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Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy -- $ 8,950.00Assumption of the BVM Parish, Omaha, NE $ 3,240.00 1,100.00Dormition of Mother of God Parish, Phoenix, AZ $ 12,000.00 315.00Holy Apostles Mission, Berryton, KS $ 1,000.00 200.00Holy Ascension Mission, Plymouth, MI $ 1,000.00 20.00Holy Wisdom Mission, Citrus Heights, CA $ 1,200.00 1,605.00Immaculate Conception Parish, Hamtramck, MI $ 13,860.00 4,010.00Immaculate Conception Parish, Palatine, IL $ 6,840.00 3,335.00Immaculate Conception Parish, San Francisco, CA$ 2,400.00 800.00Nativity of the BVM Parish, Los Angeles, CA $ 10,650.00 3,775.00Nativity of the BVM Parish. Palos Park, IL $ 7,860.00 1,860.00Nativity of Mother of God Parish, Springfield, OR $ 3,600.00 1,695.00Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, La Mesa, CA $ 7,680.00 475.00Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Dearborn Hts, MI $ 8,400.00 1,600.00Protection of Mother of God Parish, Houston, TX $ 9,960.00 522.00St. Andrew Mission, Sacramento, CA $ 1,000.00 120.00

St. Constantine Parish, Minneapolis, MN $ 13,980.00 1,770.00St. Demetrius Parish, Belfield, ND $ 3,000.00 4,570.00St. George Parish, Lincoln, NE $ 1,000.00 120.00St. John the Baptist Parish, Belfield, ND $ 2,220.00 3,125.00St. John the Baptist Parish, Detroit, MI $ 7,980.00 1,500.00St. Josaphat Parish, Munster, IN $ 5,640.00 489.00St. Josaphat Parish, Warren, MI $ 44,040.00 5,390.00St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph, MO $ 1,200.00 25.00St. Joseph Parish, Chicago, IL $ 19,920.00 2,890.00St. Mary's Assumption Parish, St. Louis, MO $ 2,340.00 1,025.00St. Michael Mission, Minot, ND $ 1,140.00 730.00St. Michael Parish, Mishawaka, IN $ 3,900.00 1,450.00St. Michael Parish, Tucson, AZ $ 1,500.00 1,981.00St. Michael Parish, Chicago, IL $ 1,000.00 1,285.00St. Michael Parish, Milwaukee, WI $ 6,300.00 675.00St. Michael Parish, Grand Rapids, MI $ 6,000.00 665.00St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Dearborn, MI $ 1,260.00 300.00

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Chicago, IL $ 55,080.00 22,035.00St. Paul Mission, Flagstaff, AZ $ 1,000.00 0.00St. Peter Eastern Catholic Mission, Ukiah, CA $ 1,000.00 20.00St. Sophia Mission, Honolulu, HI $ 1,000.00 50.00St. Sophia Parish, The Colony, TX $ 3,720.00 1,625.00St. Stephen Mission, St. Paul, MN $ 1,000.00 25.00St. Vladimir Parish, Flint, MI $ 1,800.00 2,075.00St. Volodymyr Mission, Santa Clara, CA $ 1,000.00 550.00Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Wilton, ND $ 1,500.00 990.00Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish, Chicago, IL $60,300.00 3,405.00Transfiguration Parish, Denver, CO $ 7,800.00 3,205.00Zarvanycia Mission, Seattle, WA $ 3,300.00 2,425.00Totals $351,610.00 $ 94,727.00

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MOVING?attach old address (at right) and Send new address to us at:

New Star 2245 W Rice St. Chicago IL 60622

name ________________________________________________

ddress ________________________________________________

city ________________________________________________

state _________________________________Zip_____________

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8/3/2019 NEW STAR - - April, 2009

11/20

11NEW STARApril, 2009

Eight bishops representing the Ukrainian Catholic

hierarchy of North America met for two days in

Clearwater, Florida, February 10-11, 2009. His Grace

Metropolitan STEFAN (Soroka), Archbishop of

Philadelphia and Metropolitan for Ukrainian Catholicsin the USA welcomed the participants: "It is good to be

together for the next few days. It will provide us a

chance to pray together, to discuss both our shared chal-

lenges and blessings."

His Grace Stefan headed up the American delegation

consisting of Bishops RICHARD (Seminack) of St.

Nicholas Eparchy of Chicago; PAUL (Chomnycky

OSBM), Stamford; and JOHN (Bura), Auxiliary of

Philedelphia.

His Grace Metropolitan LAWRENCE (Huculak

OSBM), Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan for

Ukrainian Catholics in Canada led the four-member

delegation from Canada: Bishops DAVID (Motiuk)

Edmonton; KEN (Nowakowski) New Westminster; and

BRYAN (Bayda CSsR), Saskatoon.

The bishops received a presentation by Mr. GuyCamarata and Mr. Charles Neubecker who have been

working closely with His Beatitude LUBOMYR (Husar),

and the Patriarchal Curia on the development and over-

all structuring of the Patriarchal Curial offices in

Ukraine. Their presentation to the bishops was on the

"Strategic Studies and Roadmapping--Ukrainian Greek

Catholic Church". The bishops along with Messrs.

Camarata and Neubecker discussed ways of positive

areas of support for the work of the Curia and under-

lined the need to ensure good communications.

The two-day meeting allowed the bishops to evaluate

and further develop the areas of pastoral collaboration

between the American and Canadian Metropolia espe-

cially in the areas of seminary formation.

Immediately following their meeting the Ukrainian

Catholic Hierarchy of North America met with the

Hierarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of North

America for a two-day meeting. This encounter

allowed the bishops of the two Churches an opportuni-

ty to discuss and share areas of pastoral concern for

their faithful of the Ukrainian communities in Canada

and the United States.

This was the fourth such meeting of hierachs of both

Churches in North America in the past eight years.

North American Hierarchs Meet

"I am glad that icon-writing is alive":

His Beatitude LUBOMYR

"I am very glad that icon-writing [painting] is alive; that it is not only an age-old artbut, like human tradition, history is passed from generation to generation. The trans-

ferring of the art of icon-writing, together with faith which gives inspiration to icon-

writers, is a treasure which I hope we also, through modern artists, will transmit to our

successors." So His Beatitude Lubomyr said when presented with an icon of the

Annunciation to the Most Holy Mother of God. His Beatitude cordially expressed his

thanks for the prayerful gift.

The icon was given to the

Patriarch by the Center for Research

in Ukrainian Sacred Culture for

assistance and support in conduct-

ing the symposium "Ukrainian

sacred art of the end of the 20th to

the beginning of the 21st century,"

which took place in Kyiv on

December 25-27, 2008. As part ofthe symposium took place the pres-

entation of the album "Ukrainian

artists of sacred art from the end of

the 20th to the beginning of the 21st

centuries," the introduction to

which was written by the Head of

the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-

Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch

Filaret, and His Beatitude Lubomyr.

Information Department

of the UGCC

New StarHas a New LookPage one ofNew Starhas been redesigned. There is a new front page--as a

result of new regulations of the United States Postal Service.

Beginning March 29, mailed publications are to comply with specific rules as

to where and how the addressee's name must appear. The stated goal is to stan-

dardize the position in which your name is placed on mailed pieces.

The rationale is that if all periodicals have the address in the same position,

postal delivery service will be speeded up. It is meant to be a time-saving meas-

ure if, in every step along the way from deposit to delivery, mail does not have

to be flipped over or around by various sorters to find an address that could be

anywhere--top, bottom, side, front or back of a magazine or newspaper. Making

everyone's job easier is the target. Your letter carrier should get the copy quick-

er, and deliver it sooner.

Along with the new design, our readers are introduced to a motto ofNew Star.In twelve words, it is a "mission statement." Our desire is to bring to all sub-

scribers the truths, traditions and tenets of our ancient, apostolic faith. It is the

"faith of our Fathers" given to us from the life of Jesus Christ, passed on to us

by the Apostles, through interpretation of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.

The ages have given us other luminaries, Volodymyr and Olha, continuing

until the present time, including among others Metropolitan ANDREW

Sheptytsky, Bishop SOTER (Ortinsky), Patriarch JOSYF (Slipyj) and our current

Spiritual Father, His Beatitude LUBOMYR(Husar).

We often turn to these, and other resources to be enlightened in the present

practice of our faith.

But it does not stop there.

This is why there is an eparchial newspaper.New Starhas an obligation to the

spiritual children of our eparchial Father, Bishop RICHARD (Seminack) along

with the other hierarchs of the Church--especially in the country where we live.

Our motto acknowledges that members of our Church deserve a solid pres-

entation of the unique and special issues that confront each American Twenty-

first Century person striving for salvation.New Staris for no specific age group

or generation, but for everyone. Our readers may range from elementary school

students to centenarians--all "children" of God and His Holy Church. The faith,

and the newspaper that presents it, are for the enrichment of the lives of all of

them.

The change of format was necessitated by a postal regulation, but it prompt-

ed rethinking our purpose. The change was made for practical reasons--but

became more than a superficial compliance. It gave us a chance to find a ration-

ale in it--so that it would not be "change for 'change' sake" but a time to stop

and take advantage of an opportunity for growth, and refocus our intent: deliv-

ering New Star to you in the first place--thereby "Bringing the Faith of our

Fathers to the Lives of our Children".

Catholic and Orthodox bishops met in

separate and joint meetings at the En-

counter in Florida. Taking part in the

meeting from the Churches in the United

States and Canada were:MetropolitansCONSTANTIN, Ukrainian Orthodox

Church--USA; STEFAN, Ukrainian Cath-

olic Church--USA; JOHN, Ukrainian

Orthodox Church--Canada; LAWRENCE,

Ukrainian Catholic Church--Canada;

Archbishops ANTONII, Ukrainian Orth-

odox Church USA; YURII, Ukrainian

Orthodox Church--Canada; Bishops

DAVID, Ukrainian Catholic Church--

Canada; PAUL , Ukrainian Catholic

Church--USA; RICHARD, Ukrainian Catholic Church--USA; JOHN, Ukrainian Catholic Church--USA; KEN,

Ukrainian Catholic Church--Canada; ANDRII, Ukrainian Orthodox Church--Canada; DANIEL, Ukrainian

Orthodox Church--USA; BRYAN, Ukrainian Catholic Church--Canada. A guest participating in the Encounter

was Archbishop JEREMIAH, Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Brazil and Latin America. Unable to attend this

year's meeting were: Bishops ROBERT, Ukrainian Catholic Church--USA; STEPHEN, Ukrainian Catholic Church

--Canada, andILARION, Ukrainian Orthodox Church--Canada.

For the fourth time in the last eight years the hierar-

chs of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox

Churches in North America have met in a brotherly

"Encounter" to discuss the relationship between the two

Churches and the common concerns they share in shep-

herding the faithful entrusted to their spiritual care. The

meeting took place in Clearwater, Florida on March 12-

13, following separate meetings of the two groups of

hierarchs just preceding the Encounter.

Of primary concern to the hierarchs was the present

state of ecclesiastical life in Ukraine in all jurisdictions

and the fate of the Churches under the present unfortu-

nate political divisions within the Ukrainian govern-

ment and in Ukrainian society as a whole. In the minds

of all the hierarchs, Christian witness in Ukraine is not

only endangered by the disarray in government and

societal life, but damage is actually being done to the

efforts toward ecclesiastical unity and Christian service

to those in Ukrainian society who are most in need.

The consensus of the Encounter participants, having

heard from the Orthodox hierarchs about the recent visit

of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to Kyiv, was

that it was a positive event, which can result in conse-

quences beneficial to all Christianity in Ukraine. The

Catholic hierarchs shared their experiences in relation-

ship to their brother hierarchs in Ukraine, in particular

"Encounter" of Ukrainian Hierarchs in North America

continued page 17

8/3/2019 NEW STAR - - April, 2009

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12 NEW STAR April, 2009

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNIFICATION

PROCESSES AND CHRISTIAN VALUES HELD ATUKRAINIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: LVIV- OnFebruary 27-28, 2009, at the Ukrainian Catholic

University an international conference "Europe:

Unification Processes and Christian Values" opened. The

event was organized by the Philosophy Department of the

university. The purpose of the conference, according to the

organizers, is to discuss the challenges faced by Europe

today, the Christian values of Europe in the context of the

unification processes and the place of Ukraine in the

processes and its search for "its own formula of subjective

presence in the European consciousness."

MEMORABLE ANNIVERSARIES FOR THE GREEK-

CATHOLICS OF TRANSCARPATHIA: Twenty years agothis spring the Greek Catholic eparchy of Mukachevo

came out from the underground. Sixty years ago, on

February 16, 1949, workers of the NCIA (National

Committee of Internal Affairs) violently took away the

Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross

and episcopal residence in the town of Uzhhorod, forbid-

ding the activity of the Greek Catholic Church in

Transcarpathia.

Apostolic Administrator of the Mukachevo Greek

Catholic Eparchy Bishop MILAN (Sasik) talked about these

events during a recent press conference on the occasion of

the presentation of a book of Father Stefan Bendas, Five

Years behind Barbed Wire: The diary of a priest written in

the Gulag. The book was presented by the son of the

author, Father Daniyil Bendas. Bishop Milan blessed a

new stained glass window installed on the premises of the

episcopal residence with the image of the Protection of the

Most Holy Mother of God, the protector of the Mukachevo

Eparchy.After the Hierarchical Liturgy in the cathedral a prayer-

ful procession with candles to a monument to persecuted

Greek Catholic clergy and a memorial service took place.

Translated by the Information Department of the UGCC

POPE ANNOUNCED APPOINTMENTS: As members ofthe Congregation for the Oriental Churches: His Beatitude

Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins;

Metropolitan Archbishop JAN (Babjak S.J). of Presov for

Catholic Byzantines, Slovakia; Metropolitan Archbishop

BERHANEYESUS DEMEREW (Souraphiel C.M.) of Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia; and Metropolitan Archbishop BASIL

(Schott, O.F.M.) of Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

Upon the resignation from the pastoral care of the dio-

cese of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia, Ukraine, Bishop Stanislaw

Padewski O.F.M. Cap., having reached the age limit is

succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Marian Buczek.

PRESENTATION OF TWO BOOKS OF ARCHBISHOP

MYROSLAV (MARUSYN) IN LVIV: On February 23,2009, at the Lviv Institute of Ethnology of the National

Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the presentation of two

new books of the emeritus Secretary of the Congregation

for the Oriental Churches of the Vatican, Archbishop

MYROSLAV (Marusyn), took place. One book is devoted to

the figure of Greek Catholic Archbishop IVAN (Buchko),

and in the second book, My Life Is Christ, Archbishop

MYROSLAV (Marusyn) shared his reflections on the 60th

anniversary of his priestly ministry.

MESSAGE FROM POPE FORRETURN OF CHURCH

OF ST. NICHOLAS: VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - The

Russian Orthodox church of St. Nicholas in the Italian cityof Bari was returned to the custody of the Patriarchate of

Moscow during a ceremony held in Bari March 1. During

the celebration, Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, archbishop

emeritus of Palermo, Italy, read out a Message from the

Holy Father.

"The Russian people", says the Pope in his message,

"have never faltered in their love for this great saint who

has always supported them through moments of joy and of

difficulty. Evidence of this is also to be found in this

Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, built at the

beginning of the last century to house pilgrims who, often

on their way to the Holy Land, stopped at Bari, a meeting

point between East and West, to venerate the relics of the

saint.

"And how can we not recognize", the Holy Father adds,

"that this beautiful church reawakens within us a nostalgia

for full unity, and upholds our commitment to work for full

union among all Christ's disciples?"

In his message, Benedict XVI also reiterates his best

wishes to Kirill, recently-elected as Patriarch of Moscow

and All Russia, and calls upon the Holy Spirit to illuminate

his ministry.

The ceremony was originally due to have taken place on

December 6, 2008, Feast of St. Nicholas, but was post-

poned due to the death of Russian Orthodox Patriarch

ALEXIS II..

The Sunday after Pascha, (the Resurrection of ourLord God and Savior, Jesus Christ), provides us with

one of the greatest opportunities we have in the Church

year to teach our faith to the next generation. That

Sunday is Thomas Sunday, the day on which St.

Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles, confirmed that

yes, the Lord is truly risen!

Thomas was not with the other disciples

when Jesus first appeared to them after His

crucifixion, burial and resurrection. So

Thomas was not 100% sure that the disciples

actually had seen a risen Christ! He told his

fellow disciples "Unless I see the mark of the

nails in his hands and put my finger into the

nail marks and put my hand into his side, I

will not believe." St. John tells us that:

Now a week later His disciples were againinside and Thomas was with them. Jesus

came, although the doors were locked, and

stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with

you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your fin-

ger here and see My hands, and bring your

hand and put in into My side and do not be

unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered

and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe

because you have seen Me? Blessed are those

who have not seen and have believed." (John

20: 24-29)

In our Ukrainian Catholic parishes, Thomas

Sunday is a very special day.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy on Thomas

Sunday, the Artos is cut into small pieces and

distributed to the faithful. What is the Artos?

It is a round loaf of bread symbolizing the

bread of eternal life. On Pascha, the Artos is

taken from the altar, placed on the tetrapod

(the table facing the people in the front of the church),

and is blessed at the end of the Divine Liturgy. An icon

of the Resurrection is to be placed on the Artos or near

it. Be sure to bring your family members to the church

on the Sunday after Pascha to show them the Artos and

participate in its cutting, sharing and eating.

Following the distribution of the Artos, parishioners

may gather as a community to participate in a symbol-

ic dinner called the Sviachene (or blessed meal). It iscomprised of the same foods that were blessed for

Pascha--bread, meat, dairy products, hard-cooked eggs,

horseradish and salt. Some parishes add other foods

such as borscht, holubtsi and baked goods.

Accompanying the dinner, live performances are

sometimes held. Those in attendance often enjoy

singing, dancing, recitations, plays, poems and other

musical presentations. Sometimes there are displays of

pysanky (intricately-dyed Easter eggs); sometimes they

are auctioned off as a fund-raiser for the church.

Sometimes there are presentations about the meaning

of these eggs and other Ukrainian artistic expressions.

Again, bring your family members to your parish's

Sviachene. Encourage them to participate in whatever

is being presented, musical or otherwise. Help with thepreparation and serving of the food. Join the clean-up

committee!

Parishioners may also choose to observe an old tradi-

tion on Thomas Sunday: visiting deceased family

members in the cemetery. Don't be afraid to bring your

children and/or grandchildren to the cemetery, with or

without other parishioners. It is important to

teach children to pray for the dead. Visit the

graves of your family members, light a candle at

each grave, pray for them and sing, "Christ Is

Risen!" Some remember pussy willows, flow-

ers and Paschal food were also brought to the

graveyou might consider bringing a pysanka

to your loved ones! Doing this with youngsters

will go a long way towards developing in them

a healthy perspective about the role of death inour lives, unlike what they often learn from the

secular society in which they live.

All of these celebrations are goodbut what

do they ultimately teach us? Hopefully they

help us remember the lesson of the day--that

Christ uses the doubt of Thomas to teach us that

we don't have to physically touch Him to have

faith. We don't believe in Him because of his-

torical evidence, scientific proof, or miracles.

We believe because He has given us the grace to

believe. Ultimately, like Thomas, we choose to

believe. St. John Chrysostom tells us that after

his initial doubts, St. Thomas, with God's grace,

became a fearless, courageous preacher of the

Gospel, dying a martyr's death for the Christian

faith in India. "Blessed are those who have not

seen and yet have believed." That is the lesson

we must pass on to the next generation, espe-

cially those in our domestic church. We believe.

We celebrate our gift of faith. We reaffirm that

faith as we sing the Troparion on Thomas Sunday:

When the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You

dawned as life from the sepulcher, and while the

doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the

Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us

through them, according to your great mercy.

Seeing and Believing

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Our calendar has red numerals for Good Friday--as

if it were a Holy Day. The eparchy's statement says

"no Divine Liturgy that day". How can it be observed

then as a Holy Day?

Great and Holy Friday (or "Good Friday" in Western

terminology) is a most solemn day, in consideration of

the events that happened on it: Christ was crucified. He

died for our sins. Insofar as this is the perfect Sacrifice,

the Church has disallowed Divine Liturgy on this day,

as it is a distinctive day in the ultimate Mystery. Our

salvation has been gained. How can the day be any-

thing but "Holy"? [Not all suppliers of calendars to our

parishes indicate the day in red. ed.]

(There is only one exception to the "no Divine

Liturgy regulation: If the Feast of the Annunciation by

Gabriel to Mary that she would be the Mother of God,

falls on Great and Holy Friday, the Divine Liturgy is

celebrated. Special laws of liturgy are imposed when

this happens.)

Under usual circumstances, Holy Week--Friday,especially--liturgical services include Vespers and

Matins which more than adequately express the teach-

ing of the Church of the importance of the most awe-

some events that unfold for us, as we participate in

ages-old ceremonies. These ARE "Liturgy", however

not the "Eucharistic Liturgy." The pinnacle of our wor-

ship is an imperfect--and bloodless--attempt to dupli-

cate that one, great, life-giving immolation. The sacri-

fice we offer, real as it is, pales in comparison. We have

long under-appreciated the value of services other than

the Divine Liturgy and their role in the understanding

of our Christian faith.

During Matins of the Passion, we have twelve les-

sons of the Gospels read for us, which replay the

betrayal, trial, sentence, suffering, death, burial and

resurrection of Jesus. We follow the moments of the

agony of Jesus, the grief of His followers, the ministry

of his friends, and compassion of Joseph of Arimathea

in providing a burial place--until the Resurrection.

During Vespers, we follow in procession the burial

cloth imprinted with the likeness of the dead Jesus,

approach it on our knees, kiss it in reverence, and sup-

ply an honor guard. As the services unfold we are taken

physically into the turmoil of the awe-filled original

scene.

Thus we learn. We know from repetitive reenact-

ments over the span of our lifetime that the end is not

fearful, dreaded or depressing. We keep the day "holy"

by participating in the Church's official prayer. So

much of our Church's teaching comes to us not through

the Divine Liturgy, but from the regular celebration ofVespers and Matins. We sometimes do not fully appre-

ciate that there is a sequence of liturgical experience,

from which the Divine Liturgy flows. Vespers and

Matins are integral parts of our Church life, each with

its own emphasis of teaching, expressing and celebrat-

ing. Actually, the practice of not celebrating the Divine

Liturgy, and restricting the reception of the Holy

Eucharist on Great and Holy Friday emphasizes the

importance (and holiness) of the day, as its events take

place before us in a most dramatic way.

Another way the day is kept "holy" is our refrain

from merely menial tasks--as we busy ourselves

preparing for the "glorious news of the Resurrection"

(cf. Tropar--tone 4). We ready our selves, our homes

and those special foods that remind us of the abundance

of the goodness of God. We await with anticipation the

almost undeserved great grace that has been earned for

us.

Great Friday is a Holy Day leading up to the holiest

of Holy Days--the Great Day of Pascha--the

Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Interestingly,

the moment of the Resurrection is not recorded in

Scripture. Traditionally iconography does not even

depict it--only the effects and observations. It is not

unreasonable to treat the Resurrection in a way not

specifically described in Scripture. Retaining the

integrity of Scriptural accounts, art is directed toward

proclaiming what is revealed. No one "saw" the

Resurrection; however, we all feel the consequences.

The first observation is the discovery of the empty

tomb by the Myrrh-bearing women. The effect of theResurrection is the rescue of the just from their tombs

--shown in icons titled "The Harrowing of Hell." Later

events also show the Risen Christ--having a conversa-

tion on the road to Emmaus, and appearing to Thomas.

The way to observe the "Holy Day" of Great and

Holy Friday is to participate in as many of the liturgi-

cal services as possible--at least one of them.

In a page one picture a few issues back, Fr Myron

Mykyta is shown opening the Royal Doors. It looks

as if on the pillars something is hanging. Is that the

Ten Commandments, similar to the Jewish custom

of having them posted near the door? I'd heard we

do a lot of things taken from Jewish Tradition.

That to which you refer is a Mezuzuah. It holds some

of the most sacred words in Judaism. (Not, as far as I

know, the Ten Commandments, but a prayer). Jews

have been instructed to place this object on their door

posts. Thus, the Mezuzuah on the door post is a sign of

faith and devotion, and membership in the Jewish com-

munity. The presence of the prayer is a reminder that

the residence is a holy place--where members of God's

Chosen People live. There are other fine points, the

details of which are incidental to your question.

The similarity seems outwardly there, but the items

you noticed on the pillars of the iconostas are actually

small icons of Christ the Teacher and Mary, Mother ofGod. They are attached in close proximity to the large

icons on the icon screen.

There are specific prayers the priest recites: "Prayers

before the Iconostas" in preparation for celebrating the

Divine Liturgy--before getting vested, before begin-

ning the rite of preparation (Proskomedia) of the gifts

of bread and wine. The rubrics call for the priest to kiss

the icon of Christ and the icon of Mary before entering

the Holy Place. Since most iconostases have large-for-

mat icons, sometimes with a candle stand or hanging

lamp in front of them, it is often physically impractical

for the priest to easily kiss the icons--because of their

size or positioning. Some resort to kissing their fingers

and touching them to the icon. However, in many

instances, as in the photo, to facilitate the rubric, small

icons are placed at a height easily accessible. They arecalled "kissing icons." It is these the priest venerates

rather than the larger one on the iconostas itself. To my

knowledge, they have no real other significance.

Why?/Why: By Fr Denny Molitvy

Questions forWhy?/Why: by Fr Denny Molitvy may be sent toFr. Denny Molitvy; 2245 W Rice St; Chicago, IL 60622-4858

You may also send e-mail to: [email protected] .

Identify yourself by name and parish (which will not be publshed).

Individual replies are notpossible.

Certainly you recognize these words from the last

stanza of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". These

words come to me in this season when our churches, be

they humble or glorious, are festooned with lilies. I

need to make a confession here: I have very mixed feel-

ings regarding the practice of decorating our churches

with flowers.

On the one hand, I realize that we have largely

excluded "irrational" nature from our Churches--espe-

cially in the United States. Stained glass windows filter

and disguise the little bit of sunlight which they let

through. As for letting us see the trees and plants and

birds and animals and environment which clamor and

run riot around the fortress-like church building which

we have built--forget it! (Just let a mouse run across thesanctuary, or a bat dive bomb the congregation, and

you will see how great is our love for God's wild crea-

tures!) When we bring in plants, is this not at least a

nod to the fact that we are not the only creatures which

God has created, and which He blesses and loves

because they are good in themselves?

On the other hand, the abundance of flowers some-

times attacks my senses and makes me think that I am

attending a wake in a funeral home. (This impression is

sometimes enhanced when the joyous song of victory

"Christ is Risen!" is sung in such a way that it more

closely resembles a lugubrious dirge.) Of course, we

can't get to the joy of Easter without experiencing the

sorrow of Good Friday; nonetheless, our spirituality

urges us not to linger morosely at the tomb, but rather

it encourages us to let ourselves be raised to life by the

Conqueror of Death--as is depicted by the raising of

Adam and Eve in the Resurrection icon.

Returning to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for a

moment, we find that this preoccupation with death is

evident even there: "as He died to make men holy, let

us die to make men free". With no disrespect intendedto those who have given their lives for our freedom, I

need to ask if, while we are still alive, we should not

live to make people free. Life is contagious: people can

only catch it from us if we are "infectiously" alive. Did

Jesus not say that He had come so that we might have

life? His passing from death to life is intended for all of

us as well--and not just after our physical death.

I have yet one more question concerning the decora-

tion of our churches with flowers: are our churches not

ornate enough? Do they really need to be further deco-

rated with flowers? It seems to me that one of the dan-

gers in our Church is empty formalism: a preoccupa-

tion with externals to the detriment of substance; in

other words, we worry more about what things look

like than about whether they are good or helpful. I won-

der if the invasion of flowers is not a symptom of this.

Once again I bring to mind that last stanza of the

"Battle Hymn of the Republic". Referring to Christ, we

sing, "There's a glory in His bosom that transfigures

you and me." It seems that this gets to the heart of

Easter: it's all about our transfiguration into living icons

of the Risen Christ where people can experience in ourflesh the glory destined for the entire human family. A

cosmetic touch-up won't do the job, only a deep-down

conversion will do. Let us pray that our Lent will have

worked this transformation in us. This is certainly the

beauty which Christ desires for His Church this Easter!

-Fr. Jim Karepin, op

In the beauty of the lilies

The bread which you do not use is the bread ofthe hungry;the garment hanging in your wardrobe

is the garment of him who is naked.

The shoes that you do not wear

are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;

the money that you keep locked away

is the money of the poor.

The acts of charity that you do not perform

are so many injustices that you commit.

St Basil the Great

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AUSTRIA - On March 4-6, 2009, an international conference was held on the mis-

sion of the Eastern Catholic Churches with regards to the Universal Church in

Gaming, Austria. Its 150 participants included 17 bishops (15 Greek Catholic),

numerous priests, leading scholars, students, and laymen from more than 20 coun-

tries. According to the official site of the International Theological Institute, the con-ference was organized by the International Theological Institute in Gaming, the

Institute of the History of Eastern Christianity, the Catholic Theology Department at

Vienna University, and the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv.

The program of the conference included joint prayer, live discussion, and analysis

of the history and modern life of Greek Catholic Churches. Greek Catholic hierar-

chs persecuted during the Communist era for their beliefs participated in the discus-

sions.

The participants of the conference stated that the confessional division between

"Orthodox" and "Catholic" is obsolete, pointing to the issue of unification in a divid-

ed Christian world as more pressing.

The urgent mission of Greek Catholics is to unify patristic, liturgical, canonical,

cultural and mystical elements of the tradition of the Christian East with the living

testimony for Catholicism and universality put forth by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.In this respect, Eastern Catholics have a lot to offer to their Latin brethren, said par-

ticipants.

Conference participants concluded that the time has come to stop treating Greek

Catholics as an obstacle hindering ecumenical dialogue, a common view over the

past few decades. They stressed that God's will for the Greek Catholic Church is to

be revived and strengthened.

The entire Comminique is presented below:

International Conference Defines Mission of Greek Catholics in 21st Century

The International Theological Institute (Internationales

Theologisches Institut) in Gaming, Austria, in cooperation

with the Institut fr Theologie and Geschichte des

Christlichen Ostens, Katholisch-Theologische Fakultat

der Universitat Wien. and the Ukrainian Catholic

University (Lviv), hosted an international symposium on

the mission of the Greek Catholic Churches in Central and

Eastern Europe. Among the 150 participants were 17 bish-

ops (15 Greek Catholic),

numerous priests, leading

scholars, students, andlaypersons from over 20

countries. The conference

program was based on

common prayer and

reflection animated by

critical analysis of the his-

tory and contemporary

life of the Greek Catholic

Churches.

German, English, and

Italian were the official

languages of the confer-

ence, but some ten lan-

guages were used in the

liturgical celebrations, presentations, and dialogue. The

discussions were enriched by the interventions of the hier-

archs representing the courageous ecclesial experience of

Christians who withstood persecution to preserve their

mission and Greek Catholic identity in Communist times.

The symposium presentations and discussions focused

on the contribution that the Eastern Catholic Churches of

Central and Eastern Europe are called to make to the

broader Christian community and the world at large. The

speakers combined historical and theological (ecclesio-

logical) methodologies and analyzed cultural, ethnic, and

national factors in the past experience and future mission

of Greek Catholics.

Despite the tragic twentieth-century history of totalitar-

ian repression and centuries of discriminated status of

their Churches (praestant ia ritus latini), the Greek

Catholic hierarchs, clergy, and scholars from Austria,

Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Russia,

Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States, reaffirmed thattheir Eastern identity and Catholic communion constitute

a rich spiritual treasure--the very substance of a unique

religious experience.

In a world in which black and white binary oppositions

of a categorical "either/or" nature no longer are sufficient

to explain or embrace the complexities of human experi-

ence, the conference constituted that the confessional and

denominational division between "Orthodox" and

"Catholic" have been ossified by an "either/or" approach.

The Greek Catholic Churches refuse to be categorized in

a manner that either lessens their Eastern identity or

negates their Catholic communion. The participants

renewed their commitment to the arduous task of living in

the middle of a divided Christian world, hoping and work-

ing for its unity.

The urgent and life-giving vocation of the Greek

Catholics is to integrate and synthesize the patristic, litur-

gical, canonical, cultural, and mystical tradition of the

Christian East with a living witness to the catholicity and

universality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this regard,

Eastern Catholics have much to offer to their Latin broth-

ers and sisters. Roman Catholic participants of the confer-

ence, especially its convener, Christoph Cardinal

Schiinbom, reiterated the hope of Western Christians that

Greek Catholics, as well as Orthodox, can help people in

the West better experience liturgical beauty and holiness,

offsetting a "flattened" sense of the sacred in a increas-

ingly secularized post-Enlightenment world.

In recent decades, in ecumenical dialogue, the Eastern

Catholics have often been deemed to be a "problem". The

conference affirmed that an objectification and patroniz-

ing critique of the Greek Catholics as an ecumenical

obstacle has reached a dead end. The miraculous revival

and evident vigor of Central and Eastern European Greek

Catholics cannot be explained in terms other than those of

God's will and bounty. It also suggests that discussions of

unity without the Greek Catholics, stigmatized as the

"uniates", will generate no new answers to the questions

of East-West religious reconciliation.

In a letter addressing the symposium, [Patriarch]LUBOMYR (Husar) quoted statements of Pope Benedict

XVI, which stressed that Greek Catholic Churches are

called to be faithful to the Eastern tradition, to witness to

it in the Catholic communion, thus being an example to

Orthodox Christians of what living communion with the

Catholic Church means. This communion has led to a

multifaceted mutual enrichment of the Eastern and

Western traditions. With humility and commitment, Greek

Catholics recognize that through historical circumstance,

cultural and social pressure, or lack of internal resolve,

their Churches had in some cases allowed Western prac-

tices and mindsets to obscure or to displace ancient rites

and spiritual traditions. Today, with the encouragement of

the highest authorities in the Catholic Church, the recov-

ery of authentic Eastern Christian identity is being active-

ly fostered.

At the same time, the authenticity of Greek Catholic

religious experience and practice is manifested by the new

martyrs of the twentieth century. Greek Catholic bishops,

clergy, monastics, and laity overcame the greatest moral

challenges of the twentieth century: the suppression of

God-given freedom and

human dignity by ideologi-

cal totalitarianisms. GreekCatholics have resisted

compromise with oppres-

sive regimes and emerged

from persecuted clandestine

experiences with moral

authority and a demonstrat-

ed capacity to overcome

untold hardships. It is the

spiritual disciplines of the

martyr Churches grounded

in an unshakable faith in

God's providence that can

provide the counter-cultural

courage and methods of

Christian life in a secularized post-Christian Europe fac-

ing the challenges of a globalizing consumerism, crass

materialism, the negation of the gift of human life and the

sacredness of the human person, and disintegration of the

family.

The Greek Catholic bishops presented the pastoral con-

cerns and priorities of their individual Churches. These

presentations illustrated the specificities of each ecclesial

experience while demonstrating that the Greek Catholic

Churches of Central and Eastern Europe have many com-

mon challenges and seek to foster their common reflec-

tion and cooperation addressing as responsible the con-

stituents of the Universal Church in the modem world.

Among the concrete proposals that received general

support of the symposium participants were: 1.) to peti-

tion Pope Benedict to devote one of the upcoming Papal

Synods to the topic of Eastern Catholic Churches; 2.) to

continue annually the practice of conferences such as the

one held at the International Theological Institute. Theconference participants heartily commended Cardinal

Schonborn and the ITI for the theoretical and practical

commitment to family issues, including a genuine hospi-

tality to Greek Catholic students with families and to mar-

ried priests. In this regard, the family and the institution of

the married priesthood in the Greek Catholic Church were

considered as a possible topic for a future conference.

The participants reached a consensus that the Greek

Catholics should not rest on the spiritual laurels of their

martyrs. Rather, it is time for all Greek Catholics to roll up

their sleeves and apply themselves with the faith of their

fathers and mothers to the challenges of Christian witness

and unity in the twenty-first century.

Conference CommuniqueThe Mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the Life of the Universal Church and for the Modern World

International Theological Institute, Gaming, Austria--March 4-6, 2009

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What have we just done?

We've joined in a procession to bury the

dead Jesus.

We've accompanied his mother, friends

and the benefactor that provided a burialplace.

We step back now and gaze on the

scene.

We see the grave. We see the mourners

--among them, us.

For centuries the Church has guided us

through this event with hymns and

prayers and scripture readings to help us

know what has just happened. These help

us digest the soulful food of Divine

Wisdom, and grace us with understand-

ing.

We've spent time--six weeks--and

more--in introspection. We've looked into

our souls and have seen its scars caused

by sin, not only on Jesus' physical Body,

but on His Mystical Body--us, the people ,

the Church. We have feasted at the ban-

quet table on a Gift, sacrificed, sanctified

earlier on, when a respite in the season's restrictions

allowed us precious access to the healing and saving

Body and Blood of Christ. A certain emptiness was

felt as the Liturgy was not able to be celebrated--but

an accommodation was made for us to still be filled

and fed with the Everlasting, Divine, Holy Myster-

ies.

Just in the past few days have we focused on the

events that followed the jubilant Entry of Jesus into

Jerusalem. Oh how proudly--and boldly--did we

wave our pussy willow branches! Nothing was to

deter us from acclaiming the Miracle-worker--theLazarus-raising Jesus. The throng was ecstatic. So

were we.

Oh, how quickly did the mood change! Tables were

turned. We were reminded in lengthy services of the

fateful events that surrounded the Passover meal. We

were present to see the service toward others unfold

as Jesus washed the feet of His Disciples. Then fol-

lowed the treachery, the denials, the rejection--a

relapse. We heard the betrayal, the trial, conviction

and execution.

And now we stand at the tomb--having recalled the

"good deed" of Joseph of Arimathea. So

we don't forget what he did, the words of

the tropar are etched along the edges of

theplashchanytsya.

"The noble Joseph..." begins the hymnthat describes the focus of our attention

right now. We learn he took Jesus' Body

from the cross; "wrapped It in a pure

linen, anointed It with spices, and placed

It in a new tomb."

There's no mention of the scourging;

not a word about the crowning with

thorns. The prayer is silent about the

agony suffered by Jesus.

This is not an oversight. It is a chance

for us to reflect. We see Joseph attending

to the Body of Christ. It is a reminder for

us to do the same thing: Tend to the

Body of Christ. That's our mission!

Don't forget the Church is the Body of

Christ. The Church is its members--its

people--you, me, her, him, and them

over there. Those we see, and those we do not see.

Each is in need of our attention. Each has a need to

be ful filled: to be fed; to be comforted; to be given a

thirst-quenching drink; to have shelter. Adequate

clothing and attention to the sick and imprisoned are

there, too.

The Body of Christ needs us to take care of It. The

Church needs us to make it alive, to bring it to the

perfection so inherent in i t. This was the message of

Lent! Remember how the Holy Season started out?

With the mention of the Last Judgment and the sepa-

ration of the sheep from the goats we embarked on

this journey, hoping to find the way to be among the

elect.

And what about the Body we see in the Tomb?

Jesus is not dead, listless. The Vesper sticheri tell

us that He is busy elsewhere,

conquering death. The hereto-

fore powerful grasp of death

and Hell is found to be terror-

stricken--its bonds shattered;

its gates destroyed and graves

opened.

A new Sabbath and a new

Passover are declared.

Renewed humanity--no, all creation--has a differ-

ent reality. When we see the icon of the "Harrowing

of Hell" often used to represent Christ's Resurrection,

we see Him astride shattered gates: shackles and

locks falling into the dark abyss; either hand grasping

Adam, Eve and all humankind. Paradise, once closed,

is now opened.

No, the Body of Chris t, looking lifeless in repose is

anything but. It is somehow mysteriously redefining

our existence. Christ is busy preparing for the third-

day resurrection.

This plashchanytsya will soon rest on the Holy

Table--the Altar of the church. It is a reminder that

the services celebrated there have this phenomenal

presence underlying them. And when it is removed,

in its stead is a smaller replica--the antimension, with

the same figures. Jesus' Body is there. Upon that rep-

resentation of Jesus' Body we will transform bread

and wine into His Body and

Blood--the basis for our faith.

This icon is, with its emphasis

on Joseph's service to the Body

of Christ, essential to bringChrist to the world. Our service

to one another is so closely asso-

ciated with this profound embod-

iment of Christ's reality, that we

would be remiss in our response

to receiving the Body of Christ

in communion to forget, ignore

or minimize our need to share

our strengthened selves with the

poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the

naked. The sick, the imprisoned

and the searching unaware of

Christ need our care. That is the

basis of our practice of our faith.

We eat the Body to be

strengthened by it. We serve the

Body of Christ--the Church--by

catering to its needs. We place

ourselves in the plashchanytsya

by ministry to the Body of Christ, imitating the care

of the Arimathean, and those who went to anoint the

Body--to take care of it--only to find It not there! In

this we discover why we were baptized. This is why

we were made other "Christs" with Chrismation--our

senses anointed in order that we may serve Him by

what we see, hear, say and

do. This is why we receive

the Body and Blood of

Christ; taste and see how

good He is--the chalice of

salvation, the fount ofimmortality. How that

Food refreshes us!

We know now the lesson of Lent--"re-form your

lives"--in order to truly reflect the life Christ enables

us to lead. Christ did not resurrect for Himself--but

for all others. We, too, live not for ourselves, but for

all others joined with us as members of the Body.

Here the doctrine of the cross finds its meaning.

See the beauty of this burial sheet--not in its art-

work, but in its deep, deep message.

Fr John Lucas

(St Michael's Church, Chicago, Illinois,

Sermon for Great and Holy Friday, 2007)

At the Tomb

The Body of Christ needs

us to take care of It.

The Church needs us to make it alive,

to bring it to the perfectionso inherent in it.

Fr John Lucas is

Managing Editor of

New Star.

He also serves the

spiritual needs of the

parishioners of

St Michaels Church

in the

far-south side

West Pullman

neighborhood of

Chicago.

The noble Joseph took down

Your Most Pure Body from

the Cross, wrapped It in pure

linen, anointed It with spices,

and laid It in a new tomb.~~Vesper verse

Priests of St Nicholas Eparchy have beeninvited to contribute to Speaking of Faith

as a regular feature ofNew Star.

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A quiet sunny afternoon was interrupted with the sounds of screeching tires, and

metal against metal and plumes of steam gushing into the air.

A driver-in-training was unable to react to an in-car mishap after turning from

Rice Street, and jumped the curb--taking out a "no parking" sign on the way across

the sidewalk. The car continued, narrowly missing a large tree, up the first two

tiers of stairs leading to St Nicholas Cathedral. Along the way the car struck each

of the four handrails--ripping them from the concrete steps, which were deeply

gouged, and came to rest against the stair wall.

Fortunately the mother and son involved were not injured--despite significant

damage to the vehicle and the twisted and contorted mass of metal and the chipped

and fluid-stained cement that was left behind.

Just last year, the entire front of the cathedral entry was reconstructed--at a cost

of over $200,000, much of which now needs to be replaced according to Very

Reverend Bohdan Nalysnyk, Rector of the Cathedral.


People in

the

Detroit

area are

reminded in the bul-letin ofSt Josaphat

Parish in Warren,

Michigan, of the

Ukrainian Catholic

Religious Radio

Program--Saturday

at 12 oclock Noon.

AM 690.

Added to the list of states

within our eparchy from which

responses to our survey were

received was North Dakota; and from readers

not within our eparchial borders: Ohio.

Thank you!

Parishioners of all ages, and

friends were invited to a sleigh

ride at St Demetrius grounds in

Belfield, North Dakota. After the horse-drawn

sleigh ride (actually a four-wheeled cart)

refreshments were served--hot chocolate and

pizza. Perfect on a chilly day.

Information for Bulletin Board is taken

from parish weekly bulletins. Send your

church bulletin or short items toNew Star;

2245 W Rice St; Chicago, IL 60622-4858

Parish Goal As of 3-25-09

Assumption of the BVM Parish - Omaha, NE $ 3,240.00 $ 1,100.00Dormition of the Mother of God - Phoenix, AZ $ 12,000.00 $ 315.00Holy Apostles Mission - Berryton, KS $ 1,000.00 $ 200.00

Holy Ascension Mission - Plymouth, MI $ 1,000.00 $ 20.00Holy Wisdom Mission - Citrus Heights, CA $ 1,200.00 $ 1,605.00Immaculate Conception Parish - Hamtramck, MI$ 13,860.00 $ 4,010.00Immaculate Conception Parish - Palatine, IL $ 6,840.00 $ 3,335.00Immaculate Conception - San Francisco, CA $ 2,400.00 $ 800.00Nativity of the BVM Parish - Los Angeles, CA $ 10,650.00 $ 3,775.00Nativity of the BVM Parish - Palos Park, IL $ 7,860.00 $ 1,860.00Nativity of the Mother of God - Springfield, OR $ 3,600.00 $ 1,695.00Our Lady of Perpetual Help - La Mesa, CA $ 7,680.00 $ 475.00Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Dearborn Hgts, MI$ 8,400.00 $ 1,600.00Protection of the Mother of God - Houston, TX $ 9,960.00 $ 522.00St. Andrew Mission - Sacramento, CA $ 1,000.00 $ 120.00St. Constantine Parish - Minneapolis, MN $ 13,980.00 $ 1,770.00St. Demetrius Parish - Belfield, ND $ 3,000.00 $ 4,570.00St. George Parish- Lincoln, NE $ 1,000.00 $ 120.00St. John the Baptist Parish - Belfield, ND $ 2,220.00 $ 3,125.00

St. John the Baptist Parish - Detroit, MI $ 7,980.00 $ 1,550.00St. Josaphat Parish - Munster, IN $ 5,640.00 $ 489.00St. Josaphat Parish - Warren, MI $ 44,040.00 $ 5,390.00St. Joseph Parish - St. Joseph, MO $ 1,200.00 $ 25.00St. Joseph Parish - Chicago, IL $ 19,920.00 $ 2,890.00St. Mary's Assumption Parish - St. Louis, MO $ 2,340.00 $ 1025.00St. Michael Mission - Minot, ND $ 1,140.00 $ 730.00St. Michael Parish - Mishawaka, IN $ 3,900.00 $ 1,450.00St. Michael Parish - Tucson, AZ $ 1,500.00 $ 1,981.00St. Michael Parish - Chicago, IL $ 1,000.00 $ 1,285.00St. Michael Parish - Milwaukee, WI $ 6,300.00 $ 675.00St. Michael Parish - Grand Rapids, MI $ 6,000.00 $ 665.00St. Michael the Archangel Parish-Dearborn, MI $ 1,260.00 $ 300.00St. Nicholas Cathedral - Chicago, IL $ 55,080.00 $ 22,035.00St. Paul Mission - Flagstaff, AZ $ 1,000.00 $ 0.00St. Peter Mission - Ukiah, CA $ 1,000.00 $ 20.00St. Sophia Mission - Honolulu, HI $ 1,000.00 $ 50.00

St. Sophia Parish - The Colony, TX $ 3,720.00 $ 1,625.00St. Stephen Mission - St. Paul, MN $ 1,000.00 $ 25.00St. Vladimir Parish - Flint, MI $ 1,800.00 $ 2,075.00St. Volodymyr Mission - Santa Clara, CA $ 1,000.00 $ 550.00Sts. Peter and Paul Parish - Wilton, ND $ 1,500.00 $ 990.00Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish - Chicago, IL $ 60,300.00 $ 3,055.00Transfiguration Parish - Denver, CO $ 7,800.00 $ 3,205.00Zarvanycia Mission - Seattle, WA $ 3,300.00 $ 2,425.00Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy $ 8,950.00

Totals $351,610.00 $ 94,727.00

Thank you for your generous response

to Share 2008--Ukrainian Catholic Appeal

Open Wide Your Hearts!

Interim Report: Share 2008

Ukrainain Catholic Appeal

Collision at the Cathedral

Two views of the car that drove up seven of the stairs of St Nicholas Cathedal, and the damage done to the handrails as well as to the concrete steps. Photos: Petro Rudka

information about the progress of construction and pro-

gram development at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic

Sobor in Kyiv. The hierarchs are of one mind in thebelief that the Church mst reclaim its place as the moral

conscience of the Ukrainian nation--a role denied to the

hierarchs--or abandoned by some--during the long,

communist subjugation. The Encounter participants

agreed to explore ways in which both the Churches of

Constantinople and Rome can be encouraged to pro-

mote the stabilization and independence of ecclesiasti-

cal life in Ukraine, particularly in light of possible chal-

lenges to that independence that may result from politi-

cal changes in the government and in the church of

neighboring Russia.

Lengthy discussion was devoted to thorough exami-

nation of Church life in both the Orthodox and Catholic

Churches in North America. The hierarchs were greatly

concerned about declining membership in so many

parishes and the conditions, which seem to exacerbatethis critical problem. The hierarchs will continue to dis-

cuss on a regular basis in upcoming meetings, new pos-

sibilities for jointly conducting youth ministry, pro-

grams related to clergy education and welfare, and adult

education. They hope to share a common outreach to

their faithful in confronting effects of secularization of

society on the life of both Churches and threats to

Christian life, which abound in the moral, ethical and

social issues facing those societies and, indeed, the

Ukrainian community in Canada and the United States.

The hierarchs concluded that there is an enormous need

to devote much more prayer and time contemplating and

focusing upon the manner in which the Church gives

witness in an ever-changing society.

Encounter participants repeatedly stressed that there

is much more that unites, rather than divides us in ful-filling our responsibilities before God. They are con-

vinced that the Holy Spirit is at work in their gatherings

and that there is a need to closely examine paths to a

deeper ecclesiastical relationship between them, benefit-

ting all the faithful entrusted to their care. They envision

their meetings evolving into a permanent Eastern

Christian Dialogue, to enable an examination and pro-

vide a focus for more general and long-established

Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue.

The time spent during this Encounter was deeply val-

ued by all the hierarchs, who departed with a new sense

of purpose and relationship in the Name of the Lord.

A recurring notice in the bulletin ofSt

Nicholas Cathedral serves as a

reminder to tune into the parishs radio

program AM 1490 --Saturday, 3:00-

4:00 PM. Along with this was a request to

contact Nazar Sloboda, co-ordinator, with

offers of any help or assistance in producing

the program.

continued from page 11

8/3/2019 NEW STAR - - April, 2009

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BUCHAREST, Romania, (Zenit.org) -

Sixty years after it happened in

Communist times, the Catholic Church

in Romania is again afraid that the state

will expropriate their property if a con-

troversial bill is approved.

Bishop VIRGIL (Bercea) of the Byz-

antine Eparchy of Oradea Mare

explained, "If this bill is approved, what

happened in 1948 will be repeated,

when Stalin denied the Church in

Romania united with Rome, Greek

[Byzantine] Catholic, the right to exist,

taking goods and imprisoning their bish-

ops."

The prelate, who

is also responsiblefor the laity com-

mission of the

Catholic bishops'

conference of Ro-

mania, told ZENIT

of his concern

about the bill. He

explained that this

bill about the legal

regulations of real

estate belonging to

the Orthodox and

Byzantine faiths in

Romania was dis-

cussed from Jan-

uary 27-29 in thejuridical committee

of the Romanian

Chamber of Dep-

uties.

The bill provides, among other things,

that "in rural areas, where there are

parish communities of both confessions,

and monasteries, [] the sacred goods-

-places of worship, parish houses, ceme-

tery and land belonging to them--will be

owned by the majority religion."

"Inevitably," Bishop Bercea pointed

out, "this rule will harm us, as the Greek

Catholic Church has always been a

minority, but extremely vital in the life

of the country."

Archbishop LUCIAN (Muresan), the

major archbishop of the Romanian

Catholic Church, sent a letter to the

president and the prime minister of

Romania to express "dismay" and to

request the withdrawal of a bill that

would "cause moral and material dam-

age to our Church and violate the con-

stitutional rights of the Greek Catholic

faithful."

The letter reads: "The Romanian state,

the successor to the Communist state of

1948, has the moral obligation to restore

to the Church everything that has been

confiscated. We ask only what belongs

to us according to the law, in accordance

with the Constitution of Romania and

international laws."

"In Oradea," Bishop Bercea said, "We

had 220 churches; 19 have been

returned to us." He added, "Often, we

simply ask to be able to celebrate in the

same building of worship at different

times from the Orthodox."

Stalin seized the assets of the

Byzantine Church, which became the

property of the Orthodox Church. At

this time, priests, religious and bishops

were considered outlaws, and many suf-

fered imprisonment or

even martyrdom.The bishop ex-

plained that there are

cases in some locali-

ties where there are

two churches, origi-

nally an Orthodox and

a Byzantine Catholic.

He said, "The Orth-

odox celebrate one

Sunday in one church

and the other Sunday

in the other, leaving

one closed alternately,

while we are obliged

to celebrate in homes,

in schools or even out-doors."

The bishop re-

marked on the "pity"

of this threatening sit-

uation "on the part of the hierarchy of

the Orthodox Church, which is not

shared by all the bishops, as there are

places where [the two Churches] live in

harmony and where the Orthodox

Church, if it has not returned all proper-

ty that belonged to the Greek Catholic

Church, at least [returned] that which

was needed."

It is also an attitude, he said, that

"does not spread among people, because

here the families are often constituted by

Orthodox and Greek Catholics, as well

as Romanians, Germans and Hungari-

ans."

"We are conscious," concludes Bishop

Bercea, "of being too small to be able to

prevent the adoption of the law. We put

our efforts and that of those who want to

support us into prayer."

February 11 marked a day of prayer

and fasting for members of the Byz-

antine Catholic Church, to pray for aid

in this situation.

Chiara Santomiero

Romania Threatens

to Take Church PropertyBill Could Repeat Stalin's Expropriation

The Church and the Social

Adaptation of ImmigrantsOn March 10 in Kyiv, an inter-reli-

gious round table, "Feeling the heart-beats of the immigrant: Who and what

to expect from the return of Ukrainian

migrant workers," organized by the

Commission of the UGCC in Matters

of Immigrants jointly with the Open

Ukraine Fund, took place. "We put

before ourselves a double purpose.

First of all, to turn the attention of

society to the problems of Ukrainians

who are returning. Secondly, to extend

the dialogue of religious, political and

public leaders in relation to the deci-

sion of problems which accompany

the phenomenon of immigration. The

well-spread idea about the mass return

of Ukrainian immigrants is now

groundless. We have to show that they

are needed here, because behind each

person stands the concrete fate of peo-

ple, children and families, the support

and preserva-

tion of which is

a basic priority.

It is important

that in the con-

ditions of the

financial crisis

the connection

with relatives

and the home-

land did notdisappear." So

Hryhoriy Seles-

chuk, head of

the Commis-

sion of the

UGCC in Mat-

ters of Immigrants, said to the

Department of Information.

Taking part in the discussion were

His Beatitude LUBOMYR,; Yaakov Dov

Bleich, main rabbi of the city of Kyiv

and Ukraine; Bishop EVSTRATIY

(Zorya), Ukrainian Orthodox Church-

Kyivan Patriarchate; Bishop Stanislav

Shyrokoradyuk, Roman Catholic

Church in Ukraine; MikhailoPanochko, senior bishop of the

Christians of the Evangelical Faith of

Ukraine; Arseniy Yatsenyuk, national

deputy of Ukraine and founder of the

Open Ukraine Fund; and heads of

state structures and civic organiza-

tions.

The round table began with speech-

es of immigrants themselves in the

short film "Face of Immigrants,"

which aims to refute the most wide-

spread stereotypes about the newest

work migrants from Ukraine, which

very often conflict with each other.

For example: "abroad it is possible to

make money easily and quickly," or"an immigrant is absolutely without

rights and constantly oppressed," or

"working abroad 3-4 years an immi-

grant will rescue the family," and

"work abroad automatically destroys a

family and erects unshakable walls

between parents and children," and so

on. Each such stereotype is no more

than an attempt to simplify the very

complex phenomenon of work migra-

tion in the global world. However,

such attempts are doomed to failure

and misunderstanding on the part ofdirect participants: migrants and

members of their families. It is neces-

sary to show this phenomenon in all

its facets. "With the help of the film

we wanted to show the courage and

endurance of those immigrants who

did not get lost abroad, but preserved

the family, returned home, and again

found themselves in Ukraine,"

Hryhoriy Seleschuk said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk called work

migration a social illness which has

not only economic but also spiritual

aspects. Therefore it is hard to over-

estimate the value of the Church

which, together with the secular

authorities, tries to address this prob-

lem. "We have to offer first a program

of employment, thus so-called 'work

adaptation,' and second, more impor-

tantly, a program

of spiritual and

soc io -cu l tu ra l

adaptation," the

founder of the

Open Ukraine

fund noted.

The immi-

grants' new cir-

cumstances of

life "cause psy-chic shock,

sometimes not at

once noticeable,

but always very

important for

precisely this

particular human being. The pastor

who meets such a person has to be

very conscious of this new status

which is experienced by this human

soul; in fact, he should minister pre-

cisely to him/her with a spiritual and

religious approach. And a good pastor

pays attention to this, because indeed

he wants to help," His Beatitude

LUBOMYR underlined. During theround table the book written by

Doctor of Psychology Andrew Lee

Sulivan at the request of the

Commission of the UGCC in Matters

of Immigrants To Feel the Heartbeats

of Immigrants, devoted to the question

of the psychological and emotional

status and challenges of immigrants

and members of their families was

presented. The book contains practical

advice for pastors who in pastoral

work meet with this category of per-

sons.

A practical result of the round table

was the decision to create a working

group to develop legislative initiativesinvolving the decision of urgent prob-

lems of immigrants, which will

include the representatives of state,

church and civic organizations.

E-mail address of the Commission:

[email protected]

Information Department of the

UGCC

Bishop VIRGIL (Bercea)

8/3/2019 NEW STAR - - April, 2009

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ROME, (Zenit.org ).- A Los Angeles-based fertility

clinic offering would-be parents a child made-to-order

--complete with the desired skin tone or hair color--is

an example of science when it is not put at the service

of the good, says Bishop Elio Sgreccia.

The retired president of the Pontifical Academy for

Life spoke to Vatican Radio about an offer from The

Fertility Institutes, to give would-be parents the physi-

cal traits they want in their child--green eyes, for exam-

ple, or dark skin or blonde hair.

The process screens babies at the first stages of life

--applying technology already used to kill children for

sex selection, or who have or could develop genetic

defects--and selects those embryos that meet the tastes

of the buyer. The rest are eliminated. The price tag for

the process is about $18,000. The Fertility Institutes

claims to already have some half-dozen requests for

the service.

Bishop Sgreccia said this "is not the first time thatthese kinds of announcements come up, which have

the objective of increasing the number of clients. In

any case, it is about an ethically mis-

taken operation, and one that

wounds the dignity of the off-

spring, since it is oriented

toward manipulating the

body, dominating it

and transforming

it according to

one's tastes."

The bishop said that

just as it is illicit for a child

that has or could develop

defects to be eliminated by nega-

tive selection, "it is also illicit to make

a selection that obeys only the wishes of

the parents."

"This is a typical example of science that is

not placed at the service of the good, but rather at

the desires of those who buy its services; meanwhilethose who pay the price in this case are the children,"

he lamented. "When a norm of creation that is so deli-

cate is violated, the law should take interest in this

field."

Bishop Sgreccia said the situation points to the

"instinct of manipulation," an instinct that can be

detected in the times of Nazism "to a certain

degree, since they didn't know everything

that is known today." This instinct to

manipulate, he affirmed, "continued

beyond the abolition of the totalitar-

ian regimes."

"It could seem that it is a

tendency proper to the

thirst to dominate that

political absolutism

has always wanted to

exercise over the life of

people," he contended.

"Unfortunately, this type of

instinct to dominate exists in man, if

it is not braked by morality and the law,

and it survives even the regimens that are

no longer totalitarian."

Now, Bishop Sgreccia said, these parties no

longer obey a regimen that "wants bio-politicalresults" but rather "the interests of those who have

money and the whim to play with others' lives."

Kids Made-to-Order: Science Gone AwryBishop Sgreccia Points to Instinct of Manipulation

Everyone knows the economic situation is having its

effect on nearly every aspect of life, taking its toll

almost every step of the way. Just a few days ago, at

the deli counter of a local supermarket, a patron was

heard complaining to the butcher: "these sausages I

bought here yesterday are not any good. They have

meat at one end---and the other end is filled with

bread!"

"Well," answered the harried meat-monger, "with

today's costs, it's very difficult for us to make both

ends meat."

St Nicholas Cathedral School

Hosts Open HouseSunday, April 26, 2009

A structured elementary school education, a unique

learning environment, and the affirmation of tradition-

al values all create an atmosphere that encourages

curiosity, rewards success and nurtures self-esteem.

Our students receive a thorough education grounded

in reading, language and mathematics. In addition,

they develop character, integrity and stewardship on

their way to becoming enlightened and compassionate

global citizens.

They do all this, while learning Ukrainian grammar,

literature, and history, as well as art and music. Many

of their activities include Ukrainian religious and cul-

tural celebrations, making them knowledgeable and

appreciative of their heritage.

Come visit our open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to

meet the faculty, students, parents, alumni and admin-

istration. Visit our spacious and well maintained facil-

ities. Learn about our programs for children as young

as 3 to students in 8th grade. Our after-school program

is very convenient for working parents.

We are located at 2200 W. Rice Street, Chicago, con-

venient to both

the Eisenhowerand Kennedy

Expressways. If

you are not able

to attend, call

773-384-7243 to

arrange a visit.

Come see how

our youth is

being prepared

to become the

future leaders

NEW STAR - НОВА ЗОРЯ - April, 2009

Documents

Transcript of NEW STAR - НОВА ЗОРЯ - April, 2009