This year’s Easter journey lay through the picturesque municipalities of Vinje, Fyresdal, Rollag, and Sogndal. It was a true apostolic journey, filled with new meetings and amazing life stories. The entire geography of Ukraine passed before my eyes: people from different corners of our Motherland whose eyes radiate unyielding faith and whose hearts burn with hope and love. A special joy was that our Orthodox divine services were attended not only by Ukrainians but also by local Norwegians and guests from Africa, creating a truly ecumenical spirit of the feast.
Father Andrii Pinchuk shared an interesting and heartwarming observation:
“In the past, when blessing Easter breads (paskas) back home, I would involuntarily recognize the selection of well-known supermarkets—from Silpo to ATB. Here in Norway, the situation has changed completely. Since you cannot buy ready-made paska in local stores, our women have returned to their roots en masse: some recalled their grandmothers’ secrets, while others mastered modern recipes from the internet. During the blessing, the eyes are simply delighted by this variety of genuine Easter creativity. Every paska here is a small miracle, baked with one’s own hands, with prayer and thoughts of home”.
