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Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA · Aug 12 View source View full article on hyper.nooz.ai

UPDATED: With Sorrow and Hope in the Resurrection: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Mourns the Repose of the Reverend Father John Charest

🌐 Quote shown in the original Ukrainian — English translation below

“Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

With hearts burdened by profound sorrow, yet sustained by our unwavering faith in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Council of Bishops and the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA inform the clergy and faithful of the sudden and repose by his own hand of the Reverend Father John Charest, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Parish …

▲ For · the Lord
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The quote expresses devotion and belonging to the Lord.
🇬🇧 English translation

With Sorrow and Hope in the Resurrection: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Mourns the Repose of the Reverend Father John Charest

“Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

With hearts burdened by profound sorrow, yet sustained by our unwavering faith in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Council of Bishops and the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA inform the clergy and faithful of the repose of the Reverend Father John Charest, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Parish in Carnegie, PA.

The unexpected passing of Fr. John has brought profound shock and grief to his family, his parish community, his brother clergy, and the many faithful whose lives were touched by his priestly ministry.

At a moment such as this, human words seem painfully inadequate. There are sorrows for which explanations do not come easily, questions for which our hearts cannot immediately find answers, and wounds that can only be entrusted to the mercy of God. As Orthodox Christians, we therefore turn not to speculation or judgment, but to prayer - to our Loving Lord Jesus Christ, Who entered the fullness of human suffering, Who wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus, and Who through His own death and Resurrection has given us the promise that death shall not have the final word.

In the days and weeks ahead, when the immediate shock gives way to the long journey of grief, we ask the entire Church to surround them - especially his immediate family, his parents, his brother and family - in prayer, tenderness, discretion, and tangible Christian love. May they know that they do not walk through this valley of sorrow alone. The Church - the Body of Christ - stands with them.

We embrace in prayer the faithful of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Parish, who have suddenly lost their pastor and Spiritual Father. A parish shares deeply in the life of its priest, and the loss of a pastor leaves a wound within the entire spiritual family. We ask our clergy and faithful to remember this parish community in their daily prayers and to offer them patience, understanding, and compassionate support as they confront this unexpected loss.

In this particularly painful hour, we also appeal to everyone to respect the privacy and dignity of Fr. John’s family. Grief must never become an occasion for speculation, rumor, or judgment. Rather, as disciples of Christ, we are called to carry one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2). What is needed now is prayer. What is needed now is mercy. What is needed now is the quiet presence of Christian love.

We entrust the newly reposed servant of God, Priest John, to the immeasurable mercy and loving-kindness of our Lord, Who alone knows the depths of every human heart, every burden carried in silence, every wound unseen by others, and every struggle known only to Him.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA asks its clergy and faithful to remember Priest John during their personal prayers and, according to the direction of their parish clergy, in the liturgical prayers of the Church. We ask also for continued and fervent prayer for his wife Laryssa, their children, his parents and brother, and the entire Saints Peter and Paul parish family.

Information concerning the funeral services and arrangements for the newly reposed servant of God, Priest John, will be communicated to the clergy and faithful as those arrangements are finalized in consultation with his family and the Church.

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