The parish of St. Joseph the Betrothed, headed by the parish priest Father Mykola Buryadnyk, once again proved that it is a living center of faith, spiritual development, community unity and sacrificial service to others. This year's parish holiday was a celebration of gratitude for numerous achievements and an example of how faith is combined with action. This year's parish holiday was an opportunity to honor the joint achievements of the community and express gratitude to those who put their heart and soul into its development.
The festive Liturgy was led by Bishop Venedikt, who in his sermon emphasized the importance of sacrificial work and community unity.
The celebration began with мthe consecration and blessing of Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk, as well as the performance of the youngest parishioners - children from the "Angelyatko" kindergarten. Their sincerity and children's caroling made a deep impression on everyone present!
Afterwards, Father-Dean Yaroslav Mendyuk thanked the parish of St. Joseph for its active activity, which became a model for other communities. He emphasized that Father Mykola Buryadnyk worthy continues the work of his predecessors, opening the parish to new initiatives and communities. A special merit of the parish priest is the organization of assistance to military personnel and the wounded during the war, support of prosthetics, and provision of spiritual, moral, and material assistance to military personnel and their families.
Special attention was paid to the Sisterhood of the parish of St. Joseph, which is a vivid example of sacrifice and charity and which is headed by Mrs. Galina Maslova. They take care of the cleanliness of the temple, organize charity dinners, the funds from which are used to support the military, orphans, displaced persons and provide scholarships for students. Their contribution to the development of the parish and assistance to the needy was recognized by letters of thanks from young people who lost their parents and received scholarships thanks to their support. In addition, the Sisterhood of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos funds scholarships for needy students at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
Particular attention was also paid to the students of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Mrs. Maria Klimchak, representative of the academy, and Marta Farion introduced the professor of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Mrs. Tetyana Nagornyak, who thanked for the scholarships organized by the Sisterhood of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin and the parish priest Father Mykola.
Her words of gratitude were filled with warmth and inspiration, as these scholarships have become a significant support for students during a difficult time.
Father Mykola not only congratulated Ms. Tatyana on the feast of the holy great martyr Tatyana, which we celebrated, but also presented her with an icon of the Mother of God's Perpetual Help. Father Mykola and Bishop Venedikt blessed this icon, emphasizing the importance of spiritual support for every person.
Gratitude was also expressed to the Brotherhood named after Mykola Chernetsky, which plays an extremely important role in the life of the parish and community. The brotherhood actively supports the Ukrainian military by sending medicines, clothes, drones and other necessary things. Their sacrifice and work became a solid foundation for the development of the parish. During the celebration, the brotherhood was awarded the "Volunteer Heart" badge from the "Country of Equality and Truth" public organization.
The head of the Brotherhood named after Mykola Chernetsky, Serhiy Syutyk, also received a personal award - the "Volunteer Heart" badge, which was a recognition of his mercy, kindness and love.
The third nominee for this sign was the parish priest of St. Joseph, father Mykola Buryadnyk, for his dedicated service, many years of assistance to military personnel and their families in all their needs - financial and spiritual.
The culmination of the festive program was a performance organized by Vasyl Mytnychuk, director of the "Homin" theater. The nativity scene, which was part of the celebration, united the "Irmos" choir under the direction of Bohdan Kuleshko, members of the sisterhood, brotherhood of the Cyril and Methodius community and the youth of the parish. This performance was a real manifestation of the unity and talent of the community.
Father Mykola expressed his gratitude to two important institutions that contribute to the spiritual and cultural development of the community. The first was the Vyshivanka Dance School, a dance group that preserves Ukrainian traditions and fosters love for native art among children and youth. Their performances are always a decoration of parish events.
Thanks were also expressed to the School of Ukrainian Studies named after Andrey Sheptytsky, an educational institution that helps the younger generation learn the history, language and culture of Ukraine, forming national consciousness and dignity.
Special attention was paid to the lords who stood near the origins of the parish of St. Joseph. They received thanks from the parish priest and the bishop for their work and faith, which became the basis for the further development of the community. These people are modestly silent about what they have done for the community, but their fundamental contribution to the construction of the church, formation of the parish and preservation of Ukrainian identity is priceless. They passed on the tradition of the Eastern Church, which they brought with them from Ukraine or their parents. This is embodied in the inscription on the cornerstone of the temple: "To the Glory of God and future generations!" Therefore, we thank them today for the fact that we have a place to pray, rally and not forget who we are and where we come from!
Representatives of various organizations also spoke at the celebration. Samopomich Association was represented by Andriy Durbak, a faithful friend and servant of the parish, together with his wife Motreya. Mr. Andrii, who is also the head of the Parish Council, thanked for the many years of cooperation, stressing that the Samopomich Association and St. Joseph's Parish have always been together throughout their history. At the end, he handed over a check for community support.
Mr. Benderivskyi, a representative of the "Heritage" Foundation, which always actively supports community events, also spoke. In his speech, he thanked the parish for its contribution to the life of the community and handed over a charity check.
Words of thanks were also given by representatives of other parish organizations, such as the Cyril and Methodius community, the Galilee community, which recently started functioning at the parish, as well as the Youth PRO community, which is helped to develop and is coordinated by father Ihor Darmogray.
At the end of the celebration, Father Mykola Buryadnyk thanked all those present and those who could not attend the celebration, as well as his co-workers: Fathers Bohdan Nalysnyk, Andrii Delisandr, Father Protodeacon Mark Krutyak, assistant fathers Ihor Darmogray and Andrii Maletskyi, parish office workers, catechists and other organizations that support the parish. He encouraged an even deeper unity among the members of the body of Christ for the growth and development of the parish for the glory of God and for the victory of Ukraine.
The parish of St. Joseph once again became a bright example of how faith and good deeds can change the life of the community and help those who need support. Thanks to the solidarity and sacrifice of its members, it was possible to implement numerous initiatives.
Mrs. Tatyana's gift and her words of gratitude became a symbol of the fact that love and support have no boundaries, and faith can inspire new achievements.