60th ANNIVERSARY OF ORTHODOX PARISH OF THE PROCTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD IN BOUSSOIT 19 October 2008

Boussoit – On Sunday, October 19, 2008, the Orthodox Parish of the Protection of the Mother of God in Boussoit (Belgium) celebrated the 60th anniversary of her foundation. The Parish is part of the Diocese for the Ukrainian Orthodox Parishes in Western-Europe belonging to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

It was His Grace Bishop Andriy of Krateia (assistant bishop for the Ukrainian Parishes) who came to preside over the Divine Liturgy together with Father Boris Khajnevskyj, who once served this parish from 1972 to 1982, and now serves in France. The choir consisted of singers from the Parish under the direction of Dr. Volodymyr Kotlyar, president of the congregation.

During the Liturgy His Grace Bishop Andriy delivered the sermon and gave an icon of St. Nicholas to Fr. Boris in commemoration of this special day. In the sermon His Grace stressed the importance of the Pokrov’s feast for glorious Zaporozhian Cossacks and for the entire Ukrainian nation. After the Liturgy Fr. Boris and His Grace Bishop Ioan (Derewianka) of Parnassos (assistant bishop for the Ukrainian Parishes in Australia), who was also present during the celebration, delivered short speeches to the faithful.

Ladies from the parish’s Association served dinner to about 40 faithful at the parish hall. His Grace Bishop Andriy and Fr. Boris initialled the afternoon festivities in prayer.

A congratulatory message from the parish was delivered by Dr. Kotlyar. He gave a short but inspirational speech congratulating the parish’s members for maintaining their church and its functions for such a long time.

Other congratulatory messages were delivered by Ivan Zayets and Pavlo Movchan, National Deputies of Ukraine, who came to Boussoit together with Volodymyr Sorokin, the Prime Secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy at Brussels, and his wife. They expressed their concern about the future of Ukraine and Ukrainian people in Diaspora.

His Grace Bishop Ioan of Parnassos gave a brief history of the Boussoit Orthodox Parish citing its beginning in 1948 with the first service held in the church on July 4, 1948, and celebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Ivan Bachynskyj. The consecration of the church building took place on September 12, 1948. Bishop Ioan then commemorated Mr. Hryhoriy Kotlyar, former president of the congregation, the founders and supporters of the church and its former priests. At the end of dinner Bishop Ioan thanked – on behalf of the church – everybody who came from far and near to help to celebrate this occasion.

(Source: Pavlo Mykulyak)