Special guests visit Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church for Holy Thursday services
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP >> A special guest will preside this week at Holy Thursday services at Holy Myrrh-Bearers Ukrainian Catholic Church, 900 Fairview Road.
On April 18, Bishop Andriy Rabiy, apostolic administrator of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, will be the main celebrant and homilist during the church’s religious services. Rabiy will celebrate the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great together with the clergy of the Philadelphia archeparchy. The liturgical services begin at 10:30 a.m. and all the faithful from throughout the archeparchy are invited to attend.
The Holy Thursday service commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. During the service, there will also be the traditional washing of the feet of 12 priests by Rabiy, re-enacting the washing of the feet of his apostles by Jesus as recounted in the Gospel of John.
During the washing of the feet commemoration Very Rev. Msgr. Peter Waslo, host pastor, will be the narrator. The present pastor of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Ukrainian Catholic Church, Waslo also serves as chancellor and vicar judicial of the archeparchy and is the protopresbyter of the Philadelphia Deanery.
During the services and reenactment, Rev. Volodymyr Klanichka, pastor of St. Nicholas Church, Wilmington, and St. Basil Church, Chesapeake, Md., will portray St. Peter. Rev. Paul Wolensky, Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Wilkes-Barre and St. Vladimir Church, Edwardsville will serve as cantor for the divine liturgy. Rev. Paul Makar, pastor of St. Nicholas Church, Minersville, Pa., and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Middleport, Pa., and Rev. Walter Pasicznyk, pastor of Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, Nanticoke, Pa., and Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Plymouth, Pa., will serve as masters of ceremonies.
Waslo said the Holy Thursday Vespers combined service has traditionally been held in the evening, but the archeparchy recently changed the time to the morning, so that the individual priests who participate can go back to their own congregations to hold services in the evening. The Holy Thursday Liturgy was also a traditional time in their church for priests to receive their Holy Chrism which was consecrated at the liturgy. However, that too has changed in recent years. The chrism is now consecrated in the Ukraine and then transported to the area for distribution to priests throughout the archeparchy. Thursday’s services at Holy
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