On February 8, our parish celebrated Zapusty for the first time — a day filled with shared prayer, joy, and the warm, family spirit of our parish community.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Oleh Zatvarskyy. In his homily, he emphasized the importance of selfless love, expressed through our good deeds not for our own glory or benefit, but as service to Jesus Christ Himself. He encouraged everyone to live their faith daily, opening their hearts to God and to one another.
After the Liturgy, the community gathered in prayer for the repose of the soul of the newly departed Fr. John Lucas, who served in our parish in the 1980s and left behind a blessed and lasting memory.
The celebration continued with a musical program. We sincerely thank the “Oberih” ensemble for the carols, the Peter Chabot family for their touching song dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Clara Tosi and Kostiantyn Achkasov for their beautiful musical performances. A special joy was hearing songs in four languages — a wonderful sign of the unity of our diverse yet one-in-Christ community.
Following the performances, Fr. Roman thanked everyone for their active participation, open hearts, hard work, and service. Thanks to the shared efforts of each person, our parish continues to grow as a living family where love, support, and the joy of being together truly flourish.
May the Lord bless all who helped organize and take part in this celebration and grant us many more bright moments of unity and joy together.