VOL. 73 - No. 21 DECEMBER 2, 2012

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Official Publication of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

ENGLISH VERSION

National Observance of 80th Anniversary of theHolodomor Launched With “March of Remembrance”

and Ecumenical Service at St Patrick’s Cathedral

21 November 2012

New York, NY (UCCA) -On Saturday, November17th, hundreds ofUkrainian Americans fromaround the tri-state andsurrounding areasgathered on 7th Streetbefore St. GeorgeUkrainian Catholic Churchin the East Village toembark on the almost 3mile “March ofRemembrance” in memoryof the 7-10 million victimsof Ukraine’s Genocide of1932-33. Under bannersreading “UkraineRemembers – The WorldRecognizes!” and“Ukraine’s Genocide –We Will Never Forget” theover 600 participantssolemnly processed upThird Avenue to St.Patrick’s Cathedral inmidtown Manhattanwhere they joined thethousands alreadygathered there for theecumenical requiemservice to launch the 80th

anniversary of Ukraine’sGenocide of 1932-1933.

An enormous bell led theprocession, tolling at everyNew York City block inmemory of those whoperished. Following the bellwere members of theUkrainian Catholic andOrthodox Churchhierarchies, Ukrainian

government off ic ials,Ukrainian Americanveterans, Ukrainianstudents, the leadershipand members of numerousnational and localUkrainian organizations aswell as some non-Ukrainiansupporters. Manyparticipants carried wreathsor placards, and some heldcandles, while students of

St. George Academytogether with members ofthe Ukrainian AmericanYouth Association andPLAST youth organizationdistributed Holodomorcommemorative buttonsto part ic ipants andhundreds of brochures

(Photo: Kvitka Semanyshyn)

2December 2, 2012

about the Holodomor topassers-by.

The ecumenical service atSt. Patrick’s cathedralbegan at 1pm with asolemn procession ofHolodomor survivorsaccompanied by childrenfrom local UkrainianSaturday Schools and theNew York Chapter of theUkrainian American YouthAssociation. Accompaniedby the melodious voicesof the Dumka choir of NewYork, under the directionof Vasyl Hrychynsky, thethree Holodomor survivorsand numerous children,donned in native Ukrainianembroidered shirts andcarrying a traditionalUkrainian funeral breadalong with stalks of wheat,candles and flowers,proceeded up the main isleof the Cathedral to thealter where they reverentlyplaced their symbolicofferings in memory of thecountless victims of thistragedy.

His Excellency Bishop PaulChomnycky of theUkrainian Catholic Eparchyof Stamford commencedthe requiem service bywelcoming the faithful andrecounting the reasons wegather each year at St.Patrick’s Cathedral. TheBishop reminded everyonethat the Holodomor wasan act of genocide

National Observance of 80th Anniversary of the Holodomor(continued from previous page)

committed against theUkrainian nation, which wemust never forget, and wemust continue telling theworld so that suchtragedies never occuragain.

Following the Bishop’seloquent remarks in boththe English and Ukrainianlanguages, the requiemservice, con-celebrated bythe hierarchies of theUkrainian Orthodox andCatholic Churches, withthe participation of theDumka Choir of NewYork, commenced.Together, the over threethousand faithful prayedfor the repose of the soulsof the millions of innocentvictims of the Holodomor.

Following the requiemservice, UCCA President,Tamara Olexy,commenced thecommemorative programwith the definition ofGenocide as thedeliberate and systematicdestruction, in whole or inpart, of an ethnic, racial,religious, or nationalgroup. Stating that in the20th century alone, theworld has witnessed thismost heinous of crimes toomany times…”Yet one ofthe greatest mass killingsof the 20th century, theHolodomor of 1932-1933,which claimed 7-10 millionlives, 3 million of which

were children, is still notwidely known today orrecognized by all as anact of Genocide againstthe Ukrainian nation.” Sheunderscored that the “truthabout the Holodomor –the whole truth – MUSTbe revealed to the world”and that this has been themission of the UkrainianAmerican community. Inclosing Ms. Olexy statedthat “During this year-long80th anniversarycommemoration, let ushave faith that the worldwill finally understand thetrue nature and sheermagnitude of theHolodomor and wil lrecognize i t for thegenocide that it was. Thegreat danger of any societyis having the arrogance tothink that we cannot repeathistory. “

Following her remarks, MsOlexy introduced the firstprogram’s first speaker,New York’s SeniorSenator. In thankingSenator Charles Schumerfor his cooperative effortswith the UkrainianAmerican community inpromoting the truth aboutUkraine’s Genocide, sheinvited him to the podium.Senator Schumerexpressed his heartfeltsentiments stating, “Westand here together toremember the victims ofthe Ukrainian genocide of1932-1933 and never wewill forget their sacrifice inthe face of a brutaldictator Josef Stalin. It isour testament to say thatStalin failed in his attemptsto eradicate the Ukrainiannation as witnessed by our

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Bishop Paul Chomnycky, Metropolitan ArchbishopStefan Soroka, Archbishop Antony, Bishop-emeritusBasil Losten. (Photo: Kvitka Semanyshyn)

3December 2, 2012

presence here today, thefact that Ukraine is anindependent countrytoday, and by the fact thata memorial will rise inWashington DC nextyear.”

The next to speak wasWilliam Pope, SeniorAdvisor for Europe to theU.S. Mission to the UnitedNations. Mr. Popedelivered a statement fromthe White House PressSecretary, which reads:

“At this t ime ofc o m m e m o r a t i o n ,Americans join with thepeople of Ukraine and withUkrainians around theworld in rememberingthose who died in thetragic events of the“Holodomor” —or “deathby hunger”—in 1932 and1933. We honor themillions who lost their livesduring this man-madecatastrophe, in whichUkrainian farms and cropswere seized in adeliberate attempt tobreak the will of theUkrainian people. It is atribute to the courage andresilience of the Ukrainianpeople that, even in theface of this unconscionablecruelty, they did notabandon their pursuit ofdignity, universal rights,and sovereignty. Thestruggles of Ukrainianstoday to bui ld a

National Observance of 80th Anniversary of the Holodomor(continued from previous page)

democracy that upholdsthose enduring valueshonors their memory.

On this solemn occasion,as we remember andhonor the victims of theHolodomor, we reiterateour call for universalrespect for human rightsand fundamentalfreedoms, and renew ourcommitment to preventingsimilar atrocities from everhappening again.”

Prior to introducing thenext speaker, Ms. Olexyread an excerpt from aletter received by NewYork’s Mayor, MichaelBloomberg, which statedin part:

“It is an honor to sendgreetings to the UkrainianCongress Committee ofAmerica and all thosegathered incommemoration of the79th anniversary ofUkraine’s Genocide of1932-1933.

Today, as New Yorkersunite to remember thevictims of the atrociousfamine which claimedmillions of lives, we alsoaffirm our commitment toensuring that suchtragedies are neverenacted again...”

H.E. Oleksandr Motsyk,Ukraine’s Ambassador to

the UnitedStates thentook to thepodium todeliver briefr e m a r k s .AmbassadorM o t s y ks p o k eabout theHolodomoras one thegreat crimes againsthumanity, stating that“Unfortunately, for manyyears the Ukrainian peoplewere denied the right toknow their history andhonor the memory of thevictims of this cynical crimeagainst humanity.” But“…the Ukrainian State willdo all its best to revealthe truth about theHolodomor to every lastdetail, and to honor [the]innocent victims of thatcrime.” As part of thispledge, AmbassadorMotsyk concluded hisremarks asserting that theHolodomor memorial inWashington, DC will beerected next fal l toculminate the 80thanniversary year, stating“I am convinced that dueto joint efforts of theUkrainian state andUk ra i n i an -Amer i cancommunity, we will openthis memorial, which wouldbecome the symbol of theimmortality and courageof the Ukrainian nation,and facilitate the farther

convergence of theUkrainian and Americanpeoples on the basis ofshared values. This is oursacred duty and ourresponsibility for the futuregenerations.”

His Eminence MetropolitanAntony of the UkrainianOrthodox Church of theU.S.A. concluded therequiem service with aword of sincere gratitudeto His Excel lencyArchbishop Timothy Dolan,for graciously allowing ourcommunity tocommemorate theHolodomor at St. Patrick’sCathedral.

The November 17thNational Observance wasco-sponsored by the U.S.Committee for UkrainianGenocide-HolodomorAwareness 1933-33 andthe Ukrainian CongressCommittee of America.

http://www.ucca.org

(Photo: Kvitka Semanyshyn)

4December 2, 2012

The Head of the UGCC prays for the victims of Holodomortogether with the Eastern Catholic bishops of Europe

Bishops of 14 European Countries Pray Togetherfor Victims of Genocidal Holodomor

24 November 2012

The head of the UkrainianGreek Catholic Church(UGCC) Patr iarchSviatoslav (Shevchuk)prayed for the victims ofthe Genocidal Holodomortogether with the Catholicbishops of the Eastern Ritein Zagreb (Croatia), wherethey had an annualmeeting. .

The bishops from 14countries prayed for thehealing of the wounds ofthe Ukrainian nationinflicted by the Genocideof 1932-1933 and againstthe reoccurrence of similartragedies. .

On the eve of the event,in answer to the questionwhether the wounds ofUkrainians have healed,Patriarch Sviatoslav statedin an interview to the

publication “Our Sobor”that when such atremendous humantragedy is silenced, it isnot conducive to healingthe wounds. .

“We still have to becomemature enough foreveryone, who denies thefact of the Genocide inUkraine, to be consideredboth in Ukraine andworldwide as anaccomplice or person

justifying this crime whichcannot be justified!” saidthe head of the UkrainianGreek Catholic Church,reported the InformationDepartment of UGCC.

http://risu.org.ua

25.11.12

Bishops from 14 Europeancountries pray together forthe healing of the woundsof the Ukrainian people,which resulted from theGenocide of 1932-1933,and also for the tragediesof a kind never to happenagain. .

The day before, PatriarchSviatoslav, in an interviewwith the editorial “NashSobor”, while answeringthe questions whether thewounds of the Ukrainianpeople managed to heal,he declared that whensuch an enormous humantragedy is kept in silence,there is no chance that thewounds wil l heal.

According to his viewpoint,this tragedy has leftUkrainian people with such

a deep wounds, that it willtake a number of years toheal”. “We should stillcome to the point, - saysthe Head of the Church, -when everyone, whodenies the fact of theGenocide in Ukraine, startsto be considered both inour country as well as allaround the world, as anaccomplice or a personwho justifies the crime - thecrime to which no excusescan be found!”.

The Primate maintains theopinion that the famine - itwas the cheapest weaponsof mass destruction, whichdid not take intoconsideration neither theage, not the gender or theclass, “but was directedprimarily against Ukrainianswhose populat iondominated in those lands”.

“Humanity todayunequivocally condemnedthe crimes of the Naziregime. Thus, the victimsof Holocaust are honoredto a certain extent by thevery fact of recognition ofthe crime committed bytheir murderers. However,when we talk about theGenocide over Ukrainianpeople during the GreatFamine of 1932-1933, thishas not happened yet. Itis even not the wholeUkrainian society thatclearly perceives thoseevents today. And unlessthe crime of the communistregime is unequivocallycondemned by the worldcommunity, the victims ofHolodomor will not behonored with dignity”, -persuades the Head of theUGCC. .

Patriarch Sviatoslav thanksGod that days ofremembrance of thevictims of the Holodomorhave become a tradition.“We already haveMemorial to the victims offamines in Ukraine, towhich the descendants ofthose families, who havesuffered from Holodomor,may come andcommemorate theancestors who perished.However, I think thattoday we should take astep further – Ukrainiansneed not only the Museumof Holodomor, but alsothey require the researchand development center inorder to study UkrainianHolodomor-Genocide”,emphasized PatriarchSviatoslav. .

UGCC Department ofInformation

5December 2, 2012

Famine-Genocide (Holodomor)Commemoration

We live in blessed times. Most of us do not know what it is like to go to bedhungry. Prosperity abounds. Tragically, others are not always as fortunate.Indeed, in living memory, by the end of 1933, millions of people in Ukrainedied from starvation, perhaps as many as one-quarter of the population.

On Sunday, November 18th, 2012, Assumption Catholic Parishcommemorated the Holodomor, the famine-genocide in Ukraine orchestratedby Josef Stalin during the years 1932-33.

The morning Divine Liturgy was followed by a Panachyda, at which thepastor Rev. Ivan Turyk prayed for the victims of this horrible event and askedthe Lord to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again.

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker – December 6th

“Jesus went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of hisdisciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, fromJerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him andto be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and thepeople all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healingthem all. Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yoursis the kingdom of God.Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.Blessed are you when men hateyou, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, becauseof the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is yourreward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.” (Lk. 6, 17-23)

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6December 2, 2012

Among the various feastsof the saints whosememory we commemorateduring the church year, St.Nicholas merits specialconsiderat ion. Fromearliest times our holyFather, St . Nicholas,enjoyed great venerationand universal respectamong our people. Not asingle home in our nativeland was without an iconof St. Nicholas and his iconis almost always seenamong the icons on theiconostases in ourchurches. Our peoplevenerate him as though hewere a native saint .

We do not know very muchabout the l i fe of St .Nicholas, and what we doknow is somewhatembellished with variouslegends. We know forcertain that St. Nicholaswas a bishop for manyyears in Myra, a city inthe province of Lycia, inAsia Minor; that he tookpart in the First EcumenicalCouncil in 325 in Nicea;and that he died aroundthe year 345. His wholelife was dedicated toworks of mercy, bothcorporal and spiritual.Even during his lifetime hewas called the father oforphans, widows, and thepoor. After his death, theLord glorified him with thegift of working miracles, forwhich he received the title

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker – December 6th

“Great Wonder-worker.”His celebrated miracleswere the chief reason forthe rapid spread of his cult.

The cult of St. Nicholasbegan to grow when theEmperor Justinian I (527-565) built a church in hishonor in Constantinople.In the JerusalemCanonarium of the seventhcentury, under the day ofDecember 6, it stated“Commemoration ofNicholas, Bishop of a greatci ty.” Al l the Greekmenologies of the 9thcentury have his feast.Emperor Manuel Comnen(1143-1181) prescribed bycivil legislation that the feastof St . Nicholas becelebrated on the 6th ofDecember. FromByzantium his cult spreadthroughout the entireworld. The oldestbiography of St. Nicholascomes from the 9thcentury. .

In the West, Pope Nicholas(858-867)-the first Popebearing his name-erecteda church in Rome in honorof St. Nicholas around theyear 860. His cult wasintroduced into Germanyby the princess Theophano,wife of Emperor Otto II((73-983). The Latin Churchalso celebrates the feastof St . Nicholas onDecember 6. In Franceand Germany over 2,000

churches are dedicated tohis name; an additional400 such churches arefound in England.The cult of St. Nicholascame to our nativeUkraine along with theChristian faith. In thesecond half of the eleventhcentury, a church was builtin Kiev in honor of St.Nicholas, over the graveof Askold. In Kiev therewas a convent under thepatronage of St. Nicholas,founded by the wife ofPrince IziaslavSviatoslavych. The motherof St . TheodosiusPechersky received themonastic tonsure in thatmonastery. In our nativeland, there were numerouschurches in honor of St.Nicholas. The Church ofSt. Nicholas in L’viv, whichdates back to the 13thcentury, is one of theoldest . .

A very significant factorwhich contributed to thespread of the cult of St.Nicholas especially in Italyand the West, as well asamong our people, wasthe translation of the relicsof St. Nicholas, from Myrain Lycia, Asia Minor, to thecity of Bari in southern Italytoward the end of theeleventh century. .

In the second half of theeleventh century, theMohammedans occupied

Asia Minor and the citywhere the relics of St.Nicholas were preserved.The Italian merchants ofBari regarded St. Nicholasas a great saint andprotector of seamen. Whiletrading with Asia Minor,they decided they wouldsteal the relics of St.Nicholas and carry themoff to Italy. The stolen relicsof the saint reached Barion the 9th of May. 1087.As a result, great miraclesbegan to take placeimmediately. For thisreason, in 1089, PopeUrban II instituted the feastof the translation of therelics of St. Nicholas andordered it to be celebratedon the 9th of May. Threeyears later a magnificentchurch was built there andhis relics were depositedin it. The city of Baribecame a great andfamous place forpi lgr images. .

Not long after the relicswere transferred to Bari,the feast of the translationof the relics of St. Nicholaswas also established onthe 9th of May in Rus-Ukraine. Hence, ourpeople speak of the coldand warm Nicholas. Theinstitution of this feast hasbeen ascribed to theMetropoli tan ofPereyaslav, Ephrem. He is

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7December 2, 2012

also said to havedescribed the event of thetranslation of the relics andto have composed theservice of the translationand an akathistos in honorof St. Nicholas. .

In our Church, St. Nicholasnot only has two separate

feasts in his honor, butevery Thursday is alsodedicated to his name. Likethe church services of thetwo feasts, the weeklyservice is a fai thfulreflection of the cult of St.Nicholas in the EasternChurch and among ourpeople. .

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker(continued from previous page)

Our Holy Father Nicholasgives us a beauti fulexample of a living, active,and sacrificial love of Godand neighbor. His love ofneighbor is universal, all-embracing, full of mercyand ready to assist in everynecessity of soul and body.

St. Nicholas saw JesusChrist in his neighbor andthat is why he quickly andgenerously hastened tohelp him in every need.

(A Byzantine Rite LiturgicalYear)

FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OFST. ANN - DECEMBER 9TH

The Lord said: “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or putsit under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those whocome in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will notbe disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known orbrought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how youlisten. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have,even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” Now Jesus’mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able toget near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Yourmother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’sword and put it into practice.” (Lk. 8, 16-21)

The Feast of theConception of St. Ann iscelebrated in the EasternChurch on December 9and commemorates SaintAnn's miraculousconception of Mary, theMother of God. In theWestern Church this Feastbecame known as theImmaculate Conceptionand is celebrated onDecember 8. .

The writings of the earlyChurch tell us that Mary’s

parents, Joachim andAnn, had lived devoutly inmarriage for fifty yearsand had prayed earnestlyfor a child. The Lord Godanswered their prayers byallowing Ann to conceivea child who would be themother of God’s own Son,Jesus Christ. .

The Ukrainian Catholicl i turgical tradit ionvenerates the Most HolyMother of God as “All-Immaculate” and “Most

Immaculate”. We say thatshe was immaculatelyconceived in the sense that,from the moment of herconception, she was freeof all sin and had nopropensi ty to sin.(Mankind’s propensity tosin was one of the legaciesof Adam and Eve’s fallfrom grace.) The WesternChurch, on the other hand,defined the Virgin Mary’s“Immaculate Conception”to say that she was, fromthe first moment of her

conception, preserved freefrom the “stain of originals in.” .

The difference between theWestern and Easterntraditions in this regard liesprecisely in the nature ofOriginal Sin itself. The Westfollows St. Augustine’s viewthat we inherit not only theeffects of Original Sin( i l lness, pain, death,propensity to sin), but alsothe “stain” of the sin itself.

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8December 2, 2012

Keeping Cool at St. Nicks

FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF ST. ANN - DECEMBER 9TH(continued from previous page)

The Eastern Church placesits attention on the processby which God shares Hisdivine nature with humanbeings. In choosingdisobedience, Adambroke his union with God,making it impossible to fulfillhis nature. This was theOriginal Sin: Adam’srejection of the only truelife given to him by God.(It was only through Christthat humanity could bereunited with the Father.)The Eastern Fathersunderstood Original Sinonly in terms of theinherited impact of this sinupon humanity. They

would see it as impossiblefor someone to inherit theactual stain or guilt of asin committed by another,even if it was the forefatherAdam. .

We are therefore not bornwith any stain of a sincommitted by someoneelse, but only with theeffects of that sin. Adam’spersonal sin resulted indeath for al l hisdescendants, theexperience ofconcupiscence and thepropensity to be temptedand to sin. According tothe faith of the Eastern

Church, the Mother ofGod never had any sin,original or actual, on hersoul. The Church hasalways believed that Marywas preserved fromoriginal sin by a “singulargrace and privilege” givenher by God “in view ofthe merits of Jesus Christ”as Redeemer of thehuman race. Mary, likeevery other human being,needed the redemptivebenefits of Christ; but, inanticipation of what Goddid for all through Christ,she alone was preservedfrom original sin “from thef irst moment of her

conception,” andsanctifying grace wasgiven to her before sincould have taken effect inher soul. .

The Virgin Mary wasalways filled with everyblessing and gift of theHoly Spirit in whose graceshe certainly grewthroughout her life. Thoughborn without original sin,according to the view ofthe Eastern Fathers, shewas not made exemptfrom the temporalpenalties of Adam — fromsorrow, bodily infirmities,and death.

Two warm and sunny afternoons in late Septemberturned out to be profitable days. With the permissionof the principal, Sr. Eliane Ilnitski, S.S.M.I., the altarservers from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School inPassaic, NJ held an ice pop sale. The one day saleturned into a two day one due to the extreme generosityof the participants. The boys raised $114. The moneywas allocated to buy two oscillating fans for the church’saltar. Although the church has air conditioning, attimes the servers and priest cannot feel it especiallywhen dressed in church vestments. The fans help tokeep everyone cool and comfortable.

September was also the month that 5 younger boys from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School beganpreparing for the privilege of serving at God’s holy altar. They gave up their free time at recess in orderto practice. On Friday, October 5, 2012, an induction ceremony for the commissioning of altar serverswas celebrated by Fr. Andriy Dudkevych, pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Passaic, NJ.Upon the conclusion of this ceremony, the boys vested in their dalmatics, took their spots at the altar, andserved the Divine Liturgy for the very first time. Fr. Andriy, Sr. Eliane, Mrs. Lecia Stec-Peltyszyn, altar servers’advisor, and the boys’ parents and families are very proud of all the dedicated altar servers who continueto faithfully serve St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church.

9December 2, 2012

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2012

UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF THEIMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN PHILADELPHIA, PA

INV²ÒES ALL THE FAITHFUL TO CELEBRATE 50-TH ANNIVERSARYOF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BUILDING OF THE NEW

CATHEDRAL AND THE PATRON FEAST DAY OF THEIMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

10:00 ÀM - HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGYMAIN CELEBRANT: METROPOLITAN-ARCHBISHOP STEFAN SOROÊÀ

RESPONSES BY MALE CHOIR “DZVIN”

DINNER AND FESTIVE PROGRAM FOLLOWING THE DIVINE LITURGY

Admissions for Dinner: Adult - $15, children 4 - 12 years - $7, up to 4 years - free

Our address:830 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Phone: 215-922-2845

Pastor: Fr. Ivan Demkiv

Parking available

METROPOLITAN STEFAN’S SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 2012

December

2 50th Anniversary of Consecrated Life, Sister Josaphata, Missionary Sister of Mother of God,Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church, Perth Amboy, NJ.

4 Meeting of Consultors, Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.5 Meeting of Archieparchial Finance Council.9 Praznyk/Feast Day Celebration, Feast of the Conception of St. Ann, Ukrainian Catholic

Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia, PA.13 Pre-Feastday Celebration with Sisters of St. Basil the Great, Fox Chase, PA.16 Ordination to minor orders of seminarian Walter Pasicznyk, St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church,

Warrington, PA.24, 25Christmas Divine Liturgies, Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia,

PA.27 Clergy Family celebratory gathering on Feast of St. Stephen.28 Feastday Celebration with Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, Sloatsburg, NY.

1 0December 2, 2012

What: Join a children’s Choir for the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Who: Children ages 9 - 12

Where: Sisters of St. Basil the Great Motherhouse 710 Fox Chase Road Fox Chase Manor, PA 19046

Why: To learn Ukrainian Liturgical and Ukrainian Folk Singing.

When: Every Saturday afternoon @ 3:00 p.m.

Contact person: Sister Joackima Dvernytska, OSBM

Telephone: 1-215-379-3998 Ext. 522 e-mail: D.anna77hotmail.com

� Learn to sing responses to the

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

� Learn traditional Ukrainian Christmas Carols.

� Learn traditional Ukrainian folk Songs.

� Enjoy meeting new friends as you learn

Ukrainian.

� Share your love of music with friends, family and your Church community.

This is an invitation to: Highlights

Name: Age

Address:

Phone #

Parish: Describe your location by landmark or area of town.

Register Below

Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great

O

1 1December 2, 2012

Called by Name - Vocation Article

Sister Thomas (Dorothea) Hrynewich, S.S.M.I.Joy, Peace & Love Found in Serving

The call to follow Our Lord, Jesus Christ is as complicated as it is simple. I camefrom a good Catholic family. I am the oldest of four children born, June 2,1924, to Tessie and Michael Hrynewich. My grandparents (Theodore andRosalie Kulczycki) and parents were very active in the parish and attendedchurch services regularly, which meant that we children did also. We attendedcatechism lessons given by the parish priest, Reverend Kopachuk. When theSisters Servants of Mary Immaculate arrived in our parish in 1940, their enormousimpact on the parish and on my family was plainly seen.

I was a senior in Ambridge High when I had this thought of being close to Godand serving others. The feeling of wanting to serve the church by teaching our Ukrainian people, of being closeto Jesus and spend more time in prayer really bothered me. In order to get rid of this thought, (because I washaving grand time with the “teenage gang” I was hanging our with), I prayed a number of novenas to ridmyself of this thought. However, to no avail, the more I prayed against the thought, the stronger it got. Then,during a Great Fast mission given by Father Markiw, OSBM, I finally gave in and decided to belong to ourLord. Since my sister Irene and I were always at the convent helping the sisters, they thought we were interestedin joining. One day Sister Lawrence said she was writing to the Provincial Superior in Canada and wonderedif she could ask the Provincial Superior to accept us to the novitiate. I quickly answered, “Sure.” My sister said,“No,” and scolded me for not asking my mother first. At first, mother said I could not go. It was too far away,and she did not think I knew what I wanted. After much discussion and my constant crying at home, my motherfinally gave in. I found out that the day before my announcing I was going to the convent, my dad made theremark that “God gave them such good children, if He wanted one he would give one of them to Him.”

I entered the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate on June 21, 1942. After the blessingof the buildings and property in Sloatsburg, New York, I traveled 3,000 miles to Mundare, Alberta, Canada,with Sister Athanasia (one of the first seven girls to enter the Community). After two and a half years in thenovitiate, I pronounced my first vows and was missioner to Detroit, Michigan. I then taught at St. Mary’s VillaAcademy in Sloatsburg, NY and St. Mary’s Academy in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. My studies took me toUniversity of Detroit; Fordham University in New York; St. Paul’s University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; ReginaMundi in Rome, Italy and Catholic University of America in Washington. I spent six years in Rome, Italy,studying and in the General Curia. During the days of the “Iron Curtain,” I was privileged to accompany ourSuperior General to Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia to visit our Sisters there. (My Mother usedto laugh and say that I joined to see the world!)

I returned to the United States as Provincial Superior, serving a five-year term. I was the Chancellor of theUkrainian Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Philadelphia for twenty-five years. My mission today has mein Minersville, PA, at St. Nicholas School as the Principal.

All this was great but, the joy, peace, and love that are found in the complete surrender to God and servingothers as Our Lord Jesus did is the most satisfying.

http://ssmi-us.org

1 2December 2, 2012

The Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia in USA under the spiritual guidance of

Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka and the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of USA

invite you to renew your spiritual and cultural roots in a Pilgrimage celebrating the "Year of Faith" and 1025 years of Christianity in Ukraine

UKRAINIAN

FAITH &

HERITAGE

TOURSTour A: August 13 - 29, 2013. 17 days $3500 Twin (land tour)

Kyiv, Poltava. Lviv, Yaremche, Kamianets Podilsky, Iv. Frankivsk, Bukovel, Chernivtsi, Sanok,

Peremyshl, Krakow. Special Highights: Pilgrimage to Holy Resurrection Sobor in Kyiv and

Mother of God Sobor in Zarvanytsia near Ternopil; Sorochynsky Yarmarok; Ukraine's

Independence Day Celebrations in Lviv

Tour B: August 13 - 26, 2013. 14 days $2850 Twin (land tour)

Kyiv, Poltava. Lviv, Yaremche, Kamianets Podilsky, Iv. Frankivsk, Bukovel, Chernivtsi Special

Highights: Pilgrimage Holy Resurrection Sobor in Kyiv and Mother of God Sobor in Zarvanytsia

near Ternopil; Sorochynsky Yarmarok; Ukraine's Independence Day Celebrations in Lviv

Tour C: August 14 - 22, 2013. 9 days $2200 Twin (land tour)

Kyiv and Lviv: Includes Celebrations of the 1025th Anniversary of Christianity in Kyiv

Registration and deposit deadline is March 01, 2013

Organizer: Zenia's Travel Club LLC -732-928-3792ztc@earthlink.net - In cooperation with

Dunwoodie Travel - 914-969-4200 - alesia@dunwoodietravel.com

Scope Travel Inc. – 973 378 8998 – scope@scopetravel.com

1 3December 2, 2012

While a 50th anniversary is quite an event for any family, the Ukrainian Catholic Churchof the Assumption and Assumption Catholic School have special cause to celebrate.Sister Yosaphata Litvenczuk, MSMG, will commemorate fifty years of religious service ata 10:00 am Divine Liturgy on December 2nd. What makes this 50th Anniversary uniqueis that Sister has been in the same school and parish for all fifty years! Archbishop-Metropolitan Stefan Soroka will be the main celebrant at the Liturgy after which Sisterwill renew her religious vows.

Proceeding to a celebration luncheon and program, Sr. Yosaphata and attendees willwalk down the same steps that Sister did fifty years earlier when Ukrainian AssumptionSchool first opened. Among those paying tribute will be Archbishop Emeritus StephenSulyk, the pastor who opened the school fifty years ago. Students and teachers, bothpast and present, parishioners, and friends will be on hand to reminisce and rejoice. The school’s glee club,junior drama, and chimmetteer groups will use their performing talents to honor and entertain Sr. Yosaphata.

From a village in Brazil to a 21st century parish school, Sister has successfully met and overcome manychallenges. Having taught most grade levels, she has also been the school’s librarian and art teacher.Currently she manages the school office including a tuition management program via computer. As vice-principal, Sr. Yosaphata’s many duties include disciplinarian, counselor, and dispenser of band-aids.Through the years, her dedication has been vital in the Ukrainian Assumption community. And, even afterall these years, Sister can still navigate the school’s hallways faster than anyone else!

SS Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church, Olyphant, Pawill be celebrating its 125th Anniversary 1888-2013. Incommemoration of the anniversary they are sponsoring a Fundraiser:“Favorite Recipes from our Best Cooks” Cookbooks. The HardcoverSet of Cookbooks (volume I & I) are $25.00 (set) (complied by theSisterhoood of St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church) Singlehardcover volume is $15.00 each. Contact Lauren at 570-383-0319 or any of the committee members for the cookbooks. Add$10.00 for USPS Mailing the hardcover set. Send check to St. CyrilsChurch at 135 River Street, Olyphant, Pa 18447. Cookbooks canbe mailed out until December 12th, in time for Christmas. Web sites: http://www.stcyrils.maslar-online.comE-mail: sscyrilandmethodius@comcast.net Rev. Nestor Iwasiw, Pastor (570-489-2271)

Photo: SS. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church, Olyphant, PA. 125th Anniversary Cook BookFundraiser Committee: Left to right: Jeanie Stange, Glenda Marcinko, Lauren Telep, Julie Hunt, RosemaryMartynuk, Cheryl Matuszewski.

LUC Meeting – Sunday, December 2, 2012

North Anthracite Council – League of Ukrainian Catholics will hold a general meeting on Sunday,December 2, 2012 at 2:00pm at Konefal’s Restaurant, 458 Main Street, Edwardsville. Main agendaitem will be review of National Convention recently held in Wilkes-Barre. For additional informationcontact: Dorothy Jamula, President at 570 822-5354

1 4December 2, 2012

Patriarch Sviatoslav Stresses Priority of Ecumenical Dialogue

15 November 2012

Patriarch Sviatoslav of theUkrainian Greek CatholicChurch (UGCC) stated thatthe priority objective andmain mission for his churchis the ecumenical dialogueand that cooperation withthe Orthodox Church is anecessity. The head of theUGCC expressed thisopinion during a plenarysession of the PontificalCouncil for PromotingChristian Unity in Rome,reported Radio Vatican.

“The main difficulty inbuilding a fruitful dialoguewith the Orthodox worldin Ukraine is the fact ofthe painful division withinUkrainian Orthodoxy itself.In fact, there are threeOrthodox communities inour country today.”

The patriarch remindedthat there are st i l lunreconciled contradictionson the ecclesiological basisas each of the churchesdenies the right of existenceof the other two. Only theU O C - M o s c o wPatriarchate is viewed bythe Orthodox world as a“canonical church.”

According to the hierarch,the division of the UkrainianOrthodoxy complicates theecumenical dialogue, butthe experience of the All-Ukrainian Council ofChurches and Religious

Organizations shows thatthe churches in Ukrainehave learned to cooperateand settle the difficulties ina brotherly and peacefulway. .

The Primate, in particular,stressed the progress inthe relations between theUGCC and the UkrainianOrthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.However, he noted thatthe pastmisunderstandings can stillbe felt. He used theexample of accusationsbeing made by UOC-MPpriests saying thatUkrainian Greek Catholicsallegedly took away fromthem nearly 500“Orthodox churches” in the1990s. However, hestressed that the adherentsof this theory for somereason do not take intoaccount the fact that thementioned churches werebuilt by Greek Catholicsand Roman Catholics andwere passed to the UOC-MP only in the Soviett imes. .

According to PatriarchSviatoslav, in order to plannew ways for reconciliationbetween the churches, towhich UGCC has alwaysbeen open, it is necessaryto state the whole truthf irst . .

“We are certain that wewill be able find ways to

heel the wounds of thepast by forgiving andasking for forgiveness…We are convinced that theway of reconciliationbetween the UkrainianGreek Catholic Churchand Russian OrthodoxChurch on the basis of

Patriarch Sviatoslav PresentsUGCC Catechism at Meeting

of Bishops in Zagreb

27 November 2012

During the meeting ofBishops of the CatholicChurches of theEastern Rite in Zagrebon November 22-25,held on the occasionof the 400thanniversary of theUnion of the Croatian Greek Catholic Church withRome, the head of the Ukrainian Greek CatholicChurch Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk presented tothe participants the Catechism of the UGCC, “Christis our Pascha.”

According to the hierarch, the catechism is aimedto help Ukrainian Greek Catholics to deepen theknowledge of the faith in Christ and to strengthenthe faith, to protect and defend the Christian traditionof St. Volodymyr, testify to the connection betweenthe Christian tradition of Kyiv and CatholicChristianity.

http://risu.org.ua

historic and pastoralrealism is an effective wayof renewal of the dialogueand formation of a newmodel of the ecumenicalrelations,” stressed theHead of UGCC.

http://risu.org.ua

1 5December 2, 2012

1 6December 2, 2012

Schedule of services at the Cathedral of theImmaculate Conception for Christmas 2012

Monday, December 24 - CHRISTMAS EVE.9:00 p.m. Compline Lytia Service. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

(UKR/ENG).

Tuesday, December 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY.9:00 a.m. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy (UKR).

11.00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (ENG).

Wednesday, December 26 - SYNAXIS OF THEOTOKOS.9.00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (UKR/ENG).

Thursday, December 27 - FEAST OF ST. STEFAN.9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (UKR/ENG).

Tuesday, January 1 – CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD.FEAST OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT. NEW YEAR’S DAY.

9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (UKR/ENG)

Saturday, January 5 - EVE OF THEOPHANY4:30 p.m. Divine Liturgy. Blessing of Water (ENG).

Sunday, January 6 - THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD (JORDAN).9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy. Blessing of Water (UKR).

11.00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (ENG).

Monday, January 7 - CHRISTMAS (Julian Calendar)10:00 a.m. Christmas’ Divine Liturgy (UKR).

Sunday, January 13 – SUNDAY AFTER THEOPHANY3 p.m. FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS

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1 7December 2, 2012

Saturday 10:00AM – 7:00PM Sunday 10:00AM – 2:00PM

Featuring:

HOLY SUPPER - “ ” TABLE

HOME-BAKED CAKES AND COOKIES

UKRAINIAN TABLE: CDS, CHRISTMAS CARDS,

EMBROIDERIES, CERAMICS

FOOD COURT SERVING TRADITIONAL UKRAINIAN

“PIEROGIES & HOLUBTSI”

RAFFLE & REFRESHMENTS