Metropolitan Borys Visits Parish Community in Shamokin, PA

August 09, 2021

On Sunday, August 8, Archbishop Borys Gudziak visited the parish of Transfiguration of the Lord in Shamokin, PA to substitute for Fr Mykola Ivanov, the pastor of the parish and the dean of the South-Anthracite Deanery.

Metropolitan Borys’ homily to the parishioners focussed on the Transfiguration of the Lord, the patronal feast of the parish. In his reflection on the meaning of the feast in the context of the history of salvation, he remarked that “yes, the teachings of Jesus help us to cope [with life’s struggles], but it is more than that. Our Lord transforms and transfigures our life and our human nature.”

Metropolitan Borys concluded the liturgy with blessing fruit and dispensing it to the congregation, an ancient tradition for the Feast of the Transfiguration. Afterwards, he spent time with the attendees, both sharing news about the Archeparchy and listening to family stories from the long-time parishioners.

It is noteworthy that the Shamokin parish is the second oldest Ukrainian Catholic Parish in the United States after Shenandoah, PA, and it is one of the oldest Ukrainian Catholic Churches in the Archeparchy of Philadelphia.