THE PASCHAL EPISTLE OF THE PERMANENT CONFERENCE OF UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX BISHOPS BEYOND THE BORDERS OF UKRAINE FOR 2011
To the Reverend Clergy, the Diaconate in Christ, the Venerable Monastics and Faithful Laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Beyond the Borders of Ukraine and on their native soil.
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen!
Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
God Who first established this feast for us allows us to celebrate it each year. He Who gave up His Son for our salvation, from the same motive gives us this feast… allowing us to pray together and to offer common thanksgiving…He gathers to this feast those who are far apart… St. Athanasius (+373)
Our hearts are filled today with joy that is beyond description, joy that completes the time of the ‘bright sadness’ that we have journeyed through and it is with this joy that we greet you on “the day that the Lord has made” (Paschal Matins), the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It is by God’s mercy and grace that we gather to celebrate the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord each year. It is indeed a greater blessing that this year, ‘those who are far apart’, now celebrate this ‘Feast of Feasts’, together. God has given us a fore taste of His great hope, that the Christian Church come together and be united. We gather together within our respective Christian traditions but we offer our Benevolent God, our common thanksgiving.
Although there is much dialogue and understanding yet to be achieved, we cannot deny that it is the ‘motive’ of God to bring us to unity. On this Holy Day we celebrate the joy that this unity of prayer and love can manifest in us.
Over the course of time, the desire to continue to move forward with unity dialogues between the Churches continues to manifest itself. They move forward because we recognize that to embrace such dialogue is to embrace the Will of God and understanding that in His Time these efforts will find their fullness. God has never sought to abandon His Church, and today we celebrate the reality of His continued love and faithfulness to us. May we return this love to Him through our faithfulness to Him.
It is why with such fervent prayer that we beseech our Heavenly Father and with tears of hope we call to our beloved brothers and sisters in Ukraine, to find the paths of reconciliation that must be found, for we are one, united by the ancient apostolic tradition of the Holy Apostle Andrew, the First-called. Disunity and separation brings pain and sorrow. This is not the work of Him who is Unity, who is Wholeness and who is Harmony.
We, your hierarchs, are continual intercessors for each parish and faithful Christian that is within the vineyard of our Episcopal protection. Our hope and prayer is that each of the flocks entrusted to our ‘Omophorion’ continue to manifest the fruits of Christian unity, for ‘behold now, what is so good or so pleasant as for brothers to dwell together in unity? (Psalm 132: 1) In the world today we see so much political and civil unrest. Humanity continues to search for life, harmony and peace, often at the expense of human life. As Christians we are called to prayer and action during these events. Our prayer and action is to seek the will of God made manifest in Jesus Christ through the Holy Sprit. We urge that our clergy and all faithful Christians of good will: continue to find within yourselves the image of Christ and reflect it to each other, your communities, the world, for by this we will build His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Then the Paschal Joy we feel will truly find its ultimate expression. St. Melito of Sardis (c +190) says in his Paschal text, “It is I,” says the Christ. “So come all families of people, adulterated with sin, and receive forgiveness of sins. For I am your freedom. I am the Passover of salvation, I am the lamb slaughtered for you, I am your ransom, I am your life, I am your light, I am your salvation, I am your resurrection, I am your King.
All this begins with our continual self-emptying to allow the life of the Holy Spirit to permeate all aspects of our lives. We will then, and only then, find the true expression of life, hope, freedom and salvation. It is not to be found in the philosophies of the world or to be found in sinful humanity. It is only found in our communion with The Christ! “This is the alpha and omega, this is the beginning and the end, the ineffable beginning and the incomprehensible end. This is the Christ, this is the King, this is Jesus, this is the commander, this is the Lord, this is he who rose from the dead, this is he who sits at the right hand of the father, he bears the father and is borne by him. To him be the glory and the might for ever. Amen.”
On the occasion of the Glorious Resurrection we, your hierarchs greet you, those in the Diaspora and our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and entreat for you God’s blessing for a new life united in faith, hope and love in the Risen Sun of Righteousness, who raises us up today to a glorious, never-ending tomorrow.
I shall raise you up by my right hand, I will lead you to the heights of heaven, there shall I show you the everlasting father.” (St. Melito of Sardis)
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Pascha 2011
+ Constantine
Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and the Diaspora;
+Yurij
Metropolitan – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+John
Metropolitan-Emeritus – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+Antony
Archbishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
+Ioan
Archbishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diaspora
+Jeremiah
Archbishop – South American Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
+Ilarion
Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+Andriy
Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+Daniel
Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Personal Message
I have concluded my Clinical Pastoral course and my office days have returned to normal, so my office days are once again:
St. George's - Tuesday's and Thursday's
St. Mary the Protectress - Wednesday's and Friday’s
Also continuing in May will be the second series of our bible study sessions. This series is entitled "Our Church Services, What? and Why?" in which we will be looking into everything liturgical from the vestments that clergy wear, to an in depth look into our Divine Liturgy and other services. These will be held following Great Vespers on Saturdays. Please refer to the service schedule for exact dates.
If you need to contact me please either leave a message for me at St. George's (250-381-1352) or email me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
and I respond on the next office. However, if there is an emergency or a matter that needs to be discussed with urgency, I have my cell phone (1-250-667-5293) for this use.
If anyone you know is in the Hospital, or are at home ill and would like a visitation from me, please contact me and I will make immediate arrangements to meet with them.
Yours In Christ,
Fr. Peter Haugen
