South Bound Brook, NJ – The sacred walls of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church, the spiritual heart of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, resounded with prayer, hymn, and profound inspiration on the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, coinciding with the Afterfeast of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Birth-Giver of God.

The prayerful service was led by His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, spiritual father of the Western Eparchy, joined in liturgical unity by Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Pasakas, pastor of St. Andrew Memorial Church, Very Rev. Fr. Myron Orlic of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of North America, Very Rev. Fr. Taras Naumenko of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia, Rev. Fr. David Chidzhokie of the Three Holy Hierarchs Chapel of St. Sophia Seminary, and Rev. Fr. Andriy Vatrych, pastor of Holy Trinity UOC in Goshen, IN, as well as spiritual shepherd for Ukrainian Orthodox community in Michigan City, Indiana. Together with Protodeacon Ihor Mahlay, Protodeacons Pavlo Vysotskyi, Deacon Serhii Khomytskyi, and seminarians of St. Sophia Seminary, the liturgy embodied the unity of Orthodox faith across jurisdictions and generations.

The Sunday Gospel recounted the story of the rich young ruler who asked Christ, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Archbishop Daniel, in a sermon both deeply theological and strikingly personal, challenged the faithful:

“The greatest enemy of the Church is not liberalism, conservatism, postmodernism, or secularization. The greatest enemy is within us, when we respond to God with the words, ‘I can’t.’ The Church is weakened not by forces outside, but when within our hearts we declare that the commandments of Christ are impossible. Instead, we must learn to pray: ‘Lord, give me the strength, give me the hope, so that with You I can accomplish what is asked of me.’”

His words struck deeply in the hearts of all present, reminding the faithful that Christian life is not a matter of passive piety, but of active courage rooted in God’s grace.

Archbishop Daniel also drew attention to the fact that the month of September in the United States is dedicated to Childhood Cancer Awareness. With pastoral tenderness, he urged parishioners to reach beyond themselves:

“Let us be proactive in our faith. Visit the hospitals. Offer your time, your love, your material help. The greatest testimony of Christ is in the way we care for the most vulnerable—our children.”

The appeal to Christian stewardship echoed through the church, uniting the community in both prayer and practical action.

The Divine Liturgy also carried the weight of profound sorrow and hope as memorial prayers were offered for:

• Servant of God Andriy Parubiy, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, who gave his life for his people and worked tirelessly for the restoration of historical truth and the renewal of ties between Kyiv and Constantinople, which bore fruit in the Tomos of Autocephaly (2018).
• Servant of God Michael, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a fallen hero and father of Subdeacon Andrii Akulenko, who laid down his life defending his ancestral homeland against Russian aggression. A special memorial service was offered for him, reminding all present that true Christian love is sacrificial, and that the fruit of such sacrifice is borne in the faith and dedication of his son Andrii, who on this very day stood prayerfully with his fiancée Alexis Naumenko, preparing for the Holy Mystery of Matrimony.

Archbishop Daniel offered words of consolation, affirming that the Church embraces the memory of the departed and lifts up the living in prayer, weaving together past sacrifice and present love in the eternal light of Christ’s Resurrection. Their sacrifice was remembered as a witness of love “greater than this - that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Following Holy Communion - received with reverence by numerous children and faithful - the congregation participated in a procession with the Dormition Shroud.

The choir of St. Andrew Memorial Church, led by Maestro Michael Andrec, chanted the hymns of the feast as church bells pealed, women carried flowers, men lifted banners and crosses, and clergy bore the shroud of the Mother of God around the temple. Re-entering the church, the faithful passed prayerfully beneath the shroud as Archbishop Daniel anointed them with blessed oil, symbolizing the protective intercession of the Theotokos over her people.

Seminarians of St. Sophia Seminary, under the direction of Seminarian Marian Meleshko, beautifully chanted the festal stichera, glorifying the Mother of God as the model of obedience, faith, and love.

Archbishop Daniel also reminded the faithful that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, urging them to embody faith not only in prayer but in active love: “Visit the sick. Comfort the weary. Be present for those who suffer. In caring for the vulnerable, we touch the very heart of Christ.” This call to action linked the liturgy to life beyond the temple, transforming worship into mission.

Before the final blessing, birthdays of parishioners were prayerfully announced by Fr. Pasakas, and Archbishop Daniel, with fatherly affection, led the assembly in singing Mnohaya Lita – “God grant you many years.”

The celebration culminated with a prayer for peace in Ukraine and the United States: “Lord of Life, protect the children of Ukraine, console the grieving families, bless our nation, and grant victory to truth, peace to the world, and salvation to our souls.”

As the faithful departed from St. Andrew Memorial Church, their hearts carried the weight of the Gospel challenge and the joy of Christian fellowship. Archbishop Daniel’s final words lingered as both blessing and charge:

“Do not say I cannot. Say instead, With Christ, I can. May the Most-Holy Birth-Giver of God cover you with her veil, inspire your families, strengthen your faith, and bless our ancestral homeland of Ukraine.”

With tears, prayers, and hope, the community left strengthened - ready to face the challenges of the 21st century, rooted in the eternal promise of God’s Kingdom.