21-04-2025, Antwerp

Solemn liturgy in honor of the 25th anniversary of the parish of the Church of the Nativity of Christ, presided over by the Archbishop.

On April 21, 2025, Holy Monday, a solemn Easter Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Antwerp, on the occasion of the parish's 25th anniversary. The service was attended by a large number of faithful and became an important event for the city's Orthodox community.

The liturgy was presided over by Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium, assisted by a council of priests and deacons, including Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin, secretary of the Diocese of Brussels; Archpriest Andrei Eliseev, former rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ and current rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Nice; and numerous other members of the diocese's clergy. During the service, the parish choir sang under the direction of choirmaster Elena Alexandrovna Lanskaya.

Before the liturgy began, ordination of Zadorozhenko Mikhail Georgievich as a reader and Pavel Pavlovich's elevation to the rank of subdeacon were celebrated. At the minor entrance, in honor of the parish's anniversary and in recognition of their work for the good of the Church, the clergy and church employees received patriarchal certificates. Among those awarded were: Priest Kliment Samovarov, Parish Council Secretary A.A. Isaev, Parish Accountant N.V. Gorozhanka, Parish School Principal N.V. Shulga, Cantors S.P. Miroshnichenko, L.N. Alekseeva, and I.E. Pavlyukova, Church Employee E.A. Perepelitsa, and Librarian O.G. Potocka.

After the Divine Liturgy, an Easter procession took place to the sound of bells, followed by a group photo of the clergy. The official ceremony then took place, inaugurated by the Young Singers' Choir of the Diocese of Brussels, under the direction of I.G. Skrobovskaya, who performed the Paschal troparion in several languages. Speeches were given by the former rector, Archpriest Andrei Eliseev, the secretary of the parish council A.A. Isaev, and the rector of the church, Priest John Nedosekin.

Musical performances were also featured, including those by Alexander Skrobovsky, who performed a work by Chopin on the piano, Vadim Tkachuk, who performed compositions by Telemann on the soprano saxophone, and Sunday school children with the pantomime "Hands." The official part of the celebration was rounded off with the prayer "Our Father" performed by the parish choir under the direction of E.A. Lanskaya in Dutch, and the troparion "Christ is Risen" by A.D. Kastalsky.

Among the guests of honor were Hugo Dox, former head of relations between the province and religious associations; Didier Janssens and his wife, great-grandson of the artist Joseph Janssens; and Bruno Vissers, nephew of Jos Hendrix, the craftsman of the stained-glass windows in the main nave of the church.

After the official part of the celebration, a grand dinner was offered to all participants, during which guests and parishioners were able to offer a toast and exchange memories and opinions on the event.