Parish Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God celebrated in Brisbane
On Sunday, 25 October, the Ukrainian Catholic community in Brisbane celebrated the parish feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. On this occasion, a solemn Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was held at the parish church, presided over by Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne.
Concelebrating with Bishop Mykola were Fr. Stefan Sapun, Administrator of the Parish of the Protection of the Mother of God in Brisbane; Fr. Martin Arnold, who assists with pastoral ministry in the local community; and Fr. Ihor Holovko, Syncellus for Clergy of the Melbourne Eparchy.
During his homily, Bishop Mykola reflected on the Gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus, drawing attention to two realities of human life — earthly and heavenly.
The Cardinal emphasised that this parable reminds each of us of our responsibility for our own lives and actions. Our eternal life also depends on how we live on earth, how we treat others, and whether we recognise their needs.
Bishop Mykola stressed that those who strive to do good, care for others, and do not focus solely on their own needs are moving towards their heavenly reward. On the other hand, those who live only for themselves and remain indifferent to the suffering of others distance themselves from the Kingdom of God.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the celebrations continued with a shared lunch in the parish hall, where the clergy and faithful had the opportunity to spend time together in the warm atmosphere of the parish community.
