On May 21-22, the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Białystok hosted grand celebrations to mark both its patronal feast and the 100th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Polish Orthodox Church. The Divine Liturgy was led by the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, accompanied by a large assembly of clergy, including Archbishop Jakub of Białystok and Gdańsk.

Prior to the Liturgy, Metropolitan Sawa consecrated a memorial plaque commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Church's autocephaly. Following the Liturgy, a service of thanksgiving was held, during which prayers were offered in gratitude for a century of the Church's administrative independence in Poland.

"Our ancestors, the Vistulans and Polans, adopted the Byzantine rite even before Kyiv, and Saints Cyril and Methodius brought the faith in Christ's resurrection to our land. This faith persists to this day, despite many difficulties, in our lands, including here in Podlachia," said Metropolitan Sawa. He urged the gathered faithful to always glorify God's name and fight against the prevalent evils in the world in God's name.

In his concluding remarks, Metropolitan Sawa emphasized that the Church, by its nature, has no borders, and the division into dioceses and parishes exists solely to facilitate governance. He then congratulated Archbishop Jakub on the 25th anniversary of his enthronement and presented him with the Church's award—the Order of Saint Mary Magdalene.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Polish Orthodox Church's autocephaly. The celebrations began last May with the consecration of the Church of St. Sophia—the Divine Wisdom in Warsaw. Major festivities are planned for the summer and fall of this year. During the patronal feasts of the cathedrals in each diocese of the Polish Church, special services will be held, during which the message of the Polish Church's Episcopal Council on the occasion of the centenary of autocephaly will be read.

Photo: Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church / www.orthodox.pl