On the eve of the final hours of the departing year, as the Church stood prayerfully at the threshold of time, Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church became a living sanctuary of gratitude, memory, and hope. The faithful gathered to celebrate the feast of the Holy Prophet Daniel - a day that carried special spiritual resonance as they also came to greet and embrace their beloved archpastor, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, on his Name’s Day.

Presiding over the sacred celebration was His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, surrounded by nearly twenty clergy from the immediate metropolitan area and the spiritual center of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA in South Bound Brook, Somerset, New Jersey. The Divine Liturgy unfolded with solemn beauty as seminarians and clergy from Saint Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary under the leadership of Fr. Roman Marchyshak chanted the liturgical responses, lifting the prayers of the people heavenward. The temple was filled with faithful who came not merely to observe, but to participate - heart and soul - in a celebration that felt both deeply personal and profoundly ecclesial.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Antony spoke with paternal warmth and spiritual depth, reflecting on the life and ministry of Archbishop Daniel through the lens of the Holy Prophet whose name he bears. He reminded the faithful that the prophet Daniel was a man formed in faith amid adversity - faithful in exile, steadfast under persecution, and uncompromising in truth.

“God chooses His servants early,” Metropolitan Antony proclaimed. “Sometimes in silence, sometimes in hidden places - yet always with purpose. Archbishop Daniel was marked for service from the moment of his baptism, even during the years of oppression, when faith was whispered in basements rather than proclaimed in public squares.”

The Metropolitan recalled the moving image of a child baptized during communist rule in Ukraine, in the basement of a priest’s home - an act of faith carried out in secrecy, yet radiant with eternity. From that sacred beginning, he traced Archbishop Daniel’s journey: from Ukraine to the United States, from service in the Armed Forces of the USA to the diaconate, priesthood, monastic life, and episcopacy.

“A true shepherd,” Metropolitan Antony said, “is one who offers himself - his time, his strength, his heart - for the life of the Church. Archbishop Daniel’s ministry has touched thousands across continents: in North and South America, Western Europe, Australia, and Ukraine itself. His life is not his own; it is given back to God through the people he serves.”

As the faithful listened, many were visibly moved, recognizing in these words not a distant biography, but a lived experience they themselves had shared through years of pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and compassionate presence.

When Archbishop Daniel rose to respond, gratitude and emotion filled his voice, and tears glistened in his eyes. With humility, he turned first to his spiritual father:

“Your Eminence, you gave me the greatest gift a man can receive - not once, but many times. You ordained me to the holy priesthood, called me to monastic life, and entrusted me with the burden and blessing of the episcopacy. Through your hands, God allowed me to stand at His Holy Altar and to offer His Word and His Holy Gifts to His people.”

Looking ahead to the coming year, Archbishop Daniel reflected that 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the holy priesthood, a milestone that deepened his sense of awe and responsibility.

“Every time I lift the Holy Chalice,” he said, “I remember that this gift is not earned - it is entrusted. To proclaim the Gospel and to consecrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord is a mercy beyond measure. For this, I give thanks to God and to my Metropolitan, who believed in me and walked with me as a father.”

He extended heartfelt thanks to the clergy, the seminarians and deacons, the pani-matky, and all the faithful whose prayers and love sustain the life of the Church. He also expressed gratitude to the pastor of Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church – Very Rev. Fr. Vasyl Pasakas for inviting the community to continue the celebration in fellowship.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the faithful gathered in the Pokrova Social Hall for a festive luncheon held in honor of the Archbishop. The meal, lovingly prepared by Chef Volodymyr Morozovsky, became an extension of the Eucharistic joy - where words of blessing, warm embraces, and heartfelt wishes filled the room. One by one, parishioners greeted their archpastor, offering wishes of Many Blessed Years, while Archbishop Daniel, in turn, bestowed his blessing upon all in attendance.

As the year drew to a close, the celebration of the Holy Prophet Daniel became more than a commemoration of a saint or a Name’s Day. It was a living testimony that God continues to raise shepherds after His own heart - formed in faith, tested by history, and sustained by love - so that His people may walk forward into the future with hope, unity, and trust in His abiding presence.