St. Andrew Memorial Church hosts a triple celebration

SOUTH BOUND BROOK, N.J. - St. Andrew Memorial Church held a triple celebration here at the Metropolia Center of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. as the community marked a historic anniversary and honored key members of their congregation.

It has been a little more than 50 years since ground was broken for the impressive St. Andrew Memorial Church. It took more than 10 years to complete the project, but the community rallied around it almost immediately. The church - which is dedicated to the victims of the Famine-Genocide that ravaged Ukraine in 1932-1933, taking 10 million lives - has remained a lynch-pin in the Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian community and the local community as well.

The celebrations of the church's 50th anniversary took place during the feast day of the church's patron saint, a tradition that all Ukrainian parishes follow to honor their patrons, parishioners and priests.

During the celebration, the faithful also honored and saluted Taras Pavlovsky, who retired after 27 years as the choir director at St. Andrew Memorial Church. From the young age of 19, Mr. Pavlovsky remained committed to an integral part of the church.

Archbishop Antony presented him with a blessed certificate of appreciation. During the banquet following the liturgy, Mr. Pavlovsky was also presented with a set of special hand-written icons.

The Pokrova Sisterhood of St. Andrew Memorial Church also was honored by the archbishop. The members of the Sisterhood were presented with a blessed certificate of appreciation recognizing them for their continued dedication and devotion to the Church.

Archbishop Antony said the Pokrova Sisterhood is often honored because its members are the hardest working members of the Church - they constantly give of themselves and are not concerned with anything other than the betterment of their Church.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 5, 2006, No. 10, Vol. LXXIV

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