More Than a Thousand Faithful Celebrate Easter at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia

April 20, 2025

On April 20, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak presided over the Paschal celebrations at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. The services included the Nadhrobne, a solemn procession, Resurrection Matins, and the Divine Liturgy, all accompanied by the liturgical singing of the Fratelli quartet. The spacious cathedral was filled with more than a thousand faithful, gathered to share in the joy of the greatest Christian feast.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Borys reflected on the distinctive Gospel reading for Easter, proclaimed in four languages. He noted that the Church does not describe the moment of the Resurrection but instead presents the prologue of the Gospel of John, revealing the identity of Jesus Christ from the very beginning.
"Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, is the Son of the Father. He is with the Father, and through Him everything was created and is held together. He is the Pantocrator," said Metropolitan Borys.

Pointing to the familiar icon of the Resurrection, he reminded the faithful: "Every Easter I turn people’s attention to this icon — Christ descending into Hades and pulling out Adam and Eve — the entire human race. God goes deep, to the pit."

Reflecting on the realities of faith today, the Archbishop acknowledged the challenges but offered a hopeful message:
"It is hard for us to imagine, at a time when many churches are closing and many people are stopping believing, stopping praying, stopping going to church, that there are more followers of Jesus today in the world than there have ever been in history."

He added, "We Ukrainian Christians have seen too much not to believe. We have seen the power of truth and the power of grace. Let the light of Christ shine in your heart."

Joining the celebration was Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. In his remarks, he offered a message of encouragement:
"After every Good Friday, there is always a Sunday of Resurrection. We have to believe in that and work for that."

Speaking about the Easter tradition of blessing food, Archbishop Caccia emphasized its deeper spiritual meaning: "We are all called to sit at one table as brothers and sisters — this is the way the Lord shows us."
He also noted the special significance of this year's Easter celebration, as Christians of all major denominations are marking the feast on the same day, united as one.

The liturgical celebration concluded with the traditional anointing (myrovania) and the blessing of Easter foods.