On Sunday, June 21, 2020, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium and Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, after the resumption under strict restrictions of the liturgical life in the parishes of the Holy Metropolis, officiated at the Parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Ostend.
The Parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius was founded in 2001, with the approval of Metropolitan Panteleimon, formerly of Belgium, and the current Metropolitan of Belgium, then Archimandrite Athenagoras Peckstadt, for the needs of the Orthodox Church of the region and was housed in an Anglican church.
Over the years and due to the good relations between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church within the framework of the Ecumenical Movement and Dialogues, in 2015 an agreement was signed to grant a Church of the Roman Catholic Church to the Orthodox Parish of St. Cyril and Methodius in Ostend, which with the tireless care of the Priest in Charge Protopresbyter Bernard Peckstadt was renovated and then inaugurated by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium.
The Metropolitan also announced that the current Pastor of the Parish, Presbyter Andreas D’Hoe, will assume the responsibility of the Priest in Charge. In addition, he noted that the new Priest in Charge receives a prosperous Parish, calling him to always have a harmonious cooperation and love with the parishioners.
