More Good News from Prophet Elias
October 6, 2016
More than two years ago, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church of St. Elias the Prophet in Brampton, Ontario, was completely destroyed by fire. The people still have vivid memories of their church engulfed in flames. But now, two and half years later, the community has a reason to celebrate. A brand new church stands ready to open its doors. Fr. Roman Galadza the pastor of St. Elias Church said, that after Good Friday there is always Resurrection. He recalls that the process of rebuilding began almost immediately after the fire destroyed the original church. Construction of the new church began in May 2015. Many parishioners volunteered at the construction site, organize fundraising events and create more outreach.
The original church was built in 1995 with three big domes and two small domes in traditional western Ukrainian Boyko-style. The interior walls were painted with traditional iconography.
The new church walls are bare and white. It will take years to replace the iconography that once was on the church walls. But what is important now is for the community to have a place to call their own.
On October 1, 2016, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, consecrated the new church of St. Elias the Prophet in Brampton, Ontario.
During the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk said: “You saw that at the beginning of the consecration service, the bishop is supposed to pray a special long prayer, invoking the Holy Spirit, facing the people. Not facing the altar, which was not consecrated yet. Not the sanctuary, but the people. Why? Because the church was not yet consecrated. Only you the people are the living presence of God, you are the temples of the Holy Spirit. I was facing the One God in the Holy Trinity that is present in your hearts. Only because you are the temples of our invisible and all powerful God the new and visible temple was rebuild. May God, who dwells among the people, be our hope, our life and our Resurrection.”
Full Video of the Consecration of St. Elias Church
