Peresopnytsia Gospels Presented in Four Cities

On May 7-10 the facsimile edition of the Peresopnytsia Gospels was presented by the delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in four cities of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland, including the motherland of one of the book’s scribes.

To acquaint the wide circle of the neighbouring country’s community with one of the greatest shrines of the Ukrainian nation – the Peresopnytsia Gospels, on the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and His Beatitude Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland the facsimile edition of the first Ukrainian book was presented at selected centres of the Autocephalous Church of Poland.

The delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was headed by Archbishop Augustine of Lviv and Halych – Chair of the Synodal Military Department of the UOC. Presenting together with him the Peresonytsia Gosples in Poland were Mother Superior of the Odessa Convent of ST. Michael the Archangel, Hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk) – chair of the Synodal Department of the UOC “Church and Culture”; archpriest Bogdan Bilas – secretary of the Lviv Diocesan administration and Olga Shcherbakova – deputy chair of the Synodal Department “Church and Culture”.

Presentation of the unique Ukrainian edition were held in four cities of Poland: Warsaw, Liublyn, Szaniec and Gorlice.

May 7 – Warsaw. Christian Theological Academy organized the meeting.

Here the UOC delegation was received by the vice-rector and professor of the Academy, bishop Victor (Vysochansky). The presentation was made by hegumeness Seraphima, and the introductory word said by Archbishop Augustine, who also read out the donation certificate of the Kyiv Metropolis.

After dinner Archbishop Augustine and hegumeness Seraphima called to Archbishop Jeremiah of Wrocław and Szczecin, rector of the Theological Academy who stayed at hospital.

Soon the delegation was received by His Beatitude Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland. Taking part in the meeting were Bishop Victor (Vysochansky), Bishop George of Siemiatycze, professor and head of the orthodox academic section of the Christian Theological Academy. Upon completion hegumeness Seraphima presented His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa with the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
On the blessing of His Beatitude the guests and hosts visited the orthodox patronage home in Stanislav, near Warsaw.
The presentation cased great interest both of the central Polish media as well as of the Ukrainian media, in particular, of the Weely “Nashe Slovo” (Our Word).

May 8, Lublin. The action was organized by the Orthodox Diocese of Lublin and Chelm, the Ukrainian Fellowship of Lublin and Humanities Department of the Lublin Maria Curie-Skłodowska University.

On the premises of the Royal judgment-seat in the Market Square of Lublin the delegation was welcomed by Archbishop Abel of Lublin and Chelm. The solemn meeting was opened and held by the chairman of the Ukrainian Fellowship of Lublin, Doctor of Historical Science professor Grigory Kupriyanivych. The introductory word was said by Archbishop Abel, and the report on “Peresopnytsia Gospels and its significance in Ukrainian culture” – by Doctor of the Humanities Department of the Lublin Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Tadey Karbovych, the Ukrainian poet.

After hegumeness Seraphima’s talk Archbishop Augustine presented Vladyka Abel with a sample of the Peresopnytsia Gospels and read out the Presentation Certificate. Attending the solemnities were Councsel General of Ukraine in Lublin Oleg Gorbenko, professor Henric Gmitterek , dean of the Humanities Department of the Lublin Maria Curie-Skłodowska University and vice president of the city of Lublin Vlodimer Vysotsky.

Acting before the guests was the choir “Irmos”, conducted by Marianna Yara and the bishop’s choir of the Cathedral of Lublin conducted by Andriy Bouvley. The presentation took place under the patronage of the president of Lulin Adam Vasylevsky. It was widely highlighted by the Polish media, Polish newspapers “Vyborcha” and “Lublin Courier”, ans well as the internet-portal of the Orthodox Diocese of Lublin.

May 9 – Szaniec in Pidkarpattia. The action organizers were the Diocese of Nowy Sącz and Przemyśl, the History Museum of Szaniec and the Institute for Cultural Studies of the Higher Professional Collegiums of Szaniec.

Greeting the delegation on the premises of the diocesan administration was Archbishop Adam of Nowy Sącz and Przemyśl. The solemnity took place in the Historical Museum, located in the early medieval castle near the Orthodox Cathedral, where the permanent exhibition of the icons of XV-XVI is held.

The guests were welcomed by Veslav Banah and the Dean of Szaniec archpriest Julian Felenczak. In the opening speech archbishop Adam underscored the importance of the presentation of the Peresopnytsia Gosples in Szaniec, since the copier Vasyl Zhuravnytsky, a son of the protopriest of Szaniec was born there.

The subject summary was read by the head of the church department of the museum Katarzyna Vinnitska. Following the presentation of the copy of Gospels by Archbishop Augustine to Vladyka Adam the concert of the folk-group “Vidymo” (directed by Marianna Yara) was held. Finally hegumeness Seraphima answered the journalists’ questions.

May 10 – Gorlice. The action was organised by the Diocese of Nowy Sącz and Przemyśl, and the Centre of the Orthodox Culture “Ellipse” in Gorlice.

In the morning, in the Holy Trinity Church of Gorlice, where the relics of the Hieromartyr Maxim (Sandovych) of Gorlice rest, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated. It was presided over by Archbishop Adam, Archbishop Augustine and Bishop Paisius, Vicar of the Diocese of Nowy Sącz and Przemyśl. Concelebrating with them were deputy abbot of the men’s monastery of the village of Vysov, hegumen Paphnutius, archpriest Bohdan Bilas (Lviv), Archpriest Roman Dubets (Gorlice), archpriest Petro Pupczyk (Krynytsia) and Archdeacon Anthony Yaryi.

Archbishop Augustine read sermon after the Gospel reading. (It is not the first time that Vladyka Augustine preaches in Poland and the young Ukrainians living abroad listen to his sermons with special interest).

Then in the Assembly Hall of the Centre of the Orthodox Culture “Ellipse” the solemn assembly was held. Father Superior of the parish of Gorlice archpriest Roman Dubets delivered the report on the subject of “Peresopnytsia Gospels”, following which the multimedia presentation was performed by hegumeness Seraphima.

The burgomaster of Gorlice, Kazimierz Sterkovicz shared his impressions with those present. Vladyka Augustine handed the copy of the Gospels to Bishop Paisius of Gorlice, and the choir of Irmos performed a small concert, conducted by a famous Lemky poet Petro Trokhanovsky Murianka.

A more detailed description of the presentation of the facsimile edition of the Peresopnytsia Gospels in Poland will be published in the Antiphon quarterly of the Diocese of Nowy Sącz and Przemyśl, which is to be issued on the blessing of Archbishop Adam (Poland) and Archbishop Augustine (Ukraine).

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