On a day woven with prayer, honor, and deep compassion, the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon in Brooklyn, New York, gathered with great joy to celebrate their parish feast. The celebration was profoundly enriched by the archpastoral presence of His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, spiritual father of the Western Eparchy and President of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, whose visit brought with it not only episcopal blessings, but a powerful testimony of the Church’s unwavering commitment to the suffering children of God - the wounded defenders of Ukraine.

“Our Church,” Archbishop Daniel proclaimed, “is not a fortress closed in upon itself. She is a mother - a field hospital for the wounded, a lighthouse for the lost, and a home for all who carry the scars of love, sacrifice, and truth. Today we honor Christ in the flesh of our suffering brothers.”

The St. Panteleimon parish, located within the sacred walls of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Three Hierarchs, exemplifies the spirit of pan-Orthodox fraternity. For over two decades, the Greek Orthodox community has opened its doors each Sunday afternoon to allow Ukrainian Orthodox faithful - many of them recent immigrants, refugees, and faithful children of the ancient Kyiv Rus Church - to gather for worship in their own language and liturgical tradition.

On this sacred feast day, the sanctuary was filled with several hundred faithful - children, families, elders, and young soldiers whose wounded bodies told stories of resilience and war. As Archbishop Daniel arrived at the entrance of the temple, he was greeted by the children of the parish who scattered flower petals on his path, joyfully singing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Shak, the parish pastor, together with the president of the parish council Stepan Lutsak and the faithful, received the Archbishop with bread and salt - the ancient symbols of life, hospitality, and reverence. In Orthodox tradition, bread represents the Body of Christ, our daily sustenance and sacramental unity. Salt, incorruptible and enduring, reminds us of the call to preserve the Gospel and to remain faithful to God's covenant.

“Bread and salt,” the Archbishop reflected, “are more than gestures - they are a liturgy of welcome. Through them, we receive one another in Christ. Through them, we express a love that is eternal, rooted in the soil of our ancestors and in the blood of our martyrs.”

The Divine Liturgy, led by Archbishop Daniel and concelebrated with six priests and two deacons, was an overwhelming outpouring of prayer and heavenly grace. The altar was surrounded by:

• Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Shak (parish pastor)
• Very Rev. Fr. Roman Shak (his father, who joined the celebration from Ukraine)
• Very Rev. Fr. Stepan Matychak (Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, West Islip, NY)
• Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Pasakas (St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church, South Bound Brook, NJ)
• Very Rev. Fr. Volodymyr Muzychka (St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, NY City)
• Very Rev. Fr. Viktor Wronskyj (Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY)
• Protodeacon Pavlo Vysotskyi and Deacon Serhii Khomytskyi

During the Liturgy, Archbishop Daniel delivered a deeply moving homily, which left an indelible impression on all who heard it.

“The world is full of people who know about Jesus,” he said. “They can quote Scripture, analyze Church history, explain dogma. But the Lord calls us not simply to know about Him - He calls us to become like Him. To love like Him. To forgive like Him. To suffer with the suffering. That is holiness.”

He continued, challenging the faithful:

“We must live lives so saturated with Christ that others will see the Gospel not merely in our words - but in the way we embrace the broken, carry the burdens of our neighbors, and offer mercy without counting the cost. As St. John Chrysostom said, ‘Preach the Gospel always - but use words only when necessary.’”

In the spirit of this living Gospel, Archbishop Daniel brought with him a sacred treasure: the relics of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, enshrined in an icon and gifted permanently to the parish. Veneration of the relics by the faithful - many of whom carried wounds not only of body but of spirit - became an act of deep faith and healing.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Archbishop Daniel, on behalf of Metropolitan Antony and the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, presented a donation of $10,000 to support the medical treatment and prosthetic rehabilitation of four wounded Ukrainian soldiers present at the service. These men, heroes of Ukraine’s defense, are undergoing advanced prosthetic care through the ministry of the Protez Foundation.

Founded in the wake of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Protez Foundation is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that brings Ukrainian soldiers and civilians to the United States for life-changing prosthetic care. The foundation not only provides artificial limbs but also ensures physical therapy, emotional rehabilitation, and housing support - empowering wounded Ukrainians to walk, run, and embrace life again.

The foundation has already assisted dozens of patients and works closely with Ukrainian hospitals, government agencies, and private donors to meet the growing needs of a wounded nation.

“What you do,” Archbishop Daniel told the representatives of the foundation, “is the purest reflection of Christ the Healer. You restore not only limbs - you restore dignity, hope, and the capacity to love and serve again.”

In grateful response, Protez Foundation representatives presented Archbishop Daniel with a commemorative award, recognizing his unwavering spiritual and humanitarian support for Ukraine’s defenders. This gift, however, was not an isolated gesture.

A year and a half ago, the UOC of the USA made a $100,000 donation toward prosthetic care and continues to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine every two weeks, supporting the elderly, widows, children, and those most vulnerable.

“We will never abandon the suffering of our people,” the Archbishop vowed. “As long as there is a child crying in Ukraine, as long as a mother buries her son, as long as our wounded heroes walk on artificial limbs - the Church will walk with them, pray with them, and serve them.”

The celebration continued with a joyful tribute to Archimandrite Eugene, pastor of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Three Hierarchs, on his 85th birthday. Two decades ago, Fr. Eugene opened the doors of his parish to Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in need of a spiritual home in Brooklyn. From that act of brotherly love, the St. Panteleimon mission parish was born and has since blossomed into a thriving community.

A birthday cake was presented to Fr. Eugene, and a second cake - adorned with the Ukrainian Tryzub (trident) - was gifted to Archbishop Daniel, as a symbol of gratitude for his faithfulness to the people of Ukraine.

The parish sisterhood, under the loving leadership of Pani Matka Olena Shak, prepared a festive luncheon that became a joyful fellowship of faith, unity, and celebration.

As the celebration drew to a close, Fr. Vasyl Shak offered words of deep thanks to all who made the day possible - clergy, parishioners, guests, volunteers, and supporters - and reaffirmed the parish’s commitment to continue being a living wellspring of healing, prayer, and service in the heart of Brooklyn.

Archbishop Daniel’s final words lingered in the hearts of all present: “The Church is not a building. It is not a schedule of services. It is not a set of doctrines alone. The Church is the hands that lift the wounded. The heart that weeps with the broken. The arms that embrace the stranger. This is what it means to be the Body of Christ in the world. This is what it means to be Orthodox.”

“We are called to see one another. To love one another. To nurture one another. This is the way of Christ. This is the mission of the Church.”