Hierarchs of the UOC of the USA Participate in the Farewell Reception in Honor of Ambassador of Ukraine
Farewell Reception at the Embassy of Ukraine

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA

CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

PRESS RELEASE

 

Hierarchs of the UOC of the USA Participate in the Farewell Reception in Honor of Ambassador of Ukraine 

 

On April 23, 2015, the Diplomatic Corps of Ukraine hosted a send off for one of its very own, the Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksander Motsyk.

Ambassadors, government officials, representatives of Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches, leaders of Ukrainian-American community and other distinguished guests gathered at the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States of America in Washington, DC in formal fashion to bid the guests of honor, Mr. Motsyk and his family, farewell. Mrs. Natalia Motsyk joined her husband in a meet and greet among guests, with the members of the Embassy’s staff by their side.

 

His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and His Grace Bishop Daniel, President of Consistory of the Church, accompanied by Very Rev. Fr. Volodymyr Steliak (pastor of St. Andrew the First Called Apostle in Silver Spring, MD) represented the UOC of the USA at the farewell reception. Addressing the gathering, His Eminence Metropolitan Antony offered words of gratitude to Ambassador Motsyk for his diplomatic leadership in the most difficult time of modern day history of Ukraine. In conclusion of his remarks, Metropolitan Antony and Bishop Daniel presented Mr. and Mrs. Motsyk with the reproduction of an icon of the Metropolitan of Kyiv, which was commissioned as a gift to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, when he visited the Metropolia Center of the UOC of the USA in 1998.

Addressing the guests of the Ukrainian Embassy, Ambassador Motsyk stated "It's hard to say goodbye! So many friendships were made on both diplomatic and personal levels. Yet we all worked hard during these past several years, and especially recently for our nation and people – the land of Ukraine!” The Ambassador took his audience down memory lane, revealing that he came to the United States of America some 5 years ago and so many historical events occurred since that time.

From there, everyone joined with a festive toast, ending the formalities, which gave way to regular mingling programming.

While at the formal reception, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA spoke with various US political and Ukrainian community leaders. Among some of them were Metropolitan Stefan (Soroka) and Bishop John (Bura) of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church as well as Ambassador of Georgia, Honorable Archil Gegeshidze, with whom the bishops shared the well established relationship between the Georgian Orthodox Ukrainian Orthodox communities.

In the late hours of Thursday evening, the hierarchs of the UOC of the USA departed Washington, DC in order to prepare and travel for the upcoming parish visitations: Metropolitan Antony – Holy Archangel Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Woonsocket, RI and St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Boston, MA; while Bishop Daniel left in the early hours of Friday morning for Seattle, WA to visit the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox parish community.

Farewell Reception at the Embassy of Ukraine

Farewell Reception at the Embassy of Ukraine - 04/25/2015

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