On the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the blessed repose of Metropolitan and Patriarch Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA solemnly gathered in prayer to honor the memory of its first Metropolitan and a visionary spiritual leader whose influence continues to guide generations.

His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, Prime Hierarch of the UOC of the USA and the Diaspora, together with His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, spiritual father of the Western Eparchy and President of the Consistory, led a memorial service (Panakhyda) at the Holy Resurrection Mausoleum at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church - the Spiritual Center of the Church in South Bound Brook, New Jersey.

Joined by numerous clergy from local parishes across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and by faithful pilgrims from surrounding communities, the Church gathered to offer prayerful tribute to the enduring legacy of Metropolitan Mstyslav, a spiritual father whose life and ministry continue to shape the Ukrainian Orthodox identity in both the diaspora and the ancestral homeland.

During his heartfelt remarks, Metropolitan Antony reflected on the profound and lasting influence of Metropolitan Mstyslav, noting that: “Not many people are remembered after thirty-two years since their repose. And yet, generation after generation of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians - here in the United States and in Ukraine - continue to reflect upon the ministry of this great spiritual father of our Church. He was not merely a hierarch. He was a servant of God and a faithful shepherd of the people of God.”

The Metropolitan recalled a personal and deeply moving conversation he once had with Metropolitan Mstyslav, in which the late hierarch humbly expressed: “When someone is remembered after their repose, let them not be remembered by titles - but by their name - as ministers of the Word of God and servants of the faithful.”

In keeping with that profound sentiment, Archbishop Daniel, during the chanting of the memorial litany, offered prayer not in formal titles but with tender reverence, saying: “We also pray for Mstyslav, our brother and concelebrant, the spiritual father of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and Diaspora…”

This moment of liturgical humility and spiritual depth underscored the essence of Metropolitan Mstyslav’s life - a ministry rooted not in worldly elevation, but in pastoral love, apostolic mission, and undying commitment to Christ and His people.

As incense rose into the heavens and the faithful sang “Vichnaya Pamyat” (Memory Eternal), the gathered community reaffirmed its devotion to the sacred legacy passed down by the first Metropolitan of the UOC of the USA - who in 1990 became the spiritual father of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine as Patriarch of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

Among the faithful were parishioners of all ages - children, youth, and elders - who came to honor a man whose spiritual presence continues to echo through the life of the Church. Clergy stood shoulder to shoulder in prayer, some of whom had been ordained by or served alongside the late Metropolitan. Others, younger in age, came as spiritual heirs to his enduring vision.

In the silence of remembrance and the strength of prayer, the Church proclaimed with one voice: “May his memory be eternal! May the seed he planted continue to bear fruit in every generation called to serve Christ and His Holy Church!”