On the second Sunday after Easter, April 27, in South Bound Brook, New Jersey, the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA made their annual pilgrimage to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ among the eternal resting places of their ancestors at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery.
This was reported Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.
Despite the inclement weather, a large number of the faithful reportedly gathered for the celebration. The Divine Liturgy at St. Andrew's Church, the first Holodomor commemoration in the Western Hemisphere, was presided over by Metropolitan Anthony in concelebration with Archbishop Daniel and the clergy.
The choir, directed by Dr. Mykhailo Andrets, sang Easter hymns, and children from the 54th branch of the Ukrainian Youth Organization SUM of Bound Brook, along with students from the parish school, greeted the bishops with flowers.
The day before, on Holy Saturday, the children joined Archbishop Daniel in planting a tree in memory of the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. Representatives of the parish sisterhood and the community traditionally presented bread and salt to the hierarchs.
In his homily, Archbishop Daniel called for true peace through justice and love in Christ, emphasizing that true peace is impossible without sincere faith and action.
"True peace requires true justice, and true justice requires true love. Without love - patient, humble, forgiving love - there can be no justice. Without justice there is no peace. And without Christ, there can be no life," Archbishop Daniel said.
After the liturgy, the faithful marched in procession to the main cross of the cemetery, where they held a memorial service for the deceased, including the victims of Chernobyl, the Holodomor, the September 11 attacks, and the war in Ukraine. They also prayed for Ukrainian heroes and veterans.
"Continue to pray for our homeland, Ukraine. Remember the sons and daughters of our nation who gave their lives in the service of freedom and dignity. Remember also those who rest here - soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, heroes of World War II, Ukrainian-American veterans, poets and statesmen - all who remind us that our faith and our freedom are sacred values," the archbishop added.
The hierarchs also honored Patriarch Mstyslav and the first Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, John (Teodorovych), and prayed together at the Ukrainian-American Veterans Memorial for the defenders of freedom.
After the services, the faithful gathered at the Ukrainian Cultural Center for festive fellowship, folk art displays, traditional food and concerts.
"This annual pilgrimage is not just a tradition, it is a sacred journey of remembrance, gratitude and Easter hope. It reminds us that death is not the end and that the bond of love in Christ cannot be broken by the grave. It calls each of us to remember our roots, honor our ancestors, and renew our commitment to live as witnesses of the Risen Lord in the world," the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA said.
Photo: Subdeacon Mykola Stefanyk.
Author: Inna Mikhno