Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit · PDF file85th Anniversary Holodomor Service in Washington, DC ... Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit - Hillsborough Bishop

VOL. 78 - No. 21 ENGLISH VERSIONNOVEMBER 19, 2017

Official Publication of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit

On November 5, 2017, Bishop Andriy Rabiy visited St. Michael’s Church in Hillsborough for the Parish Feast Day. Bishop Rabiy said, “Today I had my first pastoral visit as a bishop to St. Michael's church in Hillsborough NJ, the parish where I was appointed as pastor after I graduated from the seminary. I would like to thank Father Orest Kunderevych, his ever kind wife Oksana, parishioners and church choir for such a great and warm welcome, greetings, concert, memory sharing, but foremost - to pray the Divine Liturgy with you all one more time. It brought back a lot of memories for me! May the good Lord bless you with many graces, and hear your prayers and requests! THANK YOU!”

Photo: Parish picture after the Divine Liturgy on the Saint Patron's Feast - St. Michael in Hillsborough, NJ.

Highlights inside this issue:

85th Anniversary Holodomor Service in Washington, DC - pg. 3

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 2

Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit - Hillsborough

Bishop Rabiy and Father Orest Kunderevych

Hillsborough, NJ

Photos from Bishop Rabiy and St. Michael Church

Facebook Pages

Choir

Reception

(continued on next page)

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 3

85th Anniversary Holodomor Service in Washington, DC

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, November 7, 2017 several dozens of Ukrainian-Americans gathered in the nation’s capital for the Memorial service (Panakhyda) at the National HOLODOMOR Memorial in Washington, DC.

As rain intensified, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and Bishop John Bura of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, assisted by the Orthodox and Catholic clergy led the Requiem service. As seminarians of both Catholic and Orthodox seminaries chanted the prayerful MEMORY ETERNAL, the Monument Memorial was incensed that was erected in memory of 10 million Ukrainians that starved to death during the cruel regime of Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1932-1933.

Opening the short Memorial program, Mr. Michael Sawkiw, Jr. of the Ukrainian Informational Bureau (Ukrainian Congress Committee of America) welcomed numerous dignitaries and diplomatic representatives that on

Photo: Bishop John Bura at the 85th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at the Holodomor Memorial in Washington, DC. (Photos: Embassy of Ukraine in the USA Facebook page)

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 4

(continued from previous page)

a rainy day still joined the group of Ukrainian-Americans at their monument to honor the memory of the lost. Ambassador of Ukraine Valeriy Chaly spoke in English and Ukrainian languages calling to memory the lives of millions of innocent people. Former President of Lithuania Vytautas Landsbergis also joined the Ukrainian community in their commemorative events with offering sincere and strong message not only to the Ukrainian-American community about the need to remember the tragic events of 1930s but also to the modern political powers that often forget about the dignity of human life.

In the early evening hours of November 7th, US Congress opened its doors to the community of Ukrainians of American background to participate in the formal Ukrainian Genocide briefing. The US Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Committee Awareness and the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA organized and coordinated the event, which was opened

with a prayer led by the hierarchs of both Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Archbishop Daniel and Bishop John Bura offered prayers in both Ukrainian and English languages, honoring the memory of millions of men, women and children that in the cold autumn and winter days of 1932-1933 died due to starvation, perpetrated by the cruelty of those that considered themselves superior to others – Stalin and his Soviet regime.

Among the presenters were the US Rep. Bill Pascrell (D_OH), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), US Rep Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Rep Marcy Kaptur (D-OH); Former President of Lithuania - Vytautas Landsbergis and others and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of America Valeriy Chaly, who on behalf of the Ukrainian embassy bestowed the Certificates of Honor to the US Representatives and community leaders present at the event.

Adapted from an article on: http://www .uoco fu sa .o rg/news_171108_1.html

85th Anniversary Holodomor Service in Washington, DC

Ambassador of Ukraine Valeriy Chaly

Michael Sawkiw, Jr. of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

Bishop John Bura offers prayers

(Photos: Embassy of Ukraine in the USA Facebook page.)

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 5(continued on next page)

U.S. Congress presents draft resolution on Holodomor in Ukraine

Ukrainian Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Resolution Commemorating 85th Anniversary of Holodomor Famine-Genocide

8 November 2017

The draft resolution dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor-Genocide in Ukraine was presented in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, November 7, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly has told Ukrinform.

"Today, we, both the Embassy of Ukraine and the diplomatic service, promote this idea in different countries of the world, in particular, in the United States, so that the Congress could adopt a resolution recognizing the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. The first steps

have been taken, and today such a resolution was introduced by congressmen in the House of Representatives," the ambassador said. "The resolution will be considered further. I think it will take several months and hopefully next year, in the spring, we will have a vote in the U.S. Congress," the diplomat said.

He also said that the process of recognizing the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people continues in several states. Today such a decision has already been taken by the parliaments of Washington, Oregon and New Jersey.

"As ambassador, I, together with the Holodomor-Genocide Committee, appealed to all governors in the United States to issue their proclamations," Chaly said.

According to him, this will be an additional

argument for the decision of congressmen and senators in the main legislative body of the United States. https://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/state/na t i o na l _ r e l i g i o u s _question/68917/

Nov 7, 2017

W A S H I N G T O N , D.C. – Congressional Ukrainian Caucus Co-Chairs, Reps. Sander Levin (D-MI), Andy Harris (R-MD), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), today introduced a resolution commemorating the 85th Anniversary of the Holodomor Famine-Genocide.

The resolution honors the estimated seven to 10 million Ukrainian people who perished at the will of the totalitarian Stalinist government of the former Soviet Union, which perpetrated a premeditated famine in the winter of 1932-1933 in Ukraine in a concerted effort to break the nation's resistance to communist occupation.

“We must solemnly

remember the millions of Ukrainians who lost their lives in the Holodomor Famine-Genocide and shine a spotlight on the truth. This monument represents our hopes, our shared values, and the humanity that binds us,” the Members said.

The full text of the resolution can be found on the next page. The Holodomor Famine-Genocide Memorial

opened in Washington, D.C. in 2015, with the support of the bipartisan Ukraine Caucus.

Adapted from an article on: https://levin.house.go v /p r e s s - r e l ea s e /u k r a i n i a n - c a u c u s -co-cha i r s - i n t roduce-r e s o l u t i o n -commemorating-85th-anniversary

Ambassador of Ukraine Valeriy Chaly

(Photo: Embassy of Ukraine in the USA)

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 6


Ukrainian Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Resolution Commemorating 85th Anniversary of Holodomor Famine-Genocide

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 7

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Chernobyl – Causes, Consequences and

Cover-up Michael Hariton, Presenter

Monday, December 4, 2017 7:00 – 8:30 PM Free will offering will be directed to a fund to support victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

Call to register: 215.780.1227 Basilian Spirituality Center

710 Fox Chase Rd. Jenkintown, PA

The presentation includes a disaster timeline with personal photographs and a video that gives a haunting documentation of the disaster site and a rare view of the place and people who work and live there. Hariton is a Pittsburgh based professional specializing in architecture, corporate and editorial photography. On a 2016 trip to Ukraine, he recognized that the forgotten stories of the inhabitants of Chernobyl needed to be told.

Evening Presentation

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 8

Assumption Catholic School Students in Perth Amboy Help Warm Hearts in Ukraine

Students from Assumption Catholic School (ACS) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey give back and have impacted the lives of children in Ukraine. For the second year in a row, the 8th grade class, in cooperation with the Carteret Youth Chapter of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM), have collected items of warm clothing, school supplies, sweets and toys packaged in backpacks to be distributed to children of parents who are currently engaged in military action or have given their lives in Eastern Ukraine or who have been displaced from their homes as a result of the fighting. This initiative, known as Warming Warm Heart, was initiated by the world executive board of CYM, and is now in its fourth year of action. Last year, the U.S. CYM chapters coordinated efforts for this action to collect 1,041 backpacks, which was viewed as very successful. This year, the goal of collecting 1,235 backpacks has been reached and will be sent to these children in time for the Feast Day of St. Nicholas and the beginning of the Christmas season.

The inclusion of ACS to this charitable action began with a query from Ms. Anna Lawrence, the music teacher at ACS, to a CYM social media campaign of this initiative. After initial inquiries, ASC students and staff members became interested in contributing to this campaign. “It would have never occurred to me that we’d ask a grade school to be involved with such a campaign. But when members of ACS learned about what we were doing and inquired about how it could help,

it revealed itself as being a perfect fit. We are very fortunate to include these amazing students in these actions.” recounted Roman Wernyj, Youth Program Director of Carteret CYM. This year, the 8th grade class, under the direction of their teacher Mrs. Mary Beth Pickering and new principal Mrs. Lissette Shumny, brought in various items to snuggly fills 16 backpacks, which accounts for over 60% of the materials collected by Carteret CYM. Fr. Ivan Turyk, the pastor of Assumption Catholic

church, who supervises the activities at ACS, noted, “This is a group of caring young men and women who don’t only study but also practice their faith. They and the entire ACS are always eager to reach out and help the less fortunate either here in this country or overseas.” Overall, over 200 lbs. of material was shipped to Ukraine on October 31, 2017 to children in the area of Kalush in the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast in Ukraine.

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 9

Byzantine Church Supplies Store

Byzantine Church SuppliesAddress: 810 North Franklin St.

Philadelphia, PA 19123Phone: 215 -627-0660

Email: [email protected]: http://ukrcathedral.com/byzsup/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/byzantineChurchSupplies/Store Manager - Mrs. Myroslava Demkiv

Annual Slavic Christmas Luncheon with St. Nicholas - Sunday December 3rd At Noon, Swarthmore, PA

On Sunday, December 3rd, Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church, 900 Fairview Road in Swarthmore/Ridley Township, will hold its traditional “Slavic Christmas Luncheon with St. Nicholas”. Lunch will be served at noon, immediately after the regular 10:00 am. Sunday English Divine Liturgy. We welcome all who wish to enjoy traditional Slavic culinary delights such as; ham, kielbasa with sauerkraut, stuffed cabbage, pierogies, halushki (cabbage and noodles) and other traditional Slavic holiday foods. A “Parade of Baskets” raffle and a visit from St. Nicholas are highlights of this year’s event. Due to the popularity of this annual event, you need to contact us for your advanced tickets. No tickets will be sold at the door. A nominal donation of $15.00 is requested for adults and $8.00 for children 8 to 12 years. Children 7 years and younger are free. To obtain your advanced tickets for this special event, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (610) 544-1215. In the spirit of helping others in the community who may be experiencing hard economic times, we also ask that each person attending bring a non-perishable food item for our Annual Food Drive.

NOVEMBER 19, 2017 10

2017 Ukrainian Christmas Bazaar

DATE: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 10am - 4pm

LOCATION: Immaculate Conception Cathedral Hall Corner of Franklin & Brown Streets

(For GPS directions, use: 814 N. Franklin St., Phila., PA 19123)

HOMEMADE UKRAINIAN FOOD & PASTRIESGIFTS & VENDORSCRAFTS & MUSIC

FLEA MARKETHOURLY CATHEDRAL TOURS

HOURLY FROZEN TURKEY DOOR PRIZES ADMISSION: $1.00 KIDS UNDER 10: Free

FRESH HOMEMADE PYROHY (AKA: Varenyky or Pierogies)Available for takeout by the dozen (frozen). Potato - Cheese - Sauerkraut

To pre-order for pick-up during the bazaar, call (215) 829-4350

See old friends, classmates, our Missionary Sisters, and fellow parishioners.

Have fun! See St. Nicholas! Shop, eat, and win prizes!


OPEN POSITION

Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia has an immediate opening for the position of administrative assistant and bookkeeper.

The administrative duties include telephone answering, responding to queries, assisting in scheduling Cathedral activities, dealing with cemetery operations, funerals homes and families regarding the administrative and record keeping for St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Bookkeeping activities require knowledge and application of QuickBooks, the Cathedral and Archeparchy software to managing church financial accounting transactions and reporting.

Qualified candidate should be able to communicate in both Ukrainian and English.

Hours and salary are commensurate and negotiable.Please submit resume and references to:Very Rev. Fr. Roman PitulaRector of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception819 North 8th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19123Tel.: 215-922-2845Fax: 215-922-4635e-mail: [email protected]

SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGIES SCHEDULE

AT CATHEDRAL• Sung Divine Liturgy in English will be each Saturday afternoon (for Sunday) at 4:30PM.• Sung Divine Liturgy in English will be each Sunday morning at 9:00AM.• Sung Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian, with Choir, will be starting at 10:30AM. • Catechetical classes will begin at 11:45 AM and complete at 12:30PM.


Patriarchal Catechetical Commision Visits Passaic, NJ

A few days ago, we were very happy to welcome to our parish the members of the Patriarchal C a t e c h e t i c a l Commission for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church worldwide - Sr. Luiza Cuipa, SSMI (General Councilor of the Sisters Servants); Nazar Duda, and Oksana Boiko.

They visited our Sunday catechetical classes, talking to the children and their catechists. They also attended our Divine Liturgy and spent time with our parishioners during coffee time.

Sr. Luiza visited each grade of our St. Nicholas Catholic School, from PK - Gr.8. Sr. Luiza dialogued with the students and especially encouraged the students to remember the children and families in Ukraine in their daily prayers, especially those in the war zone. Also, Sr. Luiza asked them not to be afraid or embarrassed to be witnesses of Christ, since they are receiving

a Catholic education.

Sr. Luiza praised the

students for their respect, politeness and discipline, which she noticed

while she visited the classrooms.


On October 27, 2017, the head of the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission of the UGCC from Lviv, Sr. Luiza Ciupa, SSMI, and Commission members, Oksana Boyko and Nazar Duda (seated l. to r. at right) visited St. Josaphat's Young Adult Bible Study in Trenton, NJ. The theme was Old Testament Joseph and his brothers. Afterwards Sr. Luiza and her team shared their experiences in Evangelization and future plans for teaching the faith in our UGCC. Mrs. Lala and Fr. Taras Lonchyna, pastor, hosted this very special event.

Patriarchal Catechetical Commision Visits Trenton, NJ


Msgr. Peter Waslo, is the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and Mission at Manor College.

His duties in this role include meeting the spiritual and faith needs of the students.

This is a challenging role because rather than dictate what is essential, we hope to have the students discover it and have ownership of it for their betterment. It is our way of offering a complete life rather than a fragmented one.

This role can also be rewarding because it offers

Campus Ministry at Manor College

not only them, but us the opportunity to walk in faith together and deepen our relationship with God and each other.

Msgr. Peter Waslo hopes to cultivate a spiritual home here at Manor College for the students, faculty and staff.

Father Peter is starting his fourth year here, and is revamping what was attempted in the campus ministry at Manor College and building upon it.

Manor College’s Ribbon Cutting of its Newly Renovated Ukrainian Heritage Museum Followed by a Dialogue on

America’s Relationship and Moral Obligation with Ukraine.

JENKINTOWN, PA - On October 26, 2017 Manor College hosted its fourth Ukraine focused dialogue on campus. The college welcomed U.S Congressman and Co-Chair of the Ukraine Caucus, Brian Fitzpatrick; US Congressman and Ukraine Caucus member Brendan Boyle; First Ambassador of the U.S to Ukraine, Hon. Roman Popadiuk; and US Justice Department Prosecutor and Advisor to the Procurator’s Office (continued on next page)

in Ukraine, Bohdan Vitvitsky. The panel was moderated by Manor College President, Dr. Jonathan Peri.

The program directly complemented Manor College’s mission, which is to offer students a global vision through education. As America’s only Ukrainian heritage college, this dialogue was Manor College’s fourth Ukraine focused dialogue, which further proves Manor’s

commitment to being the hub for discussion and deliberation around what Americans can do to help and support Ukraine.

During the panel discussion,when asked about the broader topic of moral implications for America to help Ukraine, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick stated, “There is further evidence of the US’ obligation to support Ukraine not just in financial matters but in

intelligence sharing and information sharing. We need to provide military assistance and follow words with action.” Bohdan Vitvitsky commented with, “Many of our officials on both sides, to some degree soft peddle the nature of the obligations. It is quite clear that we should be providing Ukraine with defensive weapons given the fact




America’s Relationship and Moral Obligation with Ukraine.

that it is the object of foreign aggression.“

The audience, which was made up of approximately 150 Ukrainian and American community members from all states between New York to Washington D.C, responded to the panelists comments with enthusiasm and zeal. “It is crucial for us as Americans and Manor

College as a Ukrainian founded institution to raise awareness about the needs of our friends in Ukraine. The profile of the issues in Ukraine should not be taking a second seat to much of the nonsense in the news. Real people have been murdered or remain subject to unlawful detainment in Ukraine, where a war has ended the lives of 10’s of thousands of

people. Children are suffering orphaned with no parents. We had to do something and we will keep raising the profile.” Said Manor College’s President Peri. “Thank God we are blessed with a Ukrainian community in America that authentically cares. Now that our Museum is renewed, it assists us in renewing the conversations about the needs in Ukraine with

a backdrop of cultural beauty that everyone can enjoy.”

Prior to the Dialogue, Manor College held a Ribbon Cutting and Blessing Ceremony for the reopening of the Ukrainian Heritage Museum, an on-campus museum that is dedicated to preserving Ukrainian artifacts and



2 PM

5 PM

culture. The museum is part of the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center (UHSC), a center that was founded in 1977 to preserve, promote, and perpetuate Ukrainian culture and traditions through educational and cultural programs. In addition to a folk art collection, the UHSC maintains an extensive Ukrainian library and archives.

The renovations to the Ukrainian Heritage Museum was made possible due to significant contributions of Leonard & Helen Mazur, Dr. Barbara Zajak and the Ukrainian Catholic Foundation. The museum has a new design from floor to ceiling which includes beautiful lighting, a handmade Ukrainian stove, crystal clear showcases a welcoming layout and is home to a new exhibit, the Maria Mazur Gallery. The Maria Mazur Gallery is a exquisite, handmade psynky gallery crafted by Leonard Mazur’s mother, Maria Mazur. All are invited to come and explore the Ukrainian Heritage Museum, please call 215 885 2360 to make an appointment.


America’s Relationship and Moral Obligation with Ukraine.(continued from previous page)

Photo: Leonard and Helena Mazur with the President of Manor College, Jonathon Peri.


A SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE OF MARIA MAZUR

Submitted by Metropolitan Stefan Soroka

An official rededication and blessing of the Ukrainian Heritage Museum at Manor College was held on October26th, 2017. A portion of the program honored the contribution of Maria Mazur, mother of Leonard Mazur who is a longtime Board Member of Manor College. He and His wife, Helena generously assisted with the recent renovations which highlight an exceptional pysanka display, the work of Maria Mazur. Leonard Mazur gave a beautiful testimony to

Photo: Blessing of Renovated Museum

the influence his mother had on his life and in the Ukrainian community in Philadelphia. Also present with Leonard and his wife, Helena, were his children. Maria (Zatvarnitsky) Mazur was born in 1922 in Striy, Ukraine. As a child, she demonstrated as artistic love for her Ukrainian heritage and culture. During her youth, she quickly grasped specific skills in the art of pysanky making, along with mastering the mandolin and the piano. Pysanky

became and remained a lifelong passion for Maria. During her early years in Striy, she mastered and perfected the intricacies of creating beautiful designs from the combination of wax and dyes. Those intricate design patterns had been developed over many centuries by skilled practitioners over succeeding generations. Maria’s life underwent several transformations as she reached adulthood. During World War II, while in her early 20’s, she was taken from Ukraine to a forced

labor camp in Germany. Maria met her future husband, Volodymyr Mazur, during the chaos of the war in Ansbach, Germany. In 1949, Maria and her husband and their two small children, Leonard and Irene, emigrated from Germany to the eastern shore of Maryland in the United States. They later settled in Philadelphia in 1954.

Maria embraced with enthusiasm many of the cultural and artistic




aspects of Ukrainian life. She was not only an accomplished pysanky artist, but an accomplished ceramicist, and her range of talents also included music. She sang professionally with the Kobzar Choir, a well-known men’s and women’s choir which performed in concerts nationwide, and also issued recordings. Maria was an active member in her Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then located in Southwest Philadelphia. She served as the cantor for the parish and was also the choir director at St. Peter & Paul Parish in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania.

Maria gave freely of her time by serving in many roles within the Ukrainian American community in Philadelphia. She served as Secretary and Supreme Director of The Providence Association. She was a member of the executive board of the Regional Council of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, a member of the executive board of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia United Church Choirs, and a

member of the National Service Center of Philadelphia.

Maria was an active member on the advisory committee for the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center and contributed significantly to its opening on

A SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE OF MARIA MAZUR

Mother’s Day on May 8t, 1977. Forty years later, her exceptional pysanky are on display in the Ukrainian Heritage Museum at Manor College, to which we encourage everyone to visit. Call 215-885-2360 ext 293 for information to visit. May your visit

Photo: Metropolitan Stefan looking at a display of pysanky made by Maria Mazur.

inspire you to a greater appreciation of our rich Ukrainian culture and for significant people who contributed to its advancement in Philadelphia’s Ukrainian community.


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BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED GIFT IDEAS HOMEMADE BAKED GOODS

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UKRAINIAN KITCHEN SERVING A VARIETY OF TRADITIONAL

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1206 VALLEY ROAD, MELROSE PARK, PA 19027

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 10 AM - 7 PM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 10 AM - 2 PM

ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

(CВЯТ ВЕЧІР)

ST. NICHOLAS WILL BE VISITING OUR PARISH ON SUNDAY AFTER 10:30 A.M. LITURGY. PLEASE BRING YOUR CHILDREN

SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE A GIFT!

PRO-LIFE e-mail is [email protected]

There is an e-mail address that our readership can write to with regard to the Pro-Life movement and the Respect Life program. If you have any insights, comments, or questions from daily life, kindly write and give a name and contact. Answers will be Pro-life all the way and based on Sacred Scriptures, esp. the Gospel message of Christ, Sacred Tradition, and Church teaching. All this is in the light of contemporary medical and scientific data.

Swarthmore“Food and Clothing

Collection for the Needy” - Now through

December 10th Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church, Swarthmore, PA will hold its “Holiday Food & Clothing Collection” for the needy in the community from now through Sunday, December 10th. Anyone wishing to donate any canned or boxed, non-perishable food items or good cold-weather clothing, should bring them to the Church on any Saturday between 4:00 pm. and 6:00 pm. or on Sunday between 9:00 am and noon or use the convenient drop-off box at the entrance to the Educational Center anytime during the week. We are located at 900 Fairview Road in Swarthmore/Ridley Township. Please help us help, if you can


OCTOBER 29TH HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY AT ST. PAUL UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, RAMSEY, NJ CELEBRATING THE

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARISH


News from the Knights of Columbus Pokrova

Council in Bristol

In this historical year of the Fatima Centennial, the Knights of Columbus Pokrova Council 13561, Bristol PA held a Public Square Rosary for Our Nation with St Mary Church parishioners in front of Our Lady's statue on Bath Road. This was in unison with 21,569 other rosary rallies held across all 50 states in the USA at noon on October 14, 2017.

Pokrova Council has been holding this public square rosary for our nation at St Mary annually since 2011.

Group photo and article submitted by: Steve Schaeber


Bishop Andriy visited a Center helping youth with special needs

On Wednesday, September 13, I visited a department of Caristas – Ukraine, Center of Leisure and social adaptation for young people with special needs, upon an invitation extended by Mrs. Mariya Chuchman. The Center is located at St. George’s Square 5/30, in Lviv, that works with handicapped and challenged young people. Mrs. Chuchman, Natalia Zahaylo, and Rev. Deacon Roman Babiy are involved with the youth for the last 15 years. They created and run a daycare program for the youth, which helps their personal, physical, psychological and spiritual development. They attend eagerly the Center every day, and one can easily tell how much they enjoy being there (you can see it on the photos). Unfortunately, the Center is in need of funding for the next year. Its annual budget is roughly 200,000 hryvnia (or $8,000). If they do not get the funds, the Center will be forced to close its doors. I would like to appeal to your generosity and make donations – whatever you can. You may make out your check to Special Needs in Ukraine, to our chancery fund, and

mailed to Archbishop’s Chancery, 810 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia PA 19123. Attn: Special Needs in Ukraine. Bishop Andriy will take the money to the Center in January of 2018 when he visits them again. You may also send them packages to Center of Leisure and social adaptation for young people with special needs, St. George’s Square 5/30, Lviv 79000, Ukraine .

Let’s help them! I will be very grateful to everyone who supports this project and remember you in my prayers! Thank You!

+Andriy Rabiy

Donations will be printed in the next issue of “The Way:

We ask that you please remember in your prayers, Father Mark Fesniak, a priest in the Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Father Mark is still coping with some serious medical issues.

During this season, as we celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to the joyous celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you may wish to send Father Mark a get well card to let him know you are thinking of him.

Cards may be sent to:

Father Mark Fesniakc/o Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 131 North Beech StreetMt. Carmel, Pa. 17851

May Christ, the Supreme Physician of our bodies and souls, send His healing grace upon Father Mark and restore him to good health.

Thank you for remembering Fr. Mark in your prayers. Rev. John M. FieldsCommunications OfficeUkrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Prayers and Get Well Cards for Father Mark Fesniak



Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple November 21st

We read about the origins of the Feast in the Proto-Evangelium of James. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Anna, were childless, but sought to have children. They made a promise to God that if He granted them a child, they would bring the child to the Temple in Jerusalem to serve the Lord God. At that time the Temple was under the guidance of the High Priest Zachary, the father of the Precursor John the Baptist, and of Simeon.

Mary although in Her youth was filled with joy to enter the Temple and to serve Yahweh (God). Mary continued Her education in the Jewish faith and customs, which her parents had already begun

at home. At the Temple, Mary would encounter people and assist them in their need.

This Feast reminds us that we all are to continually seek to develop, grow spiritually – to know our faith and to the practices of our faith. Through prayer an individual unites oneself with God Himself and His way of life, His Kingship over us. We should daily examine our conscience to discern just how much of what we had done that day was pleasing to God.

May the example of Mary the Mother of God inspire us to serve the Lord God faithfully. Let us seek to grow closer daily to the Lord and to recognize the presence of God in others and love Him above all else. This we already do here on earth as to prepare ourselves to live a life of eternal joy with God in heaven.

Rev. D. George Worschak

“Let us give thanks to the Lord”


Catholic Considerationsfor Our Earthly Passing

We know earthly death is not the end, but rather the door through which we must pass to gain eternal life. Because of our belief and hope in the Resurrection, we can face death not with fear, but with preparation. Although certainly not comprehensive, the following considerations are provided as starting points for understanding and preparing for this transition, whether it is imminent or not.

N O W A N D AT T H E H O U R O F O U R D E AT H 1 We prepare for eternal life by choosing to love and follow God now, in our daily lives and decisions. For example, through prayer and regular reception of the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, we obtain grace to live in ever-deeper communion with God and with one another in lives of faith, charity, and justice.2 We ask for Our Blessed Mother’s help now, and we entrust ourselves to her further as we “surrender ‘the hour of our death’ wholly to her care.”3

F O R M I N G O U R C O N S C I E N C E S

Our journey with Christ naturally includes equipping our consciences to make morally good judgments and acting accordingly.4 Learning about the dignity of human life and the indispensable respect for it,5 as well as applicable principles for medical care, is particularly important in preparing for our eventual passing.

Some bishops offer guides applying moral principles to local legal options.6 Parish and online resources are also widely available for careful and prayerful study, and the Ethical and Religious Directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops give direction for health care services to those who are seriously ill or dying.7

A N O T E O N G E N E R A L P R I N C I P L E S

No summary can substitute for thorough catechesis, but some general principles are clear. We are entrusted by God with the gift of life, and in response, we care for our lives and health in obedience and gratitude to our Creator.

This obliges us to make use of appropriate, effective medical care. However, even effective treatments may at times impose such a great burden that we, in good conscience, may forgo or discontinue them. This applies even to life-sustaining treatments. Of course, nothing should be done or deliberately omitted to hasten death.8

The Church affirms the inviolable dignity of every person, regardless of the duration or extent of the person’s incapacity or dependency. Nothing diminishes the unchangeable dignity and sanctity of a person’s life, or the obligation to protect and care for it. In principle, assisted feeding and hydration should be provided unless it cannot sustain life or is unduly burdensome to the patient, or if death is imminent whether it is provided or not.

Moreover, no one should choose suicide, nor counsel or assist another to take his or her own life.

D I S C E R N I N G T R E A T M E N T O P T I O N S

Judging the effect and burden of treatments can be difficult, especially as death draws near. To understand health facts and treatment options, we need professional medical advice. To understand Catholic moral teaching, we need to consult Church teaching and those who can faithfully explain it.

S P E A K I N G W I T H L O V E D O N E S

After informing our consciences, we need to inform our families. If we are unable to make decisions, they most often have legal authority to make surrogate decisions on our behalf. Or we may designate a health care agent by a durable power of attorney.

Though it is often helpful to also have written, signed documentation, no living will “check box” can ever replace clear conversations about our faith-guided principles. The best option is to choose an agent who will make medical decisions on our behalf in accord with our Catholic faith and Church teaching.

We should also inform family of our pastoral care preferences, and make clear that after death, we desire prayer, funeral rites, and Christian burial.9


A C C O M P A N I M E N T B E F O R E A N D A F T E R D E A T H 1 0 Those who are sick should not be alone, as multiple popes have reminded us in messages for the annual World Day of the Sick. Patients who have serious or life-threatening illnesses, as well as their families, can be provided with physical, psychological, and spiritual care through team-based palliative care.11 Hospice care can provide similar integrated care for those nearing death and for their families.

Pastoral care is integral to both palliative and hospice care, and includes making available the Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and Viaticum.12 It also includes supportive prayer13 and support for decision makers. It may be helpful to familiarize ourselves with local services available in preparation for our own passing or that of loved ones.

Even after death, accompaniment continues. Our prayers can help those who are being purified in Purgatory, so it is a spiritual work of mercy to pray for those who have died.14

H O P E I N T H E R E S U R R E C T I O NThose who die in God’s grace and friendship live forever with Christ. Heaven is not an abstract idea, but a true and lasting relationship with God that is beyond all earthly description and understanding. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and everlasting life by preparing now, in hope, for our passage from this life into eternal life.

We need not fear. Christ is with us.

1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 2012 ff.

2 See Pope Francis, General Audience, 27 November 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana), https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20131127_udienza-generale.html.

3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2677.

4 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1776 ff. United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006), pg. 314.

5 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1701 ff., 2258 ff.

6 Many state conferences of Catholic Bishops have published materials which may help you with decisions about advance directives. To find these and other resources, contact your local diocesan Respect Life office. A directory is available at www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/diocesan-pro-life-offices.cfm.

7 Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, 5th ed, (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2009), http://www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/ethical-and-religious-directives/. (See especially Part 5.)

8 See Pope John Paul II, Evangelium vitae, (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1995), 15.

9 A summary is found here: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/bereavement-and-funerals/overview-of-catholic-funeral-rites.cfm.

10 Pope Francis uses the term “accompaniment” often; see its many occurrences in Evangelii gaudium.

11 Pope Francis, “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Academy for Life” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015), https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/march/documents/papa-francesco_20150305_pontificia-accademia-vita.html.

12 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1499–1532. See also Pope Benedict XVI, “Message of the Holy Father on the Occasion of the Twentieth World Day of the Sick” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2012), https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/sick/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20111120_world-day-of-the-sick-2012.html.

13 See for example these prayers at the time of dying and death http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/bereavement-and-funerals/prayers-for-death-and-dying.cfm.

14 Pope Francis, General Audience, 30 November 2016, (Libreria Editrice Vaticana), https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20161130_udienza-generale.html

U N I T E D S T A T E S C O N F E R E N C E O F C A T H O L I C B I S H O P S Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

View, download, or order the U.S. bishops’ pro-life materials!W W W . U S C C B . O R G / R E S P E C T L I F E

Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition © 2000 LEV-USCCB. Used with permission. Hands: Pablo_K/iStock/Thinkstock. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Icons: Entypo pictograms by Daniel Bruce - www.entypo.com. Used with permission. Copyright © 2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.

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THE ELDEST BISHOP OF THE UGCC REPOSES IN THE LORD6 November 2017

His Eminence Andriy Sapelyak, bishop emeritus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, died on November 6 at the age of 98.

https://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/catholics/ugcc/68889/

“Bishop Andriy Sapeliak said that the future of Ukraine 'is being

smithed' in the East,” the Head of the UGCC during farewell with the

reposed in Lviv

Friday, 10 November 2017

Today, November 9, 2017, was celebrated funeral Hierarchical Liturgy, led by the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and after it the rite of burial of the Bishop Andriy Sapeliak took place at the city's cemetery of Vynnyky.

To bid farewell to the reposed came bishops, priests, relatives, friends, as well as all indifferent residents of Lviv, who wanted to express their gratitude to the Bishop for his ministry and everything he did.

“Eastern wisdom says, that when someone saved one person, he saved the whole world; and when mankind loses

one man, then it loses the whole Universe", with such words His Beatitude Sviatoslav began his homily during the funeral Hierarchical Liturgy and added, “ We feel now in a similar way, because we came to bid farewell the oldest bishop of the UGCC, a devout missionary, a great patriot of Ukraine and a teacher of the Ukrainian youth — bishop Аndriy.”

The Primate stressed that Bishop Andriy is “an open message of God for our UGCC,” and he told about his most important moments of life, e.g. his correspondence with Andriy Sheptytsky.

Besides, the Head of the UGCC noted that Bishop Andriy played an important role when Argentina was one of

the first to recognize independence of Ukraine. Thanks to his personal meeting with the then-President of Argentina, this became possible.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that Bishop Andriy had a unique prophetic gift. “After finishing his ministry in Argentina in 1997, the Bishop wanted to return to Ukraine. But he said that the future of Ukraine ‘is being smithed’ in the East... So he went to the city of Verkhniodniprovsk (Dnipropetrovska oblast), where he started working with the young people,” said the Head of the

UGCC.

The Primate summed up by saying that diligent work gave its fruit because after the Revolution of Dignity one of the streets in Verkhniodniprovsk was called in honor of Bishop Andriy Sapeliak. Also, he took care about the Ukrainian Salesians since he was one of the first who joined this Order.

We would like to remind you that on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 AD, in the cathedral in Buenos Aires (Аrgentina)


Bishop Danyil (Kozlinsky), eparch of the Eparchy of the Veil of Our Lady, clergy, monastics and faithful bid farewell to their first bishop in Argentina Rev. Andriy Sapeliak, who passed into eternity.

Biographic reference

Andriy Sapeliak was born on 13 of December 1919 in the village of Ryshkova Volia, Yaroslavsky povit. He was the first child in the family of Ukrainian peasants. His father served in the Austrian army. After graduating from Peremyshl gymnasium, Andriy joind the Salesian Order. On June 29, 1949 was ordained a priest. He received higher education at the Salesian University in Italy, faculty of canonical law.

In 1951 he organized the Small Ukrainian Seminary in France and was its first rector.

In 1961 Fr. Andriy was appointed as the first bishop for the Ukrainian faithful in Argentina, where he worked 36

years.

At first, Bishop Andriy was the Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Catholics in Argentina, and after creating an eparchy — Apostolic administrator for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Argentina.

In 1968 together with Bishop Protopresbyter Borys Ariychuk was elected to the governing body of the Ukrainian central representation in Argentina.

In 1997 he returned to Ukraine. At 80-th year

of life, he goes with the pastoral mission to the city of Verkhniodniprovsk (Dnipropetrovska Obl), where he worked till 2014.

In 2014 he moved to Vynnyky (Lviv oblast), where he lived till his last day.

Died on November 6, 2017 AD.

Bishop Andriy Sapeliak is known for his activities as a member of the Catholic Church: was a member of the commission of


Eastern Churches at the II Vatican Council (1962—1966).

The UGCC Department of Information

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/bishop_andriy_sapeliak_said_that_the_future_of_ukraine_is_being_smithed_in_the_east_the_head_of_the_ugcc_during_farewell_with_the_reposed_in_lviv_80982.html

“Bishop Andriy Sapeliak said that the future of Ukraine 'is being smithed' in the East,” the Head of the UGCC during

farewell with the reposed in Lviv


The Head of the UGCC: A true Christian can see God present in a needy man


Head of UGCC: “Consecrated communities show us reality of presence of the Kingdom of God in human’s kingdom”

Friday, 27 October 2017

Consecrated people are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God, feeling as if they are a part of a big community! Their task is to show a real presence of what is eternal in present.

Father and Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav mentioned in his report “Expectations of Church from a consecrated life in a modern world” within the I International Assembly of Higher Superiors of UGCC communities of consecrated life, what is being held at Patriarchal Center in Lviv.

“Gospel tells that Christ, appealing to his disciples, says the words: “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom”.

Beginning his report, His Beatitude Sviatoslav also pointed out that Church, first and foremost, is God’s people.

According to Head of Church, the sense of a consecrated life exactly in Eastern Christianity has always been considered in the spotlight of its eschatological meaning. “You have to show faithful what they believe in and what they expect. A consecrated person who dedicated themselves because of the Kingdom of God, what a monastery calls them for – is a character of Christian hope… In other words, consecrated monastic communities show us a real presence of what is eternal in present – the Kingdom of God within the human’s kingdom”.

During the presentation His Beatitude Sviatoslav encouraged the

participants of the International assembly to share their experience of how we have to live as children of Eastern Catholic Church in the country and culture where God calls us to. “Last, but not least is a question of identity, not only in monastic life but in terms of Eastern Catholic Church, what our Church is as the biggest one, living in various countries and cultures. This is a hard question”, mentioned Head of Church and added that it is another challenge we have today – to be the witness of eternal within transitional, accomplishing it in a special way of being an eastern Christian”.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav assumes that we need to carry out our witness in a particular historical period, as it gives us more of a special meaning and sense.

Since we are living in a secular world today, where we consume the same culture. That is why a need of feeling eternity is one of the most essential. Thus, we have to ask ourselves: how do we believe in God?

At the end of the conference, Head of Church signified that we should have felt as if we were members of a big community, and Patriarchal Commission on Monasticism of UGCC has to contribute to it.


http://news.ugcc.ua/en/art ic les/head_of_ug c c _ con s e c r a t e d _communities_show_us_real i ty_of_presence_o f _ t h e _ k i n g d o m _o f_god_ in_humans_kingdom_80865.html

Monday, 06 November 2017

How often we feel in Ukraine now that we need God's hand. We

need God's hand in our private matters, in our social life. Ukraine needs not a man's hand but God's one, which would raise her, renew and

protect.

Where is that hand? Today the Lord our God gives a deep response to that...

Our parents, when they wanted to receive something from God, would give alms and ask


The Head of the UGCC: A true Christian can see God present in a needy man


a beggar to pray for them.

This was said today, on the 22-nd Sunday since the Descent of the Holy Spirit, by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav during his homily to the faithful in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.

The Primate drew attention of the faithful that each time when we, during the Divine Liturgy, listen to the reading from the Holy Scripture, we hear the live voice of our God, Who is speaking to us. In His Word the Lord reveals Himself to us. By listening to God's voice, we can learn Who our God is, in order to be able to hear and understand Him more, but most importantly – in order to love God, Who loved us first, even more.

According to the preacher, today, in the reading from the Gospel of Luke, we hear a story about a rich man and Lazarus. In this parable Jesus Christ shows us two scenes. "One scene is devoted to our earthly life, to various relations

among people. We see an image of a rich man and an image of a poor man, their ways of life, and, hence, that world which made them rich or poor. Another scene – is from the eternal life. This is a scene of the heavenly reality. The reality, which shows us what eternity is, where a man in his earthly life heads for," told His Beatitude Sviatoslav .

"We can say that," went on the hierarch, "that the first scene is temporary. The other one is eternal, which seems to give sense to the prior one. But what does Luke want to explain to us in this parable? He shows that those two scenes have a totally opposite perspective. That man, who is rich in the first scene, becomes poor in the second one. The one who is happy in the first scene, in the second – heavenly one – is suffering. Between those two scenes there is one point of convergence, which seems to be the moment of truth, the moment when the Lord our God puts everything in their place. This moment of truth is our death."

We can see, believes

the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics, that death is not the end of our life, death is a moment of truth of our life. When a man learns to the end, who he is, and what his ultimate goal is. And why God gives him everything he possesses or why he longs for something but doesn't have it.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.""Nowadays the poor are often called," says the Head of the Church, "socially unprotected people, and modern society, economy, politics regard them as a problem. Politicians often try to use or buy those people, so they could build their political success on their grief. Very often success of a society is measured, first of all, by the fact to which degree both the law and authorities defend the needs of poor people. But we, Christians, in a needy man must see not a problem but the Living God present among us – our Savior Jesus Christ Who Himself said about Himself: I am a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense," asks to ponder the Head of the Church.

"We, Christians," emphasized the hierarch, "regard it as a duty to serve the poor, not because of some ideological, economic or other human motives. Our ministry to the neighbor, in particular, to the needy is a necessary part of the Divine Liturgy – our ministry to God. A true Christian can see God present in a needy person. A wise Christian can see that a stretched arm of a beggar is God's hand of mercy, which is stretched towards us."

"Let us not reject today that God's hand of Lazarus," called the faithful the Head of the UGCC. "We must be certain that the Lord our God is near us, but our salvation, whether we stand or will fall, occurs before our gates during our meeting with another person."


ht tp://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/ t he_head_of_the_ugcc_a_true_christian_can_see_god_present_in_a_needy_man_80931.html


Pope Francis at General Audience: English Summary

The miraculous icon of Mother of God of Zarvanytsia unites thousands of Ukrainian migrant workers in Italy

in praying for Ukraine

Thursday, 02 November 2017

With the blessing of bishop Dionisyi (Liakhovych), an Apostolic visitor for Ukrainians in Italy, the copy of the miraculous icon of Mother of God of Zarvanytsia has started its pilgrimage through Italy.

An icon, which His Holiness Pope Francis has been praying to, after what he blessed the crown for it, was


November 8, 2017 (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has begun a new series of catecheses focussing on the Eucharist. He was addressing the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly General Audience.

Please find below the English Summary of the Pope’s cathechesis:

Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today begins a

new series of catecheses devoted to the Eucharist. The Mass is the very “heart” of the Church and the source of her life. How many martyrs have died to defend the Eucharist! Their witness confirms our Lord’s promise that by partaking of his body and blood we pass with him from death to life (cf. Jn 6:54). At every celebration of Mass, our lives, offered in union with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, become,

in him, an offering of praise and thanksgiving pleasing to the Father, for the salvation of the world. The liturgical renewal called for by Second Vatican Council sought to help the faithful understand more fully and share more fruitfully in the Eucharist. At Mass, Jesus becomes truly present and allows us in some way, like the Apostle Thomas, to touch his flesh and renew our faith in him. In coming weeks, we

will seek to grow in our appreciation of this great gift, so as to share more fully in its spiritual riches and beauty, which give ultimate meaning and direction to our lives.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/11/08/p o p e _ f r a n c i s _a t _ g e n e r a l _a u d i e n c e _ e n g l i s h _summary_/1347584


passed for adoration to Ukrainian migrants, who plentifully arrive and pray for peace in Ukraine and in their own intentions.

After being commemorated in Rome’s communities, the icon went on a pilgrimage to the religious places where in Italy Ukrainians remain. Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Italy calls for a prayer. Fr Marko Semehen, the senior priest of the pro cathedral of St. Sophia

said:

“Today we have not an easy situation in Ukraine, since the war is going on. Though, for our communities it is also complicated. Women who had to leave their Motherland and families – prevail here. Not all of them have an opportunity to visit Zarvanytsia, however today the can pray before the icon of Blessed Virgin Mary recalling all their worries and anxieties, insecurities,

The miraculous icon of Mother of God of Zarvanytsia unites thousands of Ukrainian migrant workers in Italy

in praying for Ukraine(continued from previous page)

strongly believing that Virgin Mary will be our guardian for everyone and in particular”.

We remind that this prominent for UGCC event occurred in Vatican, Oct 15. Back then, His Holiness Pope Francis blessed the crowns for the icon of the Mother of God in Zarvanytsia what turned to be another act of its acknowledgement in the catholic world and testimony of its miraculous power. During the festive

Liturgy which took place in Rome, on St. Sacred Square, Pope was praying before the icon, therefore it became open for a public adoration of faithful around the world.

Department of Information of the UGCChttp://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/the_miraculous_icon_of_mother_of_god_of_zarvanytsia_unites_thousands_of_ukrainian_migrant_workers_ in_i ta ly_in_praying_for_ukraine_80906.html

The Pope urges Ukrainian seminarians to sow culture of peace

10 November 2017

Meeting with the community of a Ukrainian Greek Catholic seminary in Rome on Thursday, Pope Francis encouraged them build up justice and peace in their homeland.

“Today the world is wounded by wars and violence,” the Pope reflected Nov. 9 during his meeting at the Vatican's Clementine Hall with the community of the Ukrainian Pontifical College of Saint Josaphat.

"In particular, your beloved Ukrainian nation, whence you came and where you will return at the end of your Roman studies, is experiencing the drama of war, which generates great suffering."

He added that “strong is the aspiration to justice and to peace, which bars any form of prevarication, social or political corruption, realities for which the poor always pay the price. God sustains and encourages those

who are committed to realizing a society characterized ever more by justice and solidarity.”

Pope Francis' meeting with the college, which serves seminarians and priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, comes 85 years after its present building was opened on Rome's Janiculum Hill, at the request of Pius XI.

Francis recalled his predecessor's particular concern for the faithful living in areas of suffering

and persecution; at the time of the college's founding, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.“In the years of his pontificate, Pius XI always and firmly raised his voice in defending the faith, the freedom of the Church, and the transcendent dignity of every human person,” Francis said. “He clearly condemned, through speeches and letters, the atheistic and inhumane ideologies that bloodied the twentieth century.



He brought to light their contradictions by indicating the Church as the high road of the Gospel, and also putting into practice the search for social justice, an indispensable dimension of the fully human redemption of peoples and nations.”

He invited the seminarians “to study the social doctrine of the Church, so as to mature in discernment and judgement of the social realities in which you are called to operate.”

While the call to peace may seem unreachable, Pope Francis said that “by loving and anouncing the Word, you will become true pastors of the communities entrusted to you, and it will be the lamp that illuminates your heart and your home, whether you prepare for the celibate or married priesthood, according to tradition of your Church.”

Considering the war, corruption, and strife among Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches which Ukraine is facing, Francis told the seminarians “to ensure your heart lies always in wide horizons, which

have the measure of the whole world … love and care for your traditions, but avoid any form of sectarianism.”

He recalled the rainbow as a sign of God's covenant with humanity which calls man “to learn to love and respect each other, to abandon their weapons, to reject war and all kinds of abuse.”“If you walk this way and teach others to do the same, especially in the fundamental ecumenical dialogue, I am certain that from the heavenly homeland all the bishops and priests – some formed at your college – who have given their

lives or have suffered persecution because of their fidelity to Christ and to the Apostolic See will smile at you and support you.”

The Pope invoked the intercession of the Holy Mother of God who is venerated in the Ukrainian National Shrine of Zarvanytsya.

“She wants the priests of her Son to be like the torches lit at night in front of her Shrine reminding everyone, especially the poor and the suffering, and even those who perpetrate evil and sow violence and destruction, that the people who

The Pope urges Ukrainian seminarians to sow culture of peace(continued from previous page)

walked in the darkness saw a great light; that a light shone upon those who lived in a land of shadows” he said.

Pope Francis concluded revealing a personal devotion to the Ukrainian icon of Our Lady of Tenderness, a gift of the Major Archbishop from when they were together in Buenos Aires.

Sources CNA/EWTN News, Vatican Radio h t t p s : // r i s u .o rg . ua/en/ i ndex/a l l _news/catholics/vatikan/68945


Pope approves the heroic virtues of Pope John Paul I

November 9, 2017

Pope John Paul I has moved a step closer to sainthood with the recognition of his heroic virtues. Pope Francis on Wednesday authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree approving his predecessor’s heroic virtues which confers on him the title ‘Venerable’.

Pope Francis also authorized 7 other decrees along with that of John Paul I – two of them on martyrdom and 5 on heroic virtues.

Venerable Servant of God Pope John Paul I

Pope John Paul I whose heroic virtues Pope Francis has approved and declared him ‘Venerable Servant of God’ had a brief papacy of just 33 days, yet has left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church.

A ‘Smiling Pope’ as he is called in that short duration of his pontificate gave nine speeches, three messages, wrote three Apostolic letters and four other official letters, gave two homilies and had five Sunday

‘Angelus’ prayers and four Wednesday general audiences. This short encounter if not his vast experience as a priest, bishop, Patriarch of Venice and then the Cardinal has proved him to be a person of faith, humble and meek person yet tough when it comes to Church teachings. Love of God and love of neighbor was his special hallmark.

Born on 17th Oct 1912 at "Forno di Canale (Belluno, Italy), Albino Luciani was son of Giovanni Luciani and Bortola Tancon. He was baptized the same day at home, by the midwife, as he was in danger of death but formalized two days later in the Church by the curate. On 2nd Feb 1935 he was ordained deacon and on 7th July 1935 Ordained to the priesthood at St. Peter's Church of Belluno diocese of Belluno e Feltre.

In February 1947 he Graduated from the Gregorian University in Rome with a doctorate in Sacred Theology, his thesis being, "The origin of the human soul according to Antonio Rosmini". 27th December 1958 he was

Consecrated Bishop by John XXIII at St. Peter's Basilica together with the newly consecrated bishops, Gioacchino Muccin and Girolamo Bortignon.

In 1977 he participated in the IV Ordinary General Assembly in Rome of the Synod of Bishops regarding "Catechetics in Our Time". August 10 the following year brought him again to the Vatican after the death of Pope Paul the VI.

On 26th August during the second day of the conclave, he was elected Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and he chose his name John Paul I, wishing to serve the Church as his predecessors did. During his first Sunday Angelus he humbly acknowledged that he

chose that name knowing that he neither had the wisdom of the heart of Pope John nor the preparation and culture of Pope Paul. With this name he became the first Pope to take up a dual name in papal history.

Luciani vowed to serve as a teacher and a servant and had taken up Humilitas (Humility) as his episcopal motto which was evident even after he was appointed a pope. He wished to do away with Papal Coronation mass and chose to have just papal inauguration. He also preferred not to use the ‘sedia gestatoria’ or the ceremonial throne like an armchair on which the Pope travels from St Peter’s Square.


Pope John Paul I - ANSA


Luciani a warm, gentle and kind man with a friendly disposition was loved by the people who were in awe of his persona. He had impressed people with his excellent oratory skills. His ideologies reflected the spirit of humanity and showcased the immense love and warmth that he had for God and his people.

His swift six point plan defined what the journey

Pope approves the heroic virtues of Pope John Paul I

of his pontificate would be. He planned to renew the Church through the policies implemented by Vatican II, to revise canon law, to remind the Church of its duty to preach the Gospel, to promote Church unity without watering down doctrine, to promote dialogue and to encourage world peace and social justice.

His successors looked upon him as a gentle

soul with a heart filled with love. If his immediate successor Cardinal Karol Wojtyla spoke of his values of faith, hope and love, Benedict XVI commented that it was due to his virtues that despite holding papacy for just 33 days, he was able to win the people’s hearts. For Pope Francis, John Paul I was an icon of mercy and humility and he has quoted him in his homilies and in an interview. His qualities of

heart and mind made him affable.

Already two miracles are attributed to his intercession and are under examination. If any of them is recognized, he would be cleared for Beatification.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/11/09/pope_approves_the_heroic_virtues_of_pope_john_paul_i_/1347820

Pope at Angelus: 'charity fuels faith making it fruitful and credible'

November 12, 2017

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday told the faithful that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be ready to meet with the Lord.

Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, the Pope also said that it is not sufficient to lead a life of faith; a Christian must also be fueled by charity.

The parable of the ten virgins

Recalling the parable of the ten virgins the Pope

said one must not wait for “the last moment of our lives to collaborate with God’s grace: you must do it now!” he said. Quoting from the liturgical reading in which the Lord said to the foolish virgins “Stay awake for you know neither the day nor the hour” Francis explained that Jesus is telling us that ‘staying awake’ does not mean only not to fall asleep: it is an exhortation to be prepared.

Charity fuels and safeguards faith

The lamp, the Pope said,

is “the symbol of faith that illuminates our lives”. Oil, he continued, “is the symbol of charity which fuels the lamp making the light of faith fruitful and credible”.

“A life that is poor in charity is devoid of true light” he said.

“If we let ourselves be guided by what appears to be most convenient, seeking only to protect and nurture our interests, our lives become sterile and incapable of giving life to others; in this way we do not store a stock of oil for the lamp of our faith which will be extinguished at the time

of the Lord's coming, or even before that” he said.

“The condition to be ready to meet with the Lord, Pope Francis said, is not only faith, but a Christian life full of love and charity for our neighbour.”

Always be prepared to meet the Lord

He urged Christians always to “be vigilant and to try to do good through actions of love, sharing and service” to our brothers in difficulty so we can serenely await



the arrival of the groom.We know, he continued that “the Lord may come at any time, but even the slumber of death will not scare us if we have a supply of oil that we have accumulated through good works every day”.“Faith inspires charity and charity safeguards faith” he said.

Pope at Angelus: 'charity fuels faith making it fruitful and credible' (continued from previous page)

Giving thanks for Spanish martyrs

After the Angelus prayer, the Pope recalled the beatification ceremony that took place in Madrid on Saturday during which Vicente Queralt LLoret and 20 of his martyred companions and Jose Maria Fernandez

Sanchez and 38 of his martyred companions were proclaimed blessed.

“They were all killed in hatred for the faith during the religious persecution that took place during the 1936 – 1937 Spanish Civil War” he said.

Pope Francis concluded giving thanks to God for the great gift of these witnesses of Christ and of the Gospel.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/11/12/p o p e _ a t _ a n g e l u s _cha r i t y _ f ue l s _ fa i t h _ma k i n g _ i t _ f r u i t f u l _and/1348477

The Head of the UGCC: “We all need to know how to explain our faith to a modern person”

Thursday, 16 November 2017

On November 14, His Beatitude Sviatoslav held an open lecture on the topic of patristic heritage in the life of the Church at the Kyiv Triokhsviatytelska Spiritual Seminary of the UGCC.

During the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav told about the criteria of defining the “Fathers of Church”– those whom the Church venerated as their spiritual guides. For they led holy lives, possessed true knowledge and were recognized both by their church communities and by the ancientness.

At the beginning of the

lecture, the Primate of the UGCC told about the main sources of patristic literature, which are available in the seminary’s library, and about the other manuals, which aim at helping theologians learn the patristic heritage.

During the lecture, the Head of the UGCC recalled the slogan: “Forward to the Fathers!” which was firstly proclaimed in 1937 by the archpriest Georgiy Forovsky in his book “Ways of the Russian Theology”. “Forward to the Fathers!” – means that we all have to become mature enough to know how to pass our faith to a modern person in the engaging,

comprehensive, but also orthodox and correct way, so he could understand and accept it,” emphasized the lecturer.

It is known that the Christ’s Church has the Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition as its foundation and principle that is why there is a special theologian discipline – Patrology and Patristics – which studies the cu l t u ra l -ph i l o soph i c contribution of the Fathers of Church into the Christian tradition.

Besides, His Beatitude Sviatoslav called on the seminarians to be interested in patristic studies and expressed the wish of development

of their theologian researches in this sphere. He also presented to the Seminary a number of very important books – “instruments”, which enable a better understanding of the heritage of the Fathers of Church.

We would like to add that after the open lecture, His Beatitude Svitoslav led Compline at the seminarian church of Holy Trinity.

ktds.org.ua

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/photo/the_head_of_the_ugcc_we_all_need_to_know_how_to_explain_our_faith_to_a_modern_person_81030.html


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December 2017 - Ãðóäíÿ 2017Happy Birthday!

Ç Äíåì íàðîäæåííÿ!

December 7: Rev. Stepan BilykDecember 17: Rev. Mykola IvanovDecember 21: Rev. Deacon Michael WaakDecember 21: Rev. Orest Kunderevych

May the Good Lord Continue to Guide You and Shower You with His Great Blessings. Mnohaya Lita!

Íåõàé Äîáðèé Ãîñïîäü Òðèìàº Âàñ ó Ñâî¿é Îï³ö³ òà Ùåäðî Áëàãîñëîâèòü Âàñ. Ìíîãàÿ Ë³òà!

Congratulations on your Anniversary of Priesthood!

Â³òàºìî ç Ð³÷íèöåþ Ñâÿùåíñòâà!

December 6: Rev. Volodymyr Kostyuk (19th Anniversary)December 10: Rev. D. George Worschak (39th Anniversary)December 11: Rev. Ihor Royik (25th Anniversary)December 19: Bishop Andriy Rabiy (16th Anniversary of Priesthood)December 20: Rev. Ihor Bloshchynskyy (14th Anniversary)

May God Grant You Many Happy and Blessed Years of Service in the Vineyard of Our Lord!

Íåõàé Áîã Îáäàðóº Áàãàòüìà Áëàãîñëîâåííèìè Ðîêàìè Ñëóæ³ííÿ â Ãîñïîäíüîìó Âèíîãðàäíèêó!

Documents

Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit · PDF file85th Anniversary Holodomor Service in Washington, DC ... Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s First Pastoral Visit - Hillsborough Bishop