everyone was
invited to St. Andrew Parish Social
Center, where another moment of awe greeted
the guests, the hall elegantly
decorated and the appetizer table
bountiful. Mindful that this Feast Day
takes place during Christmas Lent,
the Sisterhood prepared a most delicious
fresh salmon with crabmeat and shrimp
dinner, accompanied by imaginative
salads, side dishes, and a tiramisu dessert
and selected wines that made the
dinner most memorable. Although there
was no charge for this elegant
dinner, the parishioners and guests nevertheless
provided generous and
heartfelt donations.
During the banquet program Board
President, Tamara Woroby announced the
recipients of the parish’s annual awards
to parishioners who exemplified the
true spirit of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and
faithfulness to the mission of the
Church. The “Lifetime Achievement Award” was
presented to Olena Varvariv by his
Eminence Archbishop Antony in behalf of the
whole parish, for her life long
contributions and example of devotion to the
Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew.
She was described by her Spiritual Father as
one who cared about those who
strayed away from the Church and always
encouraged Father to reach out to them.
The “Parishioner of the Year Award” was
presented by His Eminence to Hanja
Cherniak for her significant contributions
to the parish during the past year,
above and beyond the call of duty including
her continued service as parish
treasurer and her untiring, active
participation and leadership in parish
events. Ambassador Motsyk greeted
Fr. Steliac at his tenth anniversary in
the parish and thanked him for his
leadership in the Ukrainian community of
Greater Washington, D.C. and his
support of Ukrainian Embassy programs and
events. The Ambassador thanked
the parish for its open and welcoming
atmosphere for all who enter its doors.
Priests from the Ukrainian Catholic
parishes were also present and greeted Fr.
Volodymyr and the parish.
Sisterhood President Nadia Kolesnyk presented three
checks to the
Archbishop for important Funds in the life of the Church:
$1,000 for our
History and Education Complex Museum, $1,000 for St. Sophia
Seminary and $1,000
for assistance in making repairs to several buildings at
the Metropolia Center
following damage caused by hurricane Irene. The
Bingo Workers group –
even though Bingo no longer exists in the parish – still
supports the parish
and our Church. Mr. George Czumak, President of the
Group presented a
check for $1,000 to the Archbishop to be utilized for the
same three purposes.
Parish children rounded out the day’s program as
they performed Christmas
carols and danced a charming Ukrainian dance,
entertaining a most appreciative
and large crowd of parishioners and guests
present. Fr. Volodymyr closed the
program with the official expressions of
gratitude to all who participated in
the celebration, to the Sisterhood for a
wonderful mean, to all who
participated in any way in the preparations for the
day. Everyone felt
the day was spiritually uplifting and, as the events
drew to a close, left with
wonderful memories of an amazing day.
