The I. NAPS Ecumenical Concert of Sacral Songs 2005
On Thursday, the 20th October, an ecumenical concert of sacral songs was held at the Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art in Medzilaborce which is one of a kind in Europe. The NAPS civic association, which focuses on the support of education and intellectual creative activities of the Slovak youth organised this concert to commemorate the first anniversary of its establishment.
At the ecumenical concert organised under the auspices of:
His Excellency Mons. Alojz Tkáč,
The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Košice,
His Grace Despotis Ján Babjak, SJ,
The Greek Catholic Eparchial Bishop of Prešov,
His Beatitude Despotis Nikolai,
The Archbishop of Prešov, the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
Performed:
the Roman Catholic Choir of St. Cecilia at the St. Elisabeth Cathedral in Košice
Choir of St. Roman Sladkopevec – choir of Greek Catholic theologians in Prešov
and an Orthodox Choir by the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Humenné
At the beginning of the event, Peter Solej ml., a student at a grammar school in Medzilaborce, the youngest author of specialized literature in Slovakia and the President of the NAPS civic association, explained to the guests why he had chosen the ecumenical concert of sacred chants to celebrate the first anniversary of NAPS’s establishment: “For me, education means learning. And by learning the art – the art of singing, which is a product of a human’s heart and soul, undoubtedly provides us with the enthusiasm to create, work and learn.” He added that he considered sacral arts the historically most valuable and most significant ones.
During the opening speech, Peter Solej quoted His Eminence Mons. Jozef Cardinal Tomko of the Holy Roman Church, born in the Prešov region, a personal emissary of the Holy Father Benedikt XVI, who had announced at the third Eucharistic congress: “It is time for a new ecumenism. The Orthodox churchmen are the closest brothers of the Catholics.” Peter also expressed his joy of being a “young friend of the Orthodox Church.”
The ecumenical concert, which was attended by 400 citizens of Medzilaborce, culminated with the reading of the letter from His Excellency Mr Michal Kováč, the first President of the Slovak Republic and the Honorary Member of the NAPS civic association, as well as with paying respect to the Slovak national anthem and a blessing given by the Catholic and Orthodox Bishop. The event was hosted by Mr Martin Jedinák, reporter of Markíza Television.
