Theophany Feast and Meat Festival

On the feast day of Theophany, following the Divine Liturgy, the Great Blessing of the Water took place at Assumption Catholic Church in Perth Amboy, NJ. This year, the faithful together with their pastor Fr. Ivan Turyk and Rev. Evhen Moniuk from Philadelphia celebrated this holy day outside the church and in front of the Cross that was carved from solid ice. Fr. Ivan dipped ceremonial candles, then his right hand, and then the cross into the frigid waters and called upon the power of the Holy Spirit to bless the water. The feast commemorates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, as well as the manifestation of the Holy Trinity. He also sprinkles holy water on the faithful who attended the blessing outside the church. Following the blessing of water, all the faithful were invited to the school hall to enjoy the parish hospitality, homemade vine and yummy shish kebab luncheon. The area around the church smelled of delicious shish kebab and the event attracts pilgrims from all over. At the luncheon over three thousand dollars were raised for the wounded Ukrainian soldiers.