The St John the Baptist Parish Feast Day and 60th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Church

June 24, 2026

On Sunday, 21 June, the St John the Baptist Church in Perth, WA, celebrated its Feast Day and the 60th anniversary of the opening of its church building.

The special guest for the celebrations was Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne, who presided over the Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by the parish administrator, Fr Ihor Holovko; assistant priest Fr Richard Charlwood; and Fr John Jegorow, emeritus Roman Catholic priest. Among the distinguished guests attending the Divine Liturgy and the luncheon were the Mayor of the City of Bayswater, Filomena Piffaretti, and the Deputy Mayor, Elli Petersen-Pik.

The day began with the welcoming of His Eminence Bishop Mykola with the traditional bread and salt by Mrs Myroslava Stasiv and other members of the parish. Mrs Stasiv was one of the original workers on the building project of the church. This was followed by the Hierarchical Liturgy. The congregation, led by the church choir, sang all the responses with devotion.

During his homily, Cardinal Mykola reflected on the mission of St John the Baptist and reminded the faithful, “The uniqueness of Saint John lies in the fact that his entire life was devoted to one mission — to prepare the way for the Lord.” He did not seek glory for himself. He did not build his own authority. He did not seek people’s admiration. On the contrary, when people began to think that he was the Messiah, he humbly replied: ‘I am not the Christ.’ And speaking of Jesus, he said those remarkable words: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ In these words lies profound spiritual wisdom. Saint John teaches us that the true greatness of a person is found not in having everyone look at them but in helping others to see God through them.”

Reflecting on the 60^th anniversary of the church, Cardinal Mykola thanked previous generations of parishioners for their faith and sacrifice, saying, “When we look at this church, we see not just a building — we see a living God who is among his people. We see the history of generations. Here children were baptised, who today have become grandparents themselves. Here newlyweds took their wedding vows. Here they prayed for the peace and well-being of their families. Here they said goodbye to their loved ones, entrusting them into the hands of a merciful God. For sixty years, this Church has been a spiritual beacon for the community. It has experienced times of joy and trials. Generations, priests, and life circumstances have changed, but the Lord, who is present among his people, has remained unchanged.”

During communion the choir sang a hymn to St John the Baptist, “Let the Whole World Rejoice” (Naj radiye svit tsilyj).

After the Hierarchical liturgy Fr Ihor and Ms Anna Kania presented two songs, “Moment” (Myt’), with words and music by Sviatoslav Vakarczuk, and “Oh, Sleep is Walking by the Windows” (Oy, hodyt son kolo vikon), a Ukrainian folk song. This was followed by Bishop Mykola and Fr Ihor singing, “Unto Your Loving Protection” (Pid Tvoju Mylist), a hymn to Our Lady, the Mother of God, which resounded beautifully throughout the whole church.

The Hierarchical Liturgy was followed by a delightful lunch attended by more than a hundred guests, parishioners and friends.