The rite of sanctification and memorial service of the 120th anniversary of B. Pachopka’s birthday was celebrated by Sergej Gaek, Apostolic visitor for Greek Catholics in Belarus, together with Greek-Catholic priests from Brest, Polatsk, Minsk, Mohilev, Baranavichy, Vitebsk. Numerous Greek Catholics as well as inhabitants of Telehany together with Roman-Catholic priest and representatives of local authorities gathered at the celebration.
After the sanctification of the monument in Telehany the majority of the participants directed their steps to the village of Bobrovichy, where F. Boleslav Pachopka worked since 1926 to 1949. On the cemetery, near the memory cross established by Greek-Catholics (the burial place of inhabitants of the village burnt by Hitlerites) there took place a memorial service. People also prayed in the very village, on the place where a Greek-Catholic church had been situated. At the end of the prayers Belarusian religious hymn Mahutny Bozha (God Almighty) was sung.
Boleslav Pachopka (1884–1940) is famous Belarusian Greek-Catholic priest, publicist, poet, pedagogue, author of several historical-religious works. He was editor-in-chief of the first Belarusian Catholic newspaper BIELARUS (1913–1915) in Vilnius as well as founder, director and pedagogue of a normal school in Svislach (the region of Grodno) (1915–1918). B. Pachopka is also author of one of first grammars of the Belarusian language published in Roman alphabet.
In 1921 Boleslav Pachopka applied to Vatican for the possibility to accept Eastern rite and soon received the permission. During 5 years working as a teacher he studied at the seminary in Lvov. On July 25,1926 he was ordained priest. Since 1926 F. Boleslab Pachopka performed his priestly duties in Polessie (the south region of Belarus). He worked as dean in Greek-Catholic parish in Bobrovichy and as vicar in Latin parish in Telehany. Inhabitants of the villages of Bobrovichy, Tupichytsy, Viada, Krasnitsa who formed the Greek-Catholic parish were almost completely burnt in autumn of 1942 during retributive action of Hitlerites.
