A church holiday was held at the Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed in Chicago. Parishioners and guests of the church took part in it, who gathered for joint prayer in an atmosphere of family warmth and spiritual unity. As noted, on this day the hearts of those present “beat in unison with Ukraine,” and the joint prayer was accompanied by a sense of Christian family, the light of the Bethlehem Dawn, and the joy of the Christmas season.
This was reported by Radio UA Chicago.
The Holy Liturgy was led by Bishop Venedikt, who was joined by priests from other parishes. The parish was led by Father Mykola Buryadnyk. During the service, unity in faith, prayer, and love was felt, and the hearts of the faithful were filled with gratitude to God and prayers for peace for Ukraine.
After the Liturgy, parishioners and guests of the church moved to the church auditorium, where the Parish Prosphora continued. The event combined the motives of gratitude to all who work for the benefit of the parish with the mood of the Christmas holidays. A special chord of the event was the Nativity Scene. The youngest students of the Vyshyvanka dance school performed a carol, and later a nativity scene took place called "Christmas Night, You Should Have Been a Fairy Tale." The original script was written by poet and playwright Nadiya Marchuk. On stage, it was embodied by actors from the Gomin Theater and students from the Dyvo Theater Studio. The director of both groups is Vasyl Mytnychuk, and the first and main assistant to the director is Leonid Mytnychuk.
The performance reflected the events taking place in Ukraine today and evoked a wide range of emotions in the audience – from joy to pain, from admiration to anger, combined with faith in the mercy of God, the victory of truth and justice. Among the characters of the performance were trouble, war, Putin, a corrupt official, Ukrainian military personnel, kings bringing good news, a suffering but unbreakable Ukraine, the Mother of God, little angels, carol singers and congratulators. All together they created a modern nativity play that affirmed faith, strengthened hope and strengthened love as Christian virtues. The words sounded from the stage: “I am a nation, I am strength, I am the people. I am a light that never goes out. I am truth without rotten rewards. I am true love that never dies.”
The church choir “Irmos” performed at the end. Bishop Venedikt blessed those present, and Father Mykola Buryadnyk received guests in a family atmosphere over dinner.
Special guests of the holiday were Ukrainian military personnel undergoing treatment and prosthetics in the United States. They were thanked for their service, courage, and struggle for Ukraine.
Photo: Petro Kovtun
Author: Danylo Pievchev