Ukrainian Orthodox Parish in Hamburg, Germany, Serves Hundreds of Displaced Ukrainians With Sunday Services and Support

St. Nicholas Parish, a Ukrainian Orthodox church in the diaspora in Hamburg, Germany, is in unity with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to the source, people who have attended services there describe its doors as open to everyone. The parish has become a spiritual refuge for many Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes after the start of the full-scale war. The parish dates its beginnings to 2018, when the Ukrainian community in Hamburg asked Father Yaroslav Bohodyst to take on a ministry in the northern German city. Since then, the parish has also grown socially. It runs a Sunday school for the youngest children, and a professional church choir is developing.

Father Yaroslav told the outlet “Spiritual Front of Ukraine” that the parish is the only Orthodox parish in Hamburg with no connection to the Moscow Patriarchate, and that he has never belonged to that institution. He said his main goal as a missionary priest is to serve God and the Ukrainian people. He described the needs of people living abroad during the war, including psychological, everyday, and family problems. In his view, the parish needs both a place for prayer and services and a strong community in which people help one another.

The source reports that the parish has seen a considerable increase in members since the full-scale war began, and Father Yaroslav said he thanks God for this. He also said that before the COVID-19 lockdown, a significant share of Ukrainians in Hamburg already attended services there regularly. Many had already experienced what he called “Russian peace,” and they sought spiritual refuge in the Ukrainian church.

Services are held in a Lutheran church. Father Yaroslav thanked the pastor of the St. Andrew Community, Kord Scholler, and the Lutheran church for opening their doors so the parish could hold services every Sunday. The cooperation also includes joint prayer. It began with a prayer service for peace held in two languages, after German members of the community expressed sympathy and wished to take part. Preparation took three months. Because the dates of Christmas coincided, the two communities held their services in turn, each following its own tradition. The services lasted about three hours. Participants received Communion from their own confessions, and afterward there was a shared meal and an exchange of impressions. Ukrainians heard the organ, and Germans heard the Ukrainian choir.

Father Yaroslav said the parish has seen growing German interest. He noted that two or three Germans are usually present at prayer, and a first Confession was held in German. The parish plans to sing the “Our Father” and possibly some litanies in German during services. He also said members of another German community sometimes visit because they like the atmosphere. The Sunday school for children is already active and has about 15 students, taught by a professional teacher who also runs master classes. The parish hopes to start similar meetings for teenagers, which would require more resources and a teacher.

Asked how someone with fears or uncertainty about attending church could begin, Father Yaroslav said anyone can invite others, and that a person can simply come. He said the church’s icons and singing can offer a break from the pressures of looking for work and learning the language. The parish also offers an opportunity to sing and learn singing, and it helps people through difficult stages of life. Services take place every Sunday at 15:00 at Bogenstraße 30 in Hamburg.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Ukrainian)