The solemnity took place in the gothic basilica of the 15th century in the presence of numerous guests and clergy also from Belarus, Ukraine, Czechia and Hungary. On May 22, solemnity of the Holy Trinity, new priests concelebrated their first Holy Mass.
Father Jacek (Siargej) Sharkevich was born on August 10, 1976 in Vitebsk. After finishing school in 1993, he studied at the mathematical faculty of the Vitebsk State Pedagogical University. At that time he used to go to the church where F. Janusz Skeczak o.p. worked. Little by little the desire to become priest came to him. In 1998 Siargej entered the Dominican Order. He made his first vows in August of 1999. After 7 years of formation in Poznan, Warsaw and Krakow, he made his perpetual vows in April of 2004 and in a month he became deacon. Siargej decided to take the name of St. Jacek, first Polish Dominican who preached the Gospel on the territory of Russia and Lithuania.
Father Jury Shenda was born on January 30, 1975 in Miory (diocese of Vitebsk). After school he studied at the Vitebsk Veterinary Academy. When at school he began to go to church. According to F. Jury’s words he was captured by the beauty of Christianity, of the personality of Christ, of the tradition of the Church and the liturgy. Soon came the thoughts about priesthood. Admiration for Dominicans came to him unexpectedly – through books, Gregorian chants, the Order’s history. After the meeting with brothers he understood that their life style and the mode of thinking conformed very much to him. Main Dominican postulates – life in community, studies and liturgy – also became important for him.
F. Jacek’s first place of work will be Warsaw (Poland), and F. Jury’s one will be Vitebsk (Belarus), which belongs to the Polish Dominican province. Vitebsk is the first place on the territory of Belarus where brothers of the Order of Preachers work.
Now there are four Belarusian Dominicans: besides two new ones, Bishop Kazimir Velikoselets and F. Michal Yermashkevich belong to the Dominican Order. In Poland three more brothers from Belarus are going through their formation: Piotr, Rudkovsky, Vitaly Sapeha and Siargej Hancharou.
