2013.09.21
Colours of Polish Orthodoxy in Belgrade
The importance of the event was appreciated not only by the Polish people who attended the exhibition opening. The note referring to the event published at the website of the Serbian Patriarchate reads: “Lucky were those who under the domes of St Sava’s church met the living Polish Orthodox Church with its colours, chants, clergy and Orthodox Poles”
At the exhibition Poland was represented by Fr Michał Czykwin and Fr Marek Wawreniuk, their parish of St John the Theologian in Białystok is strictly connected with Serbian church. The event was also attended by representatives of the Polish embassy in Belgrade.
Serbian patriarch Irenei could not come to the vernissage because of his trip to the United States. However, he sent his vicar, bishop Andrev of Remezja to represent Serbian Orthodox Church. Other visitors to the exhibition included parish priest from the Belgrade Cathedral, Fr Piotr Lukić as well as a group of journalists. The Serbian exhibition was the biggest of all Orthphoto events. It attracted a few hundred people, many of them being ordinary citizens of Belgrade.
As an introduction to the exhibition Fr Piotr Lukcić said a few words about the Orthphoto initiative and Polish Orthodox Church. Subsequently, bishop Andrev gave a brief speech and he extended the blessings and fatherly prayers from Patriarch Irenei.
Then, the bishop said how important photography can be. He dwelled on his personal experiences from youth when, thanks to photographs, he found out about people in the West converting to Orthodoxy. He also discovered Orthodox monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex near London. That was the monastery where the old man Sofroniusz (Starec). The bishop described him as “a rare diamond known to just a few”. In this way, remarked the bishop, photography has a missionary nature: Pictures herald to the viewers the universality and spirituality of Orthodoxy. They also testify that Orthodoxy is good for the souls of all the people. Then he said: Organizers of this exhibition send the same message to the world as we do, when we sing at the vespers four times - for the four sides of the world “God and Lord has revealed himself to us”. We are happy that this evening, in Belgrade, thanks to the pictures displayed here and on the internet, we could see this part of universality of Orthodoxy. Every day Orthphoto sends to the world a message about the beauty of Orthodoxy.
The last official point on the agenda was a performance by a choir of St Basil Martysz. Members of the choir come from different parts of Poland. The opening song was a former hymn of Poland “God, who throughout ages cast light of glory and power on Poland”. Subsequently, the choir sang Orthodox hymns and Polish songs. Some of the melodies were very well-known to the Serbian listeners, which substantiated bishop Andrev’s claims about the universality of Orthodoxy. This also shows the richness of Polish Orthodox church and that it is connected with Serbian church. Serbian listeners were especially moved by a hymn to St Gabriel.
Polish visitors brought from Poland an icon of St Gabriel together with a piece of his holy relics. After the performance there was a time to finally see the pictures and have some refreshments at the buffet. In the meantime many Serbs went up to St Gabriel’s icon to venerate it. They also wanted to know more about St Gabriel and about the patron of the choir. Serbs had an opportunity to get some more information about Poland and similarities between Serbia and Poland.
At the exhibition Poland was represented by Fr Michał Czykwin and Fr Marek Wawreniuk, their parish of St John the Theologian in Białystok is strictly connected with Serbian church. The event was also attended by representatives of the Polish embassy in Belgrade.
Serbian patriarch Irenei could not come to the vernissage because of his trip to the United States. However, he sent his vicar, bishop Andrev of Remezja to represent Serbian Orthodox Church. Other visitors to the exhibition included parish priest from the Belgrade Cathedral, Fr Piotr Lukić as well as a group of journalists. The Serbian exhibition was the biggest of all Orthphoto events. It attracted a few hundred people, many of them being ordinary citizens of Belgrade.
As an introduction to the exhibition Fr Piotr Lukcić said a few words about the Orthphoto initiative and Polish Orthodox Church. Subsequently, bishop Andrev gave a brief speech and he extended the blessings and fatherly prayers from Patriarch Irenei.
Then, the bishop said how important photography can be. He dwelled on his personal experiences from youth when, thanks to photographs, he found out about people in the West converting to Orthodoxy. He also discovered Orthodox monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex near London. That was the monastery where the old man Sofroniusz (Starec). The bishop described him as “a rare diamond known to just a few”. In this way, remarked the bishop, photography has a missionary nature: Pictures herald to the viewers the universality and spirituality of Orthodoxy. They also testify that Orthodoxy is good for the souls of all the people. Then he said: Organizers of this exhibition send the same message to the world as we do, when we sing at the vespers four times - for the four sides of the world “God and Lord has revealed himself to us”. We are happy that this evening, in Belgrade, thanks to the pictures displayed here and on the internet, we could see this part of universality of Orthodoxy. Every day Orthphoto sends to the world a message about the beauty of Orthodoxy.
The last official point on the agenda was a performance by a choir of St Basil Martysz. Members of the choir come from different parts of Poland. The opening song was a former hymn of Poland “God, who throughout ages cast light of glory and power on Poland”. Subsequently, the choir sang Orthodox hymns and Polish songs. Some of the melodies were very well-known to the Serbian listeners, which substantiated bishop Andrev’s claims about the universality of Orthodoxy. This also shows the richness of Polish Orthodox church and that it is connected with Serbian church. Serbian listeners were especially moved by a hymn to St Gabriel.
Polish visitors brought from Poland an icon of St Gabriel together with a piece of his holy relics. After the performance there was a time to finally see the pictures and have some refreshments at the buffet. In the meantime many Serbs went up to St Gabriel’s icon to venerate it. They also wanted to know more about St Gabriel and about the patron of the choir. Serbs had an opportunity to get some more information about Poland and similarities between Serbia and Poland.
Dominika Kovačević
