Ра́доница

There is no greater joy than the blessing of the graves of our departed loved ones during this Paschal season of light and life. This is a labour of love has been served at various cemeteries across Winnipeg and Steinbach and Winkler; yet the crown jewel (so to speak) is blessing the graves of those men and women, who gave us St. Nicholas in Narol. Indeed the very ground of our Church has been hallowed by their witness (literally – martyrdom) of the Lord’s saving love and mercy, and the proclamation of Orthodoxy.

The fact that we can recognise this witness (some hundred years later – no less than in English!) is something many of our founders could never have considered. Would Roman Bilak (the farmer who donated the land for the building of St. Nicholas) and those like him, have ever dreamed that his labours and offerings might be the source of reconciliation, healing and forgiveness for those who have found a safe haven in the Orthodoxy? Would John Kozak (who was the long time chanter -Diak) and those like him, have ever imagined how beautiful the singing and reading at St. Nicholas would be? Would John and Mary Evaschuk (parents of Fr. John Evascuck – an early missionary priest in Canada) and those like them have ever imagined that their parish would be brimming with priests and deacons? Would John and Sophie Barchyn, or William Prigoski or those like them have ever imagined that this little Church would be overflowing with people, when they rebuilt St. Nicholas after it burnt down in 1946, let alone after extensive renovations in the 1990’s?

Maybe, maybe not.

Regardless of what any of them imagined what this little parish could be a century latter (that is, if they even had time to consider such things) their faithfulness to the Lord, and His triumph over sin and death, have given us a stable foundation for just about everything. As such, it is truly a profound joy that we now can bear witness to their faithfulness, by proclaiming the very thing they lived for – The Lord’s saving Pascha and victory! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес!