Polish Orthodox Church celebrates 100 Years of Autocephaly on the Holy Mountain of Grabarka
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord is one of the twelve main feasts of the liturgical year and is celebrated with particular solemnity at the monastery of Sts. Martha and Mary on the Holy Mount of Grabarka. This sacred place, close to the hearts of the Orthodox faithful of our homeland, annually gathers tens of thousands of pilgrims from various parts of Poland, as well as from abroad. This year’s celebrations were marked by the 100th anniversary of the Orthodox Church in Poland obtaining autocephaly.
The Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church has issued a heartfelt message to be read to the faithful in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Church’s autocephaly. This milestone occasion offers a moment of reflection on the challenging yet beautiful history of the Orthodox Church in the Republic of Poland, highlighting its significant achievements over the past century of independence.
The hierarchs particularly emphasised the successful regulation of the Church’s legal status within the country, a critical achievement that has ensured its peaceful and stable operation. They also expressed profound gratitude to the faithful for their unwavering commitment to the faith and the preservation of their ancestral traditions.
The message, a powerful testament to the resilience and dedication of the Polish Orthodox community, was signed by Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, along with the other members of the Council of Bishops.
On the eve of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, services dedicated to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God were held. The all-night vigil and the Divine Liturgy were led by His Grace Bishop Warsonofiusz of Siemiatycze.
On the eve of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord at 5:30 p.m., a ceremony of welcoming Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland and other members of the Council of Bishops of the Church of Poland took place in front of the field altar.
Before the beginning of the festive service, Metropolitan Sawa addressed the faithful who had arrived with special paternal words. The Metropolitan expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to gather again in a holy and dear place to every Orthodox Christian to offer thanksgiving prayers for the gift of autocephaly. The expression of gratitude of the entire Church, in the jubilee year, are the one hundred crosses bearing the names of all Orthodox parishes in Poland.
“For centuries, we have been coming to renew our faith, continued since the mission of Brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius, the faith that we keep, we live and we are ready to give our lives for. The history of this place and our Church testifies to the understanding of this faith by Orthodox people. Today, the world is simplifying faith and even fighting it. We must have a faith that burns like fire and is as hard as stone,” said Metropolitan Sawa.
His Eminence stated that the Holy Mountain of Grabarka is the best place for the jubilee celebrations, because during the celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the entire Orthodox Church in Poland is represented here.
Metropolitan Sawa thanked the pilgrims from Poland and abroad and those who welcomed them on the pilgrimage route. He called on everyone to pray for those who could not come to the celebrations, for their homeland, the whole world, and in particular for peace in the world.
Source: orthodox.pl
