A rosary prayer “The Rosary Unites” broadcast from frontline Beryslav
On November 11, 2023, the newly built Church of the Martyrs of Maccabees of the Odesa Exarchate of the UGCC in Beryslav, Kherson region, held an online broadcast of the Rosary Prayer “Rosary Unites.” It was conducted by the chairman of the Odesa Exarchate Health Care Commission, the rector Fr. Oleksandr Bilsky, and the faithful. The “Rosary Unites” prayer initiative is broadcast daily on Zhyve Television.
It was a special prayer broadcast since the city of Beryslav was occupied for nine months at the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion, and today, it is exposed to daily shelling by Russian troops.
The shelling damaged the Greek Catholic church, as well as the charitable kitchen that provided food to many residents who left without means of subsistence. Furthermore, the parish suffered irreparable losses, with several parishioners killed.
As Fr. Oleksandr noted during the prayer broadcast, “It is very symbolic that we pray on November 11 because on this day a year ago, Beryslav was liberated from enemy occupation.” “Today, we especially pray that our Ukrainian land will be liberated from the enemy invaders as fast as possible and that joy and children’s laughter will return to this land. We entrust to God in prayer all our brothers and sisters who died in this war and ask for God’s blessing for our homeland,” said Fr. Bilsky.
At the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion, the parish of the Martyrs of Maccabees was under Russian occupation for nine months. During the occupation and to this day, the parish has a charitable kitchen and dining room, “Five Loaves and Two Fishes,” founded in 2021. Residents receive free lunches every day.
After the de-occupation of the Kherson region, the Exarch of Odesa, Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy, visited the parish on Epiphany Eve. The bishop blessed and shared the Holy Supper with people in difficult life circumstances. The next day, on the Feast of the Epiphany, the bishop presided over the Divine Liturgy and the Rite of Blessing of the Water.
Press service of the Odesa Exarchate
