Synkellos for Laity of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul made a pastoral visit to New Zealand
On Monday, September 9, the pastoral visit of Fr. Andriy Mykytyuk, Synkellos for Laity of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul, to New Zealand came to an end. For almost 3 weeks, the priest travelled over 3500 km to visit Ukrainian communities in the North and South Islands.
The visit began in the city of Wellington, located on the North Island of New Zealand. On Saturday, August 24, Fr. Andriy took part in the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine, organised by the Ukrainian community of Wellington. During the celebration, he delivered a speech in which he greeted everyone, conveyed greetings from Bishop Mykola, and sang several Ukrainian songs. The celebration was attended by the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in New Zealand, Patrick Gamble, and ambassadors from various countries, including Taiwan, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, and representatives of the European Union, so the priest had the opportunity to tell them about our Church, Ukraine, its culture, and the current situation in the country.
On Sunday, August 25, Ukrainians gathered for a Divine Liturgy in one of Wellington’s main churches, St. Mary of the Angels Church. And a week later, on September 1, they gathered at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Auckland. In the same city, at the invitation of Fr. Ivica Gregurec, Fr. Andriy took part in an ecumenical prayer service at the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity. A touching moment was the performance by the choir of this church of the spiritual hymn of Ukraine, ‘Lord, oh the great and almighty’ in Ukrainian, which was a testimony of unity and support for the Ukrainian people.
Travelling over 600 km from Wellington to Auckland, Fr. Andriy visited our faithful in New Plymouth, Rotorua, and Tauranga. It is worth emphasising that this was the first time Ukrainians in Tauranga had gathered for a common prayer after a long break, so this Prayer Service for Ukraine was a symbolic renewal of our church’s missionary work in this area.
On Tuesday, September 3, Fr. Andriy continued his pastoral visit, but this time to the South Island, where he met with Ukrainians in Nelson for the first time the following day.
On Saturday, September 7, the pastor joined a rally, which Ukrainians in Dunedin organise weekly in the town centre to talk about and remind people of the war in Ukraine. After the rally, a Moleben for Peace in Ukraine was held at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, attended not only by Ukrainians but also by New Zealanders, including the Very Revd Dr. Tony Curtis SCP, Dean of Dunedin, who said that he was always happy to have Ukrainians pray in this church.
After each prayer, the faithful had the opportunity to gather in the parish halls to talk to the pastor and express their thoughts and suggestions on the development of the church community and plans for the next pastoral visits. It was incredibly gratifying for the pastor to hear that people are always waiting for the priest to come to pray together and hear the Word of God. Since the priest visits New Zealand only once every six months, it was a time when they could bless houses and other things, baptise children, receive spiritual support, and strengthen the sense of community.
Press office of the Melbourne Eparchy, Australia
