On August 25, 2024, celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Redemptorist Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer took place in Grodno, Belarus.
The solemn Mass was presided over by Bishop Aleksander Kashkevich of Grodno, concelebrated by Archimandrite Fr. Sergius Gajek, Fr. Waldemar Slota of Velika Brzostovitsa, Fr. Valery Maziuk of Minsk and the entire community of Redemptorists of Grodno. More than 1,000 people attended the Holy Mass and the Eucharistic procession. The Mass was followed by a parish celebration. The program included a commemorative cake, various competitions and songs. At the end, a concert by a children’s group took place.
The Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer is located on the outskirts of Grodno, a city of 400,000 inhabitants, and is the largest parish served by the Redemptorists in the Warsaw Province. The parish church was built in a residential neighbourhood of about 60 thousand inhabitants. The parish also includes 11 neighbouring villages (according to the data reported on the parish website).
Below is the account of parishioner Zanna Yaremich.
On August 25, 2024, laughter can be heard around and inside the church on the streets of our Grodno district, people dressed up in festive clothes and a joyful atmosphere can be seen, because the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer is celebrating its 30th anniversary today.
In the parish church, we are met by old friends, the Redemptorist Fathers of the parish and their predecessors, together they walk in procession to the altar. At the end of the procession follows Mgr. Aleksander Kashkevich, Bishop of Grodno. They are accompanied by a group of girls dressed in white and a group of scouts.
Entering the nave of the church, one is immersed in the solemn singing of the parish choir. The parish priest, Fr. Andrzej Jodkowski CSsR, with a smile, addresses words of greeting and thanks. On this day everyone prayed for the parish community that welcomes everyone. An expression of joy was the procession of gifts during the Mass.
Our parish has turned 30. Each of us is an important and integral part of this large family that follows the Redeemer together. After the congratulations, the procession with the Blessed Sacrament moves around the church under the summer sun.
Then it was time for fun and relaxation. The party started with a quiz about the parish church, with a slice of jubilee cake as a prize for each correct answer. This was followed by a presentation of the San Giovanni Paolo II theater and the singers of the youth choir. The volunteers also participated in a lottery.
No one went unnoticed on this day, because the animators took care of everyone. My legs hurt from dancing and my cheeks from laughing. At the end of the fun together, a touching moment came: 30 balloons were released into the sky. We admired how quickly and easily they rose into the air, aiming higher and higher. With them, we will try to rise above our sins and shortcomings, which, after all, is not always so quick and easy. Of course, we have great gratitude in our hearts. The parish of the Most Holy Redeemer as a community has been living and glorifying God for 30 years!
Anna Yaremich, Grodno, Bielorussia;
Photo: Maksim and Alexia (via redemptor.by )
Source: www.redemptor.pl
