12 sacraments of Baptism performed for UOC community in Brussels

The first parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Brussels in honor of All Saints of the Kyiv Caves opened a month ago. During this short time, the community has rallied and grown, Archpriest Dimitry Popescu, who takes care of Ukrainian refugees in the Belgian capital, told the UOJ.

“Believers gathered for the first time for the long-awaited joint prayer on July 10, 2022. On our knees, we prayerfully asked the Lord for peace in Ukraine, for our relatives and friends, for our soldiers,” Fr. Dimitry said.

Nearly 300 people came to the first Divine Liturgy, and now not less people come to Sunday services.

“Women who have husbands at the front do not miss services. We fervently pray together with them, and I often see their eyes full of tears,” says the cleric.

Among the refugees from Ukraine, who were received in the Kingdom of Belgium, there are many mothers with children. Mothers-to-be expecting a baby also fled from the horrors of war. A lot of mothers gave birth to babies in the community, so the line for baptism is scheduled ahead.

“So far 12 newborn Ukrainians have been baptized and four couples wedded. Our married couples, not only refugees, but also labor migrants from Ukraine, who ended up in Belgium during the aggression of the Russian Federation, decided to stop living in sin and united in God,” the priest comments.

In August, the community of the UOC parish in honor of All Saints of the Kyiv Caves in Brussels began to gather at two addresses so that everyone could attend the service.

Parish of the UOC of All Saints of the Kiev Caves in Brussels:

Avenue Norbert Gilles 67, 1070 Anderlecht, services on Sunday at 8:00;
Hebronlaan 5 Kraainem, services on Saturday at 9:30.
Archpriest Dimitry Popescu: +32-475-311-372.

As the UOJ reported, the UOC sent a priest to Croatia to provide spiritual guidance to Ukrainian refugees.