Solemn Holy Communion in Sydney
November 12, 2023
On Sunday, November 12, during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Andrew in Lidcombe, Sydney, New South Wales, eight children solemnly received Holy Communion.
The liturgy was led by Bishop Mykola Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne, in the co-service of Fr. Simon Ckuj, Protosynkellos of the Eparchy and administrator of the Church of St. Andrew, as well as Fr. Oleg Stefanyshyn, assistant priest of the parish.
Speaking to the children, Bishop Mykola noted, “Soon we will receive gifts for St. Nicholas Day or Christmas, but we often forget that our best gift is the Lord. He is the one who shares his Body and Blood with us in Holy Communion, and also nourishes us with his Word.”
To make his homily more understandable for the children, Bishop Mykola used an interactive method: he brought the children a package with a gift, inside which were bread and the Holy Bible. Bread was presented as a symbol of the Holy Communion and as a symbol of life, and the Holy Bible, as a symbol of the word that nourishes us with its content, tells about how to live a Christian life.
After the Holy Liturgy, the children and their parents gathered in the parish hall to celebrate this important event not only in the life of the parish of St. Andrew but also in the lives of each of these children and their families.













