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With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, and at the invitation and with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, undertook an official visit to the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church from February 14–18, 2026.
Upon his arrival in Warsaw on Saturday, February 14, Fr. Alessandro was welcomed by Archpriest Doroteusz Sawicki, Executive Director of ELEOS (the charitable arm of the Church of Poland), and Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak. He then traveled to Lublin for the celebration of the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord.
In Lublin, Fr. Alessandro was received at the Bishop’s Residence by His Eminence Archbishop Abel of Lublin and Chełm for a meeting and luncheon. Also in attendance were His Grace Bishop Athanasy of Łódź and Poznań and His Grace Bishop Andrei of Supraśl.
That evening, Fr. Alessandro concelebrated at the All-Night Vigil at the Cathedral in Lublin for the feast.
During his time in Lublin, Fr. Alessandro also participated in events connected with World Orthodox Youth Day, organized by the Church of Poland, which brought together more than 200 young people from across Poland and other countries.
On Sunday, February 15, Archbishop Abel presided at the Divine Liturgy. At the conclusion of the service, Fr. Alessandro conveyed the greetings of Metropolitan Tikhon and of the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America.
That afternoon, Fr. Alessandro met with Fr. Andrzej Konachowicz, who oversees the ELEOS Polish-language and integration courses in Lublin—ministries supported in part by funds raised by the Orthodox Church in America in 2022 to assist Ukrainian refugees in Poland. He also visited the Diocesan Social Welfare Home directed by Priest Mirosław Wiśniewski, where he met with staff and residents.
Later that evening, Fr. Alessandro and Fr. Doroteusz traveled to Biała Podlaska, where they were welcomed by Priest Marcin Gościk.
On Monday, they journeyed to Grabarka to visit the Social Welfare Home directed by Priest Michał Siemieniuk and to meet with His Grace Bishop Paweł of Hajnówka. While there, Fr. Alessandro accompanied His Grace in visiting residents of the home.
The trip to Grabarka also included a visit to the Monastery of Saints Martha and Mary on Holy Mount Grabarka, widely regarded as the spiritual heart of Polish Orthodoxy and a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for the Feast of the Transfiguration. Fr. Alessandro toured the monastery and met with members of the sisterhood.
In the afternoon, the delegation returned to Biała Podlaska for a visit to the parish-operated Integration Center supported by ELEOS. There, Fr. Alessandro met with a group of Ukrainian refugees, who shared their experiences of life before the war, their displacement, and their efforts to rebuild their lives in Poland. Some have enrolled in universities, others have found employment, and others are beginning small businesses. All expressed deep gratitude to ELEOS and to the Church of Poland for their assistance, as well as to the Orthodox Church in America for its financial support of these initiatives.
That evening, Fr. Alessandro returned to Warsaw and met with the full ELEOS staff over dinner, learning about the broad range of charitable programs currently underway.
On Tuesday morning, Fr. Alessandro was received in audience by Metropolitan Sawa, with the participation of His Eminence Archbishop Jerzy of Wrocław and Szczecin. Fr. Alessandro conveyed the greetings of Metropolitan Tikhon and the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America. Their discussion focused on the life and ministries of both Churches, the longstanding friendship between them, and areas of mutual interest and cooperation. They also discussed the ongoing work of ELEOS, the support offered by the Orthodox Church in America, and possible collaboration in youth ministry, including cooperation between the Fellowship of Orthodox Youth in Poland and Supraśl.
Following the audience, Fr. Alessandro visited the Primatial Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene in Warsaw, as well as the Church of Hagia Sophia on the outskirts of the city and its food production center, which is supported by ELEOS.
Later that day, Fr. Alessandro visited the Orthodox Seminary in Warsaw, where he met with the seminarians and spoke about the life of the Orthodox Church in America and the structure of theological education in North America.
On Wednesday, February 18, Fr. Alessandro departed Warsaw and returned to the United States.
