In Staryj Sambir District the community celebrated the anniversary of its return to the bosom of the UGCC

On May 4, the parish of the village of Stara Sil’ which is in the Staryj Sambir District, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its return to the bosom of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The celebration began with a pontifical Liturgy in the Church of Saint Paraskevia, which was led by Bishop Yaroslav (Pryriz), auxiliary bishop of the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy. Present at the Liturgy were Fr. Mikhail Nyzkohuz, who together with the community in 1989 entered the bosom of the UGCC. The local community shared the joy of the celebration with civic representatives, in particular Mr. Ivan Hel', who at the beginning of the 1990s headed the Committee of Defense of the Rights of the UGCC and directly helped the community of Stara Sil’ enter the bosom of the UGCC. Remembering the figures of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in his pastoral word, Bishop Yaroslav noted: "The power of the cross began to change cowards to heroes and indecisive people to martyrs." In fact, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who buried Jesus, were members of the sanhedrin, but simultaneously they were secret disciples of Christ. Either they did not come to the meeting of the sanhedrin which condemned Jesus to death, or they were there but not afraid to stand up for Him. "Only after the death of Jesus did they take care of a grave for Him and a shroud as for a king," noted the hierarch. Historical information: The Church of Saint Paraskevia, which is in the village of Stara Sil’, according to the supposition of the researcher M. Drahan was built in the 17th century. At the beginning it was a chapel which after additional building began to serve as a church. In 1946 the church passed into the property of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1989 with the ministry of Fr. Mykhail Nyzkohuz the community returned back into the bosom of the UGCC. Today the pastor of the church is Fr. Vasyl’ Pukiy.

Fr. Oleh Chupa,
press-secretary of the Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych