With hearts uplifted in thanksgiving to Almighty God, the clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Western Europe gathered on Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Munich, Germany, to solemnly and joyfully commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Church’s presence and pastoral ministry in the diaspora. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, and under the spiritual leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Daniel - spiritual father of the Western European Eparchy - the sacred observance was held at the historic Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker in Munich, in the presence of over 250 faithful and 45 clergy from across the European continent.

The day began with the arrival of Archbishop Daniel at the temple’s entrance, where he was received with the traditional bread and salt, offered by parish representatives and children dressed in embroidered Ukrainian garments - an expression of welcome that transcends language and geography. The bread, baked with care and prayer, symbolized sustenance, tradition, and hospitality; the salt represented the enduring covenant of faith and community. Flowers were laid at the feet of the archpastor as signs of beauty, life, and love - gifts not only to a hierarch, but to a spiritual father who has walked with his flock through war, exile, resettlement, and renewal.

“When I behold your faces, I do not see strangers in a foreign land,” said Archbishop Daniel in his opening remarks. “I see the children and grandchildren of those who, 80 years ago, bore the Cross of exile and planted the seeds of faith in Western Europe. Today, those seeds have blossomed into living communities of prayer, service, and divine joy.”

Protopresbyter Valentyn Smoktunowicz offered a moving welcome address on behalf of the clergy, recalling the early years of the Church’s presence in Europe following the devastation of the Second World War. He spoke of the first Ukrainian Orthodox refugees who fled the advancing Soviet regime and found themselves scattered across Bavaria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and beyond. In displaced persons’ camps, rural chapels, and borrowed sanctuaries, they began to rebuild their lives - not only economically and socially - but above all, spiritually.

“Our people were stateless, voiceless, and wounded - but they were not Godless,” Fr. Valentyn said. “They brought with them the living faith of Kyiv, the legacy of Saint Volodymyr, and the courage to serve Christ even in exile.”

Archbishop Daniel responded with emotion, calling attention to the cyclical nature of history and the present-day parallels to the 1940s:

“Just as our ancestors fled the horrors of war and repression under the Red Army, so today countless Ukrainians are forced to flee the Russian invasion - seeking shelter, safety, and dignity in countries that have once again opened their arms. And just as the Church was here to receive them then, it is our sacred duty to do so now - with the same courage, the same compassion, and the same unwavering proclamation: Christ is Risen!”

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated with solemnity and spiritual power. During the Little Entrance, Archbishop Daniel elevated Rev. Fr. Valentyn Havrulik to the rank of Protopresbyter, with the blessing of Metropolitan Antony, in recognition of his decades of unwavering service. The jeweled cross of priestly honor was then bestowed upon Fr. Vadym Karpenko, whose dedication to pastoral ministry has enriched the Church in Germany and beyond.

As the liturgy reached its spiritual summit, Archbishop Daniel offered a powerful sermon, drawing from the Gospel of John:“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

He continued: “This light is not philosophical or poetic - it is personal. It is the radiant face of Christ who walks with refugees, cries with mothers, shelters children, and weeps over war-torn cities. This Light casts out fear. It destroys despair. It restores our humanity when the world seeks to crush it. This is the Light that has led our Church for 80 years in Western Europe and will continue to do so - until the end of the ages.”

He added: “To our young people: do not be afraid of the world’s darkness. Do not be ashamed of your roots. The faith of your grandfathers and grandmothers, who prayed in barns and bomb shelters, is your crown. Wear it with joy, and know that Christ has chosen you to bear His light.”

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Daniel presented each priest with a handcrafted, commemorative Ukrainian wooden cross - emblazoned with the number 80 - a symbol of both remembrance and mission. These crosses were not merely gifts, but sacred reminders of the ministry entrusted to each spiritual leader of the diaspora.

In a deeply moving moment, Archbishop Daniel, acting in his capacity as Academic Dean of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary, conferred a Master of Divinity degree upon Fr. Oleksandr Smoktunowycz. Although unable to travel to the United States for graduation, Fr. Oleksandr completed his theological studies, representing a new generation of committed clergy for the Church.

“This degree is not just a title,” noted Archbishop Daniel, “but a calling - a confirmation that you are ready to carry the torch of faith into a world that hungers for truth, beauty, and divine love.”

Following the liturgy, all were invited to a festive jubilee luncheon, lovingly prepared by the faithful of the local parish communities. Guests included the Consul General of Ukraine in Munich Honorable Yurii Nykytiuk, who offered heartfelt greetings and thanked the Church for its unwavering support of Ukrainian refugees and displaced families during the ongoing war.

Dignitaries from the Bavarian government, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church of Bavaria, and the Roman Catholic Church expressed their admiration for the Church’s perseverance and contributions to interfaith harmony and cultural identity.

A local Ukrainian choir filled the room with joy, performing traditional songs that stirred the soul and connected generations. The celebration concluded with a unison prayer and the singing of “Mnohaya Lita” - a resounding invocation for God’s continued blessings upon the Eparchy and its faithful clergy and laity.

“We did not come here to reminisce,” Archbishop Daniel said in his final words of the day. “We came to testify. We came to proclaim that the Church is alive, that Christ is victorious, and that the mission of the Gospel will never be silenced. Let the next 80 years be brighter still - for the glory of God and the salvation of His people.”

May the Lord continue to bless the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Western Europe - past, present, and future - with unwavering faith, unshakable hope, and unfailing love.