The festival «Christmas in the heart» was held

On January 25, with the blessing of Bishop Vasyl (Semenyuk), Eparch of the Ternopil' and Zboriv Eparchy, the festival «Christmas in the heart» was held. At this festival the best performances (Christmas and New Year’s Eve plays and Christmas and Epiphany carols) from the deaneries of the Ternopil' and Zboriv Eparchy of the UGCC were presented. The event took place in the Berezil' Palace of Culture and gathered a large audience. Children and young people came here from the different corners of the Ternopil' and Zboriv Eparchy in order to share the joy of Christ’s Nativity in their concert programs. Reverend Father Andrey Ivan Hovera, head of the Commission on Youth Matters, addressed the participants with a word of welcome. He passed a greeting from Bishop Vasyl and blessed the participants with Jordan water. The youth of the village of Olijiv (Zalozetskyj Deanery) pleased the audience with Christmas carols. Christmas compositions were presented by the youth of Zboriv, youth from the villages of Bila, Ostriv and Velyka Berezovytsya, and the participants of the youth choir from the Parish of Saint Josaphat the Martyr (city of Ternopil’). Viktoriya Student from the Terebovlyany Deanery skillfully sang the song «Angels.» The audience had special admiration for the performances of the young people of the Kozlivskyj and Kozivskyj Velykobirkivskyj deaneries and the youth group Khodaky from the village of Velykyi Khodachkiv. They successfully transmitted the beauty of Christmas plays, intertwining the idea of Ukrainian patriotism with the mystery of the Christmas event. The theatrical group Goat from the Company of Mary of the city of Zbarazh, the group Easter Seeds from Ternopil’ and Melanka from the youth of the village of Baykivtsi gave the audience much joy and lifted their spirits. A high level of performance marked the youth studio Step and the participants of the youth choir Hosanna from the city of Berezhany. They performed the songs «Christmas» and «On the quiet night of Christmas.» Young people from the village of Zarubyntsi, Pidvolochyskyj Deanery, and the Ternopil youth theater Theologian impressed the participants by the originality of their re-creation of Christmas traditions, skillfully adding modern motives with a humorous coloring. At the end of the celebration money was collected to build a student chapel in Ternopil’, and all of the participants were awarded with ceremonial certificates and memorable gifts.

Oleh Kharyshyn, press-secretary
Ternopil' and Zboriv Eparchy