On May 30, 2024, the annual gathering of presbyterae from the Warsaw-Bielsk diocese took place at the Monastery of Saints Martha and Mary on Grabarka Holy Mount.
The event commenced with a Holy Liturgy, led by Bishop Warsonofiusz of Siemiatycze, accompanied by clergy members. Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, along with Bishop Paweł of Hajnówka, also participated in the solemn service, joining in prayerful attendance.
Before the meeting commenced, Metropolitan Sawa led a prayer and then proceeded to acquaint the audience with the focal points of the meeting’s agenda. He dedicated significant time to discussing the challenges confronting every Christian in the contemporary world. The hierarch underscored the imperative of safeguarding life and nurturing the foundational social unit of the family. He also stressed the importance of enhancing spiritual growth, both on an individual level and within the context of the family, parish, and broader Christian community.
Accordingly, the family of a priest, serving as exemplars within the community, must radiate through their conduct. This demands that every member of the clergy family remains mindful and accountable for their actions and speech. Given the constant emergence of new phenomena in daily life, some of which may contradict the teachings and traditions of the Orthodox Church, it becomes imperative to consistently evaluate and firmly distance oneself when necessary. This requires a lot of wisdom, prudence, tact to unite and not divide,” the Metropolitan concluded.
The theme of this year’s meeting centered around: “My assessment, as a matushka, of the changes taking place in the modern Orthodox world. Suggestions.” The Metropolitan inaugurated the gathering by elucidating its theme to the attendees. The keynote address was delivered by matushka Elżbieta Aleksiejuk from Warsaw, while the co-report was presented by matushka Ewa Zhukovicka from Orla.
Source: orthodox.pl / Photos: Mirosław Demczuk, Barbara Chilińska
