Feast in Gorlice

Jarosław Grycz
09.09.2011

The Polish Orthodox Church

Celebrations to Hieromartyr Maximus of Gorlice, the Saint from the Lemkivshchyna, took place on 5 and 6 September in the Holy Trinity Parish in Gorlice

The celebrations, which has already become a tradition, had been preceded by a series of meetings titled “Week of the Orthodox Culture” organized by the Center of the Orthodox Culture “Elpis” in Gorlice familiarizing the culture and spirituality of the Orthodox inhabitants of the city and region.

Within the ” Week of the Orthodox Culture “ two exhibitions: “Liturgical vestments of the Orthodox Church” and “Action of the destruction of Orthodox churches in Southern Podlachia and Chełm Land 1938”, and projection of two documentaries were organised.

On Saturday, September 3, in the courtyard of the court in Gorlice, where Fr. Maximus was shot in 1914, an akathystos to him was celebrated. The prayers were presided by Bishop Paisius of of Gorlice.

On the eve of the feast, September 5, in Gorlice Church all-night vigil was celebrated. It was presided by Bishop Paisius. The large crowd of the faithful attended the service, including participants of the pilgrimage from Podlachia. Two choirs sang during the vigil: choir “Irmos” under the direction of Presbytera Marianna Jara, and the choir of the clergy from the Nowy Sącz deanery conducted by Reader Jarosław Grycz.

During the festive day two Liturgies were celebrated. The first one for these, who that day had to go to work, started at 6 am and was celebrated by Fr. Roman Dubec – the parish priest, Fr. Piotr Pupczyk from Krynica-Zdrój, Fr. Andrzej Grycz from Kunkowa and Fr. Dariusz Bojczyk from Rzeszów. The parish choir sang under the direction of Reader Jarosław Grycz. Temple, despite the early hour, was filled with the faithful.

The main Liturgy, traditionally, was preceded by an akathystos sung in front of the reliquary of St. Maximus.

Before the 10 am at the threshold of the church of the Holy Trinity the bishops were welcomed: Archbishop Adam – Ordinary of the Diocese of Przemyśl and Nowy Sącz, Archbishop George of Michalovce and Kosice – Slovakia, Archbishop Mark of Khust and Vynohradiv – Ukraine, Bishop Paisius of Gorlice and Bishop Tikhon of Komárno – Slovakia. Numerous clergy were also present. The Church was filled with both the believers from Lemkivshchyna and a large group of pilgrims from Podlachia, led by Fr. Jerzy Charytoniuk, and from Slovakia. The homily was preached by Archbishop Mark, who, in a beautiful way, stressed the importance of this feast for the faithful. Liturgy was ended with the procession around the church, during which the relics of St. Maximus were carried.

Choir “Irmos” conducted by Marianna Jara sang during the main Liturgy.

The service was attended by representatives of local authorities and social organizations. Among them were mayor of Gorlice Witold Kochan and starosta of the Gorlice county Mirosław Wędrychowicz.

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