On Friday, May 5, 2023 - the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and Archbishop Daniel, joined the parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox community in Seattle, WA at the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, DC for the formal presentation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director’s Community Leadership Award to Rev. Fr. Andriy Matlak of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Seattle, WA.

The FBI created the DCLA in 1990 to honor dedicated individuals and organizations from across the country for their extraordinary contributions to strengthening communities and reducing crime and violence. Every year, field offices select recipients for this award on behalf of the FBI Director to recognize their tremendous support.

FBI Director Christopher Wray honored the 2022 DCLA recipients at a ceremony held at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "Like the 38,000 employees of the FBI," Director Wray told the honorees, "you don’t do what you do for fame - and certainly not for fortune. You do it out of kindness, out of compassion for others, out of a hope and a dream for safer communities, to leave your towns and cities better places than when you got there. And that’s how I’ve defined success here within our organization, too. Success to me is if everyone leaves the FBI a better place than they found it."

This year’s recipients were recognized for a broad range of efforts, including building bridges between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, combatting human trafficking and providing resources to victims, and supporting local youth programs.

The FBI is grateful for each of these individuals and organizations as they work to build stronger, safer, and more cohesive communities.

At conclusion of the ceremony, His Eminence Metropolitan Antony gathered those present in honor of Fr. Andriy - Archbishop Daniel, Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Pasakas, Dobrodiyka Nadia Matlak and daughters Elizabeth and Olenka, as well as parishioners from Seattle – Lyudmila Romanyuk, Galina Mikityuk and Larysa Gavrilenko.  At this time, he presented Fr. Andriy with the special award of the “Copper Tryzub Emblem” created by our hierarchs for those who contribute above and beyond the normal in aiding Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and providing important sustenance for those continuing to struggle against the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

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