VOL. 80 - No. 18 SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 ENGLISH VERSION First ... · Kuntsevich, Archbishop of Polotsk....

VOL. 80 - No. 18 ENGLISH VERSION SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

Official Publication of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Synod/Rome pg. 2-14Catechism pg. 14

Archeparchy News pg. 15-24Children’s Corner pg. 25-27

Holidays/Feast Day pg. 28Advertisements pg. 29-34Church News pg. 35-36

First Session of Philadelphia Archieparchial Sobor Will Be Held Wednesday, October 9

Philadelphia, Pa.—The first session of the Philadelphia Archieparchial Sobor will be held here Wednesday, October 9 at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception social hall.

In convening the archieparchial sobor, Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak invited all the clergy, two representatives from each parish, the superiors and one representative of each religious order

in the Philadelphia Archeparchy to attend the first session.

The second session will be held Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, also in Philadelphia.

Between the October and December archieparchial sessions, each deanery will hold a local sobor at a time and place to be determined by the respective protopresbyters.

On December 17, 2018, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head and Father of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, signed a decree to convene the VII session of the Patriarchal (All-Church) Sobor (Council) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church on the topic "Emigration, Settlement

and Global Unity of the UGCC," which will take place on August 26-29, 2020 in Lviv. Bishops, representatives of the clergy and institutions of consecrated life, rectors of theological seminaries, laity of the eparchies and exarchates are invited to participate in the Sobor.

The local deanery sobors and the October and December sessions of the Philadelphia

archieparchial sobor are being convened in preparation for the 2020 Patriarchal Sobor.

Between now and the summer of 2020, sobors will also be held in all the archeparchies and eparchies of the Ukrainian Catholic Church throughout the world.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 2(continued on next page)

“We came here because we aspire to be a Synod,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav at the meeting of Pope Francis and the Synod of the UGCC Bishops.

Tuesday, 03 September 2019

On September 2 at 11:30 the bishops of the Synod of the UGCC met with Holy Father Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican (Sala del Concistoro). On behalf of the Synod of Bishops, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head and Father of the UGCC, addressed the Holy Father.

"Every time our bishops

Synod of Bishops meets with Pope Francis

gather for synodal work, we are aware that our work, our reflections and pastoral ministry are carried out in full and visible unity with the Holy Father," said His Beatitude to the Pope at the beginning of his speech.

"Usually our communion is expressed in the so-called" letters of communion," said the Head of the UGCC, "but this time we are experiencing it in the context of a personal meeting, thus proving that this communion is not a dead letter, but a breath of the Holy Spirit, living and living; hearing the Word of the Father;

the personal experience of the Pope's parental concern for the Ukrainian Church. "

His Beatitude Sviatoslav introduced to Pope Francis the members of the Synod who "came from all over the world" and the guests who took part in the work of the Synod. He also thanked the Holy Father for the creation of an Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Italy.

Quoting the words of the Holy Father that "it is not enough to have a Synod, but to be a Synod," which the Bishop of Rome said at a meeting with metropolitans

and members of the Permanent Synod on July 5, His Beatitude said: "We came here for this."

“Each bishop and our community members brought with them to Rome the pain and hope of the people of God entrusted to our pastoral care. We want to be a Synod not only during our working meetings, but also when we return to our communities! ”- said the Head of the UGCC.

This desire to "be a Synod" is blessed by His

His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk and the Synod of UGCC Bishops have an audience with Pope Francis on September 2, 2019 in Rome. The Synod of UGCC Bishops took place

September 1-10, 2019 in Rome.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 3

(continued from previous page)

Beatitude Sviatoslav in "a synodal walk with the clergy, our faithful, men and women, children and youth, who live in different cultures and countries, speak different languages and belong to different peoples."

"Walking together, however, as the Eastern Catholic Church of its own right, the Church is global, alive and open to all," - said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the theme of this year's Synod: "Communion and unity in the life and testimony of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church today" .

Synod of Bishops meets with Pope Francis

The head of the UGCC assured Pope Francis that our Church is aware that “it is not enough to have a good and rich tradition that preserves the millennial memory of the Church of Kiev, the undivided Church of the first millennium in communion with the Roman Church. It is necessary to live this tradition in an authentic way and to be able to convey to modern man its essence, the heart of the Apostolic tradition is the possibility of a personal meeting with the living Christ, who through the action of the

Holy Spirit is still present in the Church today and walks with us the paths of the modern world. "

His Beatitude Sviatoslav also assured the Holy Father that our Church throughout the world prays for him, supports him, listens to him and awaits his visit to Ukraine.It is also worth noting that after the meeting with the Holy Father Pope Francis, members of the Synod of Bishops visited the altar of St. Basil the Great, which holds the relics of the Holy Martyr Josaphat Kuntsevich, Archbishop

of Polotsk. There, the bishops jointly prayed "God, the Great One" for peace in Ukraine and the end of the war, which continues to continue and bring suffering to the Ukrainian people.

Photo by synod.ugcc.ua Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/photo/we_came_here_because_we_aspire_to_be_a_synod__head_of_the_ugcc_at_the_meeting_of_pope_francis_with_the_synod_of_bishops_of_the_ugcc_87181.html

Synod of UGCC Bishops visits the altar of St. Basil the Great which holds the relics of St. Josaphat Kuntsevich.

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Pope Francis meets with bishops of the UGCC

Pope: A Synod is not a survey. It is the

presence of the Holy Spirit

September 2, 2019

Pope Francis meets with bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and speaks about the role of the Holy Spirit in synodality.

By Vatican News

Meeting with bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, who are here in Rome for their Synod, Pope Francis referred to an article published this past weekend in “l’Osservatore Romano”. The Pope said he was not trying to “make publicity” for the Vatican newspaper, but that he liked the article which dealt with “the presence of the Holy Spirit in the synodal journey”.

What a Synod is notPope Francis said that today we are in danger of believing that “to make a synodal journey, or to have an attitude of synodality,” means taking a survey of opinions and then coming to some sort of agreement. “A synod is not a Parliament”, he said, “you must say things, discuss them as

you normally do, but it is not a Parliament”.

Unlike politics, the Pope continued, a synod is not a series of agreements: “I give you this, you give me that”. It is not a question of conducting “sociological investigations” regarding what needs to change, and how to go about changing it.

What a Synod isA Synod is only a Synod, said Pope Francis, if the

Holy Spirit is present. “If the Holy Spirit is not present, there is no synodality”, he added. “Indeed, if there is no Church, there is no identity of the Church”, the Pope continued. “And what is the identity of the Church? Saint Pope Paul VI said it clearly: the vocation of the Church is to evangelize. Its identity is to evangelize”.

Pope Francis concluded by inviting the bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-

Catholic Church to enter their Synod together with the Holy Spirit, even if it means “fighting among yourselves!”. In the end, however, it must be the Spirit that leads them. “This, he said, “is the way to proceed”. h t t p s : / / w w w .va t i cannews . va/en/pope/news/2019-09/pope-ukraine-synod-bishops.html

Ukrainian Bishops of the United States at St. Peter’s Basilica

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Metropolitan Borys Gudziak speaks about “Unity and Communion” at the Synod in Rome

Metropolitan Borys Gudziak: Our goal is the authentic proclamation of the Gospel using the language of the 21st century

Friday, 06 September 2019

At the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, held in Rome on September 1-10, Archbishop and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak spoke about "Unity and Communion: the voice of the UGCC from the United States." In his opinion, it is first and foremost worth paying attention to the spiritual foundation.

"God is the Word. Joint deep nourishment with the Word of God, which is the source of common language and categories, is a necessary condition for unity. Our goal is the authentic proclamation of the Gospel in the 21st century,”said Borys Gudziak.

The bishop emphasized the importance of common prayer. “The aesthetic liturgical life of dioceses and parishes, personal prayer, and the

deepening of spiritual life among the clergy and the faithful builds unity. Attention should be paid to the symbols, the quality of church singing and music, as well as the beauty and art of living with God and our neighbors,”said the speaker.

He is convinced that the spirit of the Kingdom of God; unity between bishops, the clergy and the faithful; attention to the needs of the poor are also extremely important components of the spiritual foundation.

“The use of the Ukrainian Liturgy alongside local languages should be combined if there is appropriate pastoral work. We should cherish the mutual tolerance and unity of our Church's multilingual believers. Communities may have different histories or challenges, but together they can sing the Divine Liturgy, regardless of their level of Ukrainian or other local languages. This issue is difficult and requires special attention,” emphasized the Metropolitan.

Moreover, he also sees

certain threats to unity and communion, both internal and external. In particular, he attributes the following to internal threats: mistrust, neglect of the significance and need of unity, lack of knowledge of one another (hardly many believers know about the Chinese-speaking parish in Canada or the features of ministry in Dubai), lack of cooperation, and tendency to look at the global Church from a local perspective (i.e. without seeing the broader picture), the gap between generations (in and outside Ukraine), divisions between priests on the calendar issue, moral and material problems, etc.

In addition, the bishop

calls for attention and work on external threats: the war in Ukraine, the issues of migrants (many Ukrainians, being migrants themselves, are intolerant of new migrants, particularly from Latin America), scandals in the Church and their media coverage, etc.

The UGCC Department for Information

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/metropolitan_borys_gudz iak_our_goal_is_the_authentic_proclamation_of_the_g o s p e l _ u s i n g _ t h e _language_of_the_21st_century_87216.html

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ROME CELEBRATES CO-FOUNDER OF UKRAINIAN RELIGIOUS ORDER - BLESSED JOSAPHATA HORDASHEVSKA

September 8, 2019

BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE IN ROME - SITE OF BLESSED JOSAPHATA CELEBRATION

During the 2019 Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, being held in Rome 1-10 September, 2019, the bishops, together with many other bishops, priests, religious sisters from both the Ukrainian Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches, as well a hundreds of faithful gathered into the major basilica of St Mary to celebrate, honour and promote the saintly legacy of Blessed Josaphata.

Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska was the co-founder of the now global congregation of religious women known in English as the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (SSMI). Blessed Josaphata was declared "Blessed" by Pope St. John Paul II when he visited Ukraine in 2001.

The reason for the mega-celebration in Rome that this year marks 150 years since the birth of

Blessed Josaphata and 100 years since her "passing into eternal life". Of course, the timing only made perfect sense that the event would coincide with the Synod of Bishops.

Among the other hierarchical dignitaries were the Rector of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, the Secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Eastern Churches - Archbishop Cyril Vasyl, the local hierarch (ordinary) for Eastern-Rite Catholics in Russia - Bishop Joseph Werth and the Apostolic Exarch for Eastern-Catholics in Serbia - Bishop George Dzudzar.

There were many Sisters of Blessed Josaphata's Congregation, the SSMI, as well as other religious orders, Seminarians and a great number of lay-faithful, - one of the most prominent among the latter was the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See (i.e. the Vatican) - M. Tetyana Izhevska.

In his sermon at the Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about the life and times of Blessed Josaphata. "We could say that the world at that time was in a fever", he explained. "The second half of the 19th Century was a time when in western Europe entire countries fell, while

others were born. It was a time when even the Pope lost his sovereign states and declared himself a 'prisoner of the Vatican', and when our Ukrainian people, like storks, flew off to all corners of the earth. It was in this social climate that our Divine Saviour came to us to take humanity by the hand and heal the fever of that time, of that world. That hand that began to serve there - where the need was greatest - was Josaphata and her Sisters."

His Beatitude explained that it was at that time, when the people of Ukraine found


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themselves in various land throughout the world, they had no one to help them, because they were often regarded as second- or third-class people. It was to those places that the Sisters Servants went. "We are thankful first of all, to Josaphata, that she took the hand of God, and was that living icon of Christ the Saviour, because it was through the Sisters Servants that our people in all the corners of the Earth felt that God came to them to serve them. Otherwise from the world at that time no one could expect any service or help."

His Beatitude, who expanded his sermon to encompass a wider discourse on the concept of 'serving', reminded those gathered that it was in that very basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore that the enlighteners of the Slavs - Saints Cyril and Methodius - came to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy in old-Slavonic and to receive the Pope's approval of their translation of the Liturgical texts. "In this Basilica today, we implore the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin

Mary for Ukraine and our Ukrainian People. Lord, come to us! Take us by the hand that we would know that we are travelling through this world, through history together with You. Grant us to hear today the words of our Josaphata, "Glory to God! Honour to Mary! For us - peace!"

At the close of the glorious Divine Liturgy, the superior general of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, Sr. Sophia Lebydovych, addressed the Bishops and Faithful. Among other things, she said, "We give glory and thanks to God for

the gift of the person of Blessed Josaphata. We are thankful for her open, sensitive heart toward the needs of her Church, we are thankful for the example of her life. For us Sisters, this event is an opportunity to draw even closer to Blessed Josaphata. She was a daughter of her Church, she felt a need to serve Ukrainian migrants in the faraway countries where they settled, sending Sisters to them. Mother Josaphata gathered us together today in this magnificent Marian basilica and this is a sign that Mary takes us by the hand. Thank

ROME CELEBRATES CO-FOUNDER OF UKRAINIAN RELIGIOUS ORDER - BLESSED JOSAPHATA HORDASHEVSKA

you, Your Beatitude, for your fatherly openness."

Later that day, in the chapel of the General House of the SSMI, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and all the Bishops of the Synod were on hand to bless the new Tabernacle and iconostas, as well a reliquary for the relics of Blessed Josaphata.

[Excerpted from the article by Ruslana Tkachenko, UGCC Information Department]

http://archeparchy.ca/news_details.php?news_id=827

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A Delegation from the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC visits Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Let’s foster unity in today's divided and dispersed world, Pope Benedict XVI to the delegation of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

On September 10, at the Monastery of Mater Ecclesiae, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI received a delegation of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, which took place in Rome from September 1-10. Together with His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Pope Emeritus was visited by the Metropolitans and Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.

The guests were met by Monsignor Georg Ganswein, Prefect of the Papal household and personal secretary to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. "Despite his physical weakness, the Holy Father was pleased to meet with the Ukrainian bishops," said Bishop Ganswein, welcoming the guests to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican, home to Pope Emeritus.

At the beginning of the audience, His Beatitude Sviatoslav introduced to His Holiness the

His Beatitude Sviatoslav greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI(continued on next page)

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Metropolitans of the UGCC from different continents of the world and the Secretary of the Synod of the UGCC. He told him about the work of the Synod and explained the main topic that the Synod Fathers were discussing: “Communion and unity in the life and ministry of the UGCC”. "It was here in Rome that our bishops gathered at the Synod to witness our unity with the successor of the Apostle Peter." The Head of the UGCC emphasized that "our Church preserves in its identity the memory of the undivided Church and our mission is to witness this unity." This was the reason for the persecution of the UGCC during Soviet times, "when the biggest crime was faithfulness to the successor of the

Apostle Peter."

His Beatitude Sviatoslav also told the Pope Emeritus about the global dimension of the UGCC, its openness to all who wish to "live the spirituality of the Byzantine tradition in its unity with the entire Catholic Church." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI asked, in particular, the Ukrainian bishops of the diaspora about the state of pastoral care in their dioceses in the face of contemporary migration challenges. Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia, told the Pope Emeritus about the development of the Diocese of Paris and his new ministry to the faithful of the UGCC in the United States.

Particular attention was paid to describing to His Holiness the situation in Ukraine, including the release of the Kremlin political prisoners. Pope Emeritus expressed his awareness of the situation in Ukraine and assured of his personal support and constant prayers for peace in Ukraine.

At the conclusion of the audience, Benedict XVI spoke of the need to nurture and bear witness to unity in a "modern divided and scattered world". "The modern world needs unity," said the Pontiff.

It should be added that the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC was held in Rome, in the Ukrainian College of St. Josaphat, September 1-10. The

A Delegation from the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC visits Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI


Synod began with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Rome on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the consecration of this shrine. The next day the Synod Fathers were received by the Holy Father Francis, and at the end of their work - by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/photo/lets_foster_unity_in_todays_divided_and_dispersed_world_pope_benedict_xvi_to_the_delegation_of_the_synod_of_bishops_of_the_ugcc_87279.html

Pope Francis meets with Bishops ordained recently, including Bishop Andriy Rabiy

Pope to newly ordained bishops: Be close to God and His people

Pope Francis meets with Bishops ordained in the last year and participating in a course organized by the Congregations

for Bishops and for the Eastern Churches.

By Vatican News

September 12, 2019

Pope Francis told the Bishops: “Our mission is to be for the Church

and for the world the ‘sacraments’ of God's closeness”. Our world seeks this divine closeness, he said. “The Church herself is lost when she loses the life-giving tenderness of the Good Shepherd”.Closeness to God

“Closeness to God is the source of the Bishop's ministry”, said the Pope, and “we exist to make this closeness palpable”. But we cannot communicate God's closeness without experiencing it, Pope Francis continued.



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“Without the closeness to the Sower”, we cannot accompany the growth of the seed “with patient confidence”.

Closeness to God’s people“Closeness to the people entrusted to us”, the Pope continued, “is our essential condition”. “Jesus loves to approach His brothers and sisters” through His Bishops, he said, through their comforting hands; through their words, proclaiming the Gospel, and not themselves; through their hearts, “when they are charged with the joys and sorrows of our brothers and sisters”.

“We have to proclaim with our lives a measure of life different from that of the world”, said Pope Francis: “the measure of a love without measure”.

Closeness of the Good Samaritan“The closeness of the Bishop is not rhetoric”, continued Pope Francis.It is not about “self-referential proclamations, but of real availability”. Closeness uses concrete verbs, he said, like those of the Good Samaritan:


Pope Francis meets with Bishops ordained recently, including Bishop Andriy Rabiy

“not looking the other way, not leaving people waiting and not to sweeping problems under the carpet”. The Pope encouraged the new Bishops to “to stay in touch with people, to devote more time to them than to the desk”. The Good Samaritan bandages wounds, and gets his hands dirty. “To be close to the people of God is to identify with them”, said Pope Francis, to share their joys and their pains.

Closeness to the poor “The thermometer of closeness is the attention to the least, to the poor”, continued the Pope. Living a simple life is “to witness that Jesus is enough for us and that the treasure we want to surround ourselves with is made up of those who, in their poverty, remind us of Him”.

The Pope insisted he was not speaking about poor people in terms of abstract “data and social categories, but concrete people, whose dignity is entrusted to us as their fathers”. Fatherhood, he said, means being able to see, to caress, to weep.

Closeness of listening The Pope invited the new Bishops to be “Apostles of listening”, men who know how to listen to things that may not always be pleasant to hear. He told them not to surround themselves with “yes men”.

He encouraged them to make regular pastoral visits: to meet their people and their pastors; to visit following the example of Our Lady, who shows us how “to bring the comfort of the Lord”.

Closeness to priestsFinally, the Pope urged the new bishops to be

especially close to their priests who need to be “loved, accompanied and encouraged”.

“The priest is the closest neighbor of the bishop”, said Pope Francis. “Embrace them, and thank them in my name”.

h t t p s : / / w w w .va t i cannews . va/en/pope/news/2019-09/p o p e - f r a n c i s - n e w -bishops-be-close-to-god.html

Photo of Pope Francis by Bishop Andriy Rabiy


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Pope Francis receives in audience Bishops of Oriental Catholic Churches of Europe

September 14, 2019

By Robin Gomes

In the face of inequalities and divisions that threaten peace, we feel called to be artisans of dialogue, promoters of reconciliation and patient builders of a civilization of encounter that can preserve our times from the incivility of conflict. Pope Francis made this exhortation to some 40 Oriental Catholic bishops of Europe whom he received in audience in the Vatican on Saturday.

Sowers of the Gospel of love“While so many people allow themselves to be caught up in a spiral of violence, in a vicious circle of demands and constant mutual recriminations, the Lord wants us to be meek sowers of the Gospel of love,” the Pope told the bishops who met him at the end of their 22nd annual meeting in Rome from 11 to 14 September, on the theme, “The Ecumenical Mission of Oriental Catholic Churches of Europe Today”.

“I feel that the way shown to us from on high is made

up of prayer, humility and love,” the Pope told the bishops, noting they are committed to healing the wounds of the past, overcoming prejudices and divisions, and offering hope to all as they walk side by side on an ecumenical journey alongside their non-Catholic brothers and sisters.

Variety does not harm unityNoting that among the bishops there were some from the Byzantine tradition, the Middle East, India and other regions, the Pope cited the Second Vatican Council saying, “variety within the Church in

no way harms its unity; rather it manifests it.” In fact, he said, Christian unity is not uniformity. Uniformity, he stressed, is the destruction of unity. Instead, Christian truth is “symphonic”, or else there would be no Holy Spirit.

Communion with the Catholic Church, the Pope pointed out, in no way detracts from their particular identity. Rather, their communion should contribute to the full realization of their identity, for example, by protecting it from the temptation of closing in on itself and falling into national or ethnic particularisms

that exclude others. The danger of our civilization the Pope said is “particularism that becomes populism that seeks to command and make everything uniform”.

Underscoring the richness of the spirituality, liturgy and theology of their Orthodox roots, the Holy Father urged them to further it in the academic world. Above all, he urged them to help each other “live in love with all”, saying, “love knows no canonical or jurisdictional boundaries”. The Holy Father said he feels pained to see a struggle

Bishop Andriy Rabiy poses for a photo with bishops from other Oriental Catholic Churches



for jurisdictions among Catholics.

Walking together in love heals divisions“When we bend over a suffering brother or sister; when we become neighbours to those who endure loneliness and poverty; when we put at the centre the marginalized – children who will not see the light of day, young people deprived of hope, families tested by being broken, or sick or elderly persons who are cast aside,” the Pope said, “we are already walking together in the love that

heals divisions.”

At the end, the Pope said, the Lord will not seek an account from us of our territories, jurisdiction or our contribution to the development of our national identities. “Instead, He will ask how much we loved our neighbour, every neighbour, and how well we were able to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to those we met along the road of life.”

Warning particularly against the “poison” of the attachment to money, the Pope urged

the bishops in the love of God and neighbour, saying in it we find joy and spread hope.

The followers of Christ were united in the beginning, but growing tensions from the 5th to the 11th century between the Byzantine Church, based in Constantinople, and the Rome-based Catholic Church, culminated in the Great Schism of 1054, that split the followers of Christ into Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism.

Today, there are 23 “sui iuris” Eastern Catholic

Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, that are in full communion with the Pope in Rome, as part of the worldwide Catholic Church.

Adapted from an article on https://www.va t i cannews . va/en/pope/news/2019-09/pope-francis-oriental-catholic-bishops-europe-audience-love.html?fbclid=IwAR0CbvS8N7Wd6jDkjn0a2TQp3SLY47vD2huyd-Ui5Z12G-xRa7kzOvFzN8I

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Pope Francis receives in audience Bishops of Oriental Catholic Churches of Europe

The Synod of Bishops of the UGCC beseeches their faithful in Ukraine and the world to unite in the Church

14 September 2019

Because we have maintained our roots and did not lose ourselves among other peoples, we have become of interest to them. We enrich the culture and spirituality of our new foreign settlements and invite representatives of other peoples to engage. When Ukraine bleeds, our worldwide Church shares our suffering.

This is stated in the

Message of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church "Communion and Unity in the Life and Service of the UGCC", following the Synod held on September 1-10, 2019 in Rome. The Message was circulated by the UGCC Information Department.“Thousands of our Church's sons and daughters who were not Ukrainians by origin, have come to love our Christian heritage and have rooted themselves

in the tradition of Kyivan Christianity of Volodymyr’s Baptism. Thus, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church went beyond her homeland, spoke to different nations in different languages, and became a mother and a teacher for people of many nationalities and cultures,” the Message says.

The bishops of the Synod point out that the resettlement of

Ukrainians in different countries of the world is the fruit of a thousand-year history of the search, joy and suffering of our Ukrainian people. The reasons for such resettlement are many. Some sought a better fate abroad while others were forced to leave their homeland because of the tumult of bloody wars and devastation. Many have been forcibly expelled, deported,


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taken or imprisoned away from home.In their opinion, the modern life of our country is marked by a new powerful wave of emigration, which is why millions of Ukrainians are forming new communities in outermost countries.

Yet even under all these difficult and tragic circumstances, the Church went along with her children, and her sons and daughters have spread her presence onto all continents of the globe.

“Answering the call and mandate of their hierarchs, our faithful were followed by priests, monks, and nuns to carry the Word of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit to the people through the Holy Sacraments, testifying for the active charitable service. Our

faithful have built their lives in new lands while preserving their spiritual heritage and nurturing Christian culture. It is no accident that the first thing they would do in the countries of the new settlement was building their churches,” the Synod said.

According to the Message, those in immigration testify that for our people, a church, the meeting place of a man and God, was and remains the place where the heart of the Ukrainian community is beating. The Church is the center that rallies the worldwide Ukrainian community.

"For many centuries now, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has been a space of unity for our people, a unity that has bonded Ukrainians of Canada and the

United States with their brethren in Latin America and Australia, Western Europe, Kazakhstan, and distant Siberia. According to Patriarch Josyf, the Church allowed them all to "remain themselves" while being far from home," the bishops emphasize.

Today, the bishops of the Synod note that the UGCC is aware - the Church is no longer local. It is global, both Ukrainian and multinational. “This, however, is not due to our geography of residence, nor to public organizations or human institutions, not because of the diverse experience or the community structure. We owe all of this to the inner unity of our Church,” the Message states. It should be noted that the question of unity was the prime subject of

the Synod of Bishops in Rome.

In their Message, the members of the Synod said: "The Church is a community of people gathered from all over the world by Our Lord Himself." According to the Message, today we can testify that "when Ukraine bleeds, when our best sons and daughters give their lives for her, when millions of people are forced to leave their homes, when many Ukrainians are imprisoned, and as prisoners of conscience, suffer torture in the enemy’s hands, when there are thousands of dead and tens of thousands of wounded, when almost entire Ukrainian society is affected by the war, our worldwide Church is




Catechism

Veneration of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Kyivan Tradition

314 - Devotion to the Mother of God has deep roots in the Kyivan tradition. Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise consecrated Rus-Ukraine to the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. Many churches were built and many icons written in her honour. The most famous icons of the Kyivan princely period, written in the Byzantine tradition, are the following: the Vyshhorod Icon (today known as the Vladimir Icon), and the Belz Icon (known today as the Czestochowa Icon). From this tradition, the unique form of Ukrainian iconography developed. The facial characteristics of the Mother of God on Ukrainian icons are kind and gentle; her gaze is warm and heartfelt.

315 - Devotion to the Mother of God spread widely, especially after the miraculous lifting of the Turkish siege of the monastery in Pochaiv. This miracle was attributed to the icon of the Mother of God, today preserved in the church of the Pochaiv monastery. Additional sites of pilgrimage to miraculous Marian icons are: Zarvanytsya, Univ, Hoshiv, Stradch, Zhyrovytsi, Yaroslav, Kholm, Mariapoch, and many others. Particular reliance upon the protection and assistance of the Mother of God has become a devotional tradition among the Ukrainian people. (Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ Our Pascha)



suffering with us."

And “when our priority is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and to save and sanctify the souls of men in the name of God’s truth, when we need to protect human dignity, the rights of Ukrainian migrant workers in any country of the world, then our entire Mother Church, our bishops, the clergy and the laity are rallied to be the voice of those deprived of it. When the pastoral needs of our faithful in Australia or the United Kingdom, Poland or Canada,

Argentina or Kazakhstan are to be assured, the clergy and monasticism go on apostolic journeys to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the very edge of the Earth."

The bishops of the Synod emphasize that the Holy Eucharist is the pinnacle and the deepest manifestation of the unity of the Church of Christ and her nature. Eucharistic bread is a tangible sign and symbol of the Church unity.The communion, the unity of the Church of Christ, which is her very

essence, is manifested in her pastoral service. “Our testimony for the Church is true when the priority of our service is the salvation of souls, the union of a man and God in the community of God's children. Any deed of a member of the Church that contradicts this purpose, such as trying to disassociate from the community, to focus solely on one's own needs or the needs of one's parish, diocese or country, attempting to emphasize some presumed superiority over others, will

always be condemned as something non-ecclesiastical, unnatural and incompatible with the Church.

h t t p s : // r i s u .o rg . ua/en/ i ndex/a l l _news/catholics/ugcc/77140

Synod/Rome


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Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great PlanningEighty-Eighth Annual Pilgrimage to the Mother of God

Since 1911 the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great have served the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States. Collectively and individually, the Sisters strive to be a Praying, Healing, Life-Giving Presence in every community in which they minister, especially in the field of education. One distinctive feature of their involvement with the community they serve is the annual pilgrimage honoring the Mother of God. This year’s pilgrimage will be held on Sunday, October 6, 2019, at the Basilian Motherhouse situated in Fox Chase Manor, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.

The theme selected for this year’s pilgrimage is “The Unity of the Trinity: That all may be one through the intercession of the Mother of God.”

Following a traditional program established many decades ago, the day will begin with the Mystery of Reconciliation starting at 9:00 a.m. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. pilgrims are invited to see a special exposition—a replica of the Holy Shroud—in the

Holy Trinity Chapel and then participate in the traditional observance of following the Stations of the Cross. A time-honored procession venerating the Mother of God will begin at the Basilian Spirituality Center and end at the Faculty House Auditorium where a bilingual Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by the Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchy, accompanied by a choir from the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, Washington, DC. The choir will sing selected responses composed by renowned Ukrainian artists Mykola Leontovych and Roman Hurko. His Grace, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, will serve as homilist for the Divine Liturgy and the Moleben.

Afternoon activities will feature workshops on Promoting Family Unity, The Icon of the Holy Trinity and a craft-making workshop for children ages 4-7 at the Basilian Spirituality Center and a rosary processional led by Mothers in Prayer to the Grotto of Our Lady of Pochaiv. This will be followed by a Moleben celebrated by Ukrainian

Catholic bishops and priests accompanied by a choir from the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, Washington, DC. Following the religious services, pilgrims will be invited to partake in the sumptuous array of traditional Ukrainian and American delicacies that will be available in the food court in the parking lot between the auditorium and the Ukrainian Heritage Center. The pilgrimage will end at 5 p.m. with another beloved tradition—the blessing of cars and buses as pilgrims depart from the monastery grounds and begin the journey to their respective homes.

The annual pilgrimage is a long-standing tradition that allows the

faithful to experience spiritual renewal and joy in the company of family, friends, and acquaintances . . . a reminder of Christ’s promise of love and inclusion: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in their midst.”

For further information, please call 215-379-3998 (ext. 17) or visit the Sisters’ website at www.stbasils.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.c om/S i s t e r s - o f - t h e -Order-of-St-Basil-the-G r e a t - J e n k i n t o w n -PA-280623061977867/


Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the GreatEighty-Eighth Annual Pilgrimage

The Unity of the Trinity:That all may be one through the

intercession of the Mother of God

Sunday, October 6, 2019

9 - 11 AM

10 AM

10:30 AM

11 AM

1:30 - 3:45 PM

2:30 - 3:30 PM

3 - 3:45 PM

3:45 PM

4 - 5 PM

5 PM

Mystery of Reconciliation (Confession)

Holy Trinity Chapel - silent prayer site

Rosary Mothers in Prayer

Procession

Hierarchical Divine Liturgy (Bilingual)

Food Service (Ukrainian Fare)

Special Presentations

Stations of the Cross Mothers in Prayer

Blessing of Religious Articles

Moleben (Bilingual)

Blessing of Cars and Buses

Holy Trinity Chapel

Holy Trinity Chapel (Ukrainian) & Grotto (English)

From Basilian Spirituality Center

Faculty House Auditorium

Food Court Parking Lot

Basilian Spirituality Center

Front Lawn

Grotto: Our Lady of Pochayiv

Parking Area

Celebrant: Most Reverend Borys Gudziak Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchy of the United StatesHomilist: Most Reverend Borys GudziakChoir: Shrine of the Holy Family, Washington, DC

Celebrant: Ukrainian Bishops and Concelebrating ClergyHomilist: Most Reverend Borys GudziakChoir: Shrine of the Holy Family Choir, Washington, DC

Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great (215) 379-3998 ext. 17710 Fox Chase Road [email protected] Chase Manor, PA 19046 Facebook @basilcenterwww.stbasils.com

Archeparchy News

Archeparchy News

Happy 95th Birthday

Metropolitan-Emeritus Stephen Sulyk!

May God Grant You Many Happy & Blessed Years!

Вітаємо Митрополита-

емерита

Стефана Сулика з 95-літтям!

На Многая і Благая Літа!



Parish Bible Adventure Camp in Perth Amboy, NJ

For the 4th year in a row the children of Assumption parish enjoyed Vacation Bible Discovery Camp with this year's theme: Adventure in the Bible. This year there were 22 children in grades 1 thru 6 who went to camp.

Day 1 - Fr. Ivan Turyk, the parish Pastor started the first day's activities with an experiment that inspired the children to place God first in their daily lives. The campers also learned that Mrs. Melanie Fedynychyn, the instructor of the camp, would teach them to use modeling clay to design their own individual jugs and jars like Jesus and Mary might have used


Archeparchy News

in their daily lives. They would be letting their pottery air dry overnight and painting it the next day.

During story time, the children heard how Jesus wants everyone to have faith that is "rock solid". To reinforce that idea, the campers

each chose a river rock that they painted in a background color of their choosing, knowing that the real design would be completed the next day.

The children also selected a small picture of Jesus, Mary, or one of the saints to create their own decoupage "icon" to be taken home.

Outdoor fun time including blowing large bubbles reminding the children of how their prayers go up to heaven. (The record bubble was 7 feet long and floated 47 seconds. It will be


Parish Bible Adventure Camp in Perth Amboy, NJ(continued from previous page)

the record to beat next year!) Day 2. During the second day of the Bible Camp, the children examined up-close the iconography in the church. The campers admitted that they had never realized the richness of the colors and the textures in the depictions of Jesus, Mary, and the saints on the iconostasis. They also learned how iconographers prayed and fasted before they began their work. No doubt the future will find them looking around the church with the beginnings of a new appreciation of Ukrainian Catholic traditions.

In keeping with the camp theme of action and adventure in the Bible, each child became

familiar with one of "God's Heroes" as each painted and colored the image of one of God's

special friends. The older campers came up to the microphone to tell the story of that person. The younger children did a special presentation about David and Goliath. Day 3. On day 3, the children took their pottery projects and decoupage icons to church to be blessed by Fr. Ivan Turyk. Father also spoke about "the Light of the World." Campers helped Father tie a new set of white ornamental ribbons on each of the candles that stand before the iconostasis. They felt honored to help with decorating the church.


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Parish Bible Adventure Camp in Perth Amboy, NJ(continued from previous page)

The campers were also shown the three flags that are always displayed in their church--- The Ukrainian flag, the Papal flag, and the Stars and Stripes. The conclusion was easy: "We are 1) Ukrainian 2) Catholics who are in 3) America!" With all that the campers had been shown, parents should not be surprised to see their children looking up and around at all the visual richness of the traditions of their faith the next time their little Bible scholars go to church.

At the conclusion of the camp, Fr. Ivan had lunch with campers and distributed gifts to them from Metropolitan Borys Gudziak and Bishop Andriy Rabiy. Each camper got an earth-friendly and ecologically sound reusable water bottle with the unique "Heart to Heart" logo revealed at His Grace's Enthronement in Philadelphia.

Perth Amboy School Backpack Blessing

Assumption Catholic School in Perth Amboy, NJ completed its first full week of school with a beautiful whole school Liturgy and a special Backpack Blessing. The children placed their backpacks on the steps of the altar. Some book bags had student’s first set of school crayons, some had thick algebra books - but all were filled with our student’s excitement and love for learning. Father Ivan prayed and asked God to continue to watch over our students and to guide their choices. Today, we celebrated God’s gift of learning, and we prayed for His blessing on students, teachers and our school for the coming year. Wonderful end to the first full week of school!

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Archeparchy News

Charitable Work at St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Newark, NJ

Ksenia Hapij Ten years ago a small group of parishioners at St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Newark sat down to share a dream. We wanted to make if but a small difference in the lives of the needy. We started our work within our own community by bringing warm meals to the sick and elderly every two weeks. And also several times a year we visited approximately 50 parishioners who aren’t poor financially but are lonely and in need of a kind word and some attention. Then one day we were approached by Dnipro, a Ukrainian shipping company who suggested that we send Christmas presents to

orphanages in Ukraine and they promised to cover the shipping costs. Though the care givers of the orphans were most appreciative for the gifts that the children received they showed us that there is a great need for clothing and shoes and soon we were collecting and shipping clothing not only to orphanages but also to poor families in Ukraine. One thing led to another and as time went by we got involved in a variety of different projects, touching the needy in most of the states in Ukraine. To date we have sent over 510 wheelchairs, 370 walkers, 140 commodes, 7200 watches for the

blind, 7100 pairs of shoes, 20,200 pairs of socks, 4800 hats for needy children, thousands of St. Nicholas gifts and thousands of adult diapers for the elderly and the sick. We have sent $6000 to orphans, $5500 for disabled children, $10,400 for wounded soldiers, $11,000 for destitute families, $15,000 for needy senior citizens, $6500 for refugees, $3400 for the incarcerated, $7400 for excursions for invalid children, $4000 to pay for camps for children of the streets of Kyiv and $15,700 for hemostatic bandages and tourniquets for soldiers. This year we initiated a project which we called “Feed the

hungry of Ukraine. We worked hand in hand with trusted volunteers in various parts of Ukraine who bought, packaged and delivered bags of food to the elderly on small pensions, to refugees, to poor families and to other people who simply don’t have enough money for the basic foods that most of us take very much for granted. Some volunteers distributed ten bags and others delivered 100 or more. One priest even made a delivery to the elderly who still live in the Chornobyl area. The stories that our volunteers in Ukraine later shared were heart-wrenching. The needy were moved to tears

A homeless boy in Kyiv received a warm meal

(continued on next page)Olya and her family of Lviv received a gift of

food from St. John’s Church in Newark


not only because they received an unexpected gift but also because someone cared enough to touch them with kindness. The Feed the Hungry project brought in over $38,000 and we were able to distribute over 2500 bags of food. This project was so successful that we decided to repeat it. Several months ago, I traveled to Kyiv, Chernivtsi and Lviv and, as always, was inspired by the many dedicated individuals with whom we work. Sometimes people ask me, “How do you know that you can trust these people?” It’s very simple. We selectively choose those who share our philosophy, we watch how they live their lives, and consequently, find that it would be an insult to these particular people if we did not trust them. Take, for example, Halyna - a mother of two adult invalid sons who are totally dependent on her and her husband. Instead of falling into despair, she reached out to other families like hers. She traveled from village to village in search of other invalid children, and gathered them

into an organization of 300 families. Through this organization, she inspires desperate mothers and frightened children, and offers them support groups, programs, contests, trips and much else. Who better to understand them if not Halyna, who has had such a difficult time caring for her own sons for many years! Another example is Oksana, who lives in the Carpathian Mountains. She was involved in our project of feeding the hungry in Ukraine. She does not drive, so unless she can find an available driver, she makes many deliveries on her bicycle. She visits the elderly, and is shocked at the living conditions of people who are destined to survive on a pension of 1500 hryvni (about $55). This amount is not sufficient to cover rent and heating expenses, not to mention medication, food and clothing. And there are so many elderly who are barely surviving! I also enjoy working with Iryna in Kyiv, who belongs to the Society of St. Egidio, an organization whose prime concern is



to help those who are very poor. Members of the Society of St. Egidio prepare and serve meals in three locations in Kyiv, where over 100 people come for food three times every week. During my most recent trip to Kyiv, I joined them for one of these food distributions. Some of the recipients are mentally disabled and unable to provide for themselves, but many are simply elderly people who cannot survive on small pensions. I was most impressed to see

that the members of the Society of St. Egidio (all young people) not only distribute food, but also take the time to speak with the people who come to them – people, who are lonely and hurting. Every Wednesday evening, a square near the post office on Khreshchatyk Street turns into a place of solace, a place for people to find not only food and warm clothing, but also a kind word. I


An invalid by the name of Vasyl (from Chernivtsi) received a bag of food products

Archeparchy News


spoke with several of the recipients of these meals, and one, in particular, touched me deeply. She said, “I had a good job for many years, and was a respected member of society. But today, I live on such a small pension, that I not only lack decent clothing and food, but I have to stand in line for someone to give me a piece of bread.” It’s heart-breaking. Fr. Roman, who heads the international



charitable organization Caritas in Kyiv and four other regions, deserves special mention. He is a young, energetic, idealistic person who has a heart as big as the city in which he lives. He and his co-workers embrace invalids, the elderly, poor families, people of the streets, and many more. I would trust my own grandchildren to his care. There are many other volunteers whom we have had the blessing to befriend - both men and

women, young and old, and in various parts of Ukraine. Each has his or her own story, and each deserves our gratitude. We invite everyone to join us in our quest for kindness. We won’t save the world from poverty but we will bring a tiny bit of hope and a smile to at least some of those who hunger for this. If anyone would like to join us in our charitable ventures, please write to St. John’s Charitable

Program, 719 Sanford Avenue, Newark, NJ 07106 or call Ksenia Hapij at 201-207-4555. Ksenia Hapij runs the parish office at St. John’s Church in Newark, NJ and is the director of the Charitable Program at this church.

Archeparchy News

Holy Myrrh-Bearers Parish Collects Items for Ronald McDonald House

During the months of July and August, the parishioners of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church in Swarthmore, PA. collected and delivered much needed supplies and consumable items for the parents and children staying at the Ronald McDonald House for Children in Philadelphia. The Ronald McDonald House provides free support to parents and families of children receiving life-saving treatments at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital. The collection effort was part of Holy Myrrh-Bearers parish’s ongoing social outreach to members of the local community. October is “Socktober” at Holy Myrrh-Bearers and this outreach effort will


collect socks for those in need. If you wish to assist us with this effort, please drop your donations off at the church located at 900 Fairview Road in Swarthmore, PA.

Saint Basil Academy 711 Fox Chase Road Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 19046

215.885.3771 phone 215.885.4025 fax info@ stbasilacademy.org

www.stbasilacademy.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JENKINTOWN, Pa – September 13, 2019 – On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, Saint Basil Academy announced that an anonymous donor has generously pledged a $1,000,000.00 contribution as a cornerstone of major giving to the Sustainability Campaign. The announcement was made as 245 students and their families were welcomed at Back to School Night. This transformative gift will allow Saint Basil Academy to continue to work toward sustainability. Rev. Joseph Campellone, OSFS, Advancement Consultant stated, “This is an amazing reflection on the greatness of the Saint Basil Community.”

Students and families have committed their support, and the faculty and administration are dedicated to the mission of building the minds of leaders through service and compassion.

In June 2019, the Sustainability Campaign was launched to not only secure the future of the school but allow Saint Basil Academy to aggressively compete for incoming classes on sound financial footing. The goal of the campaign is to raise $300,000 annually and expand major gifts. Since the inception of the campaign, Saint Basil Academy has received an outpouring of support from the community. To date, donors have pledged two-thirds of the annual goal.

ABOUT SAINT BASIL ACADEMY: Saint Basil Academy is a college preparatory high school for young women rooted in the mission of building the minds of leaders through service and compassion. Through academic excellence, the Academy educates the whole person by integrating faith and life.

# # #

CONTACT: For more information contact: Rev. Joseph Campellone, OSFS, Advancement Consultant [email protected] 215-651-4303

Paulina Jalon Digital Media and Marketing Coordinator [email protected] 215-885-3771 ext. 135

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Children’s Corner

May be freely printed and shared for non-commercial use. ByziMom.com and ssjoachimandanna.org

of

Official Publication of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

We are all looking forward to the beautiful Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Make sure you study the icon of this feast and read the I Spy icon explanation. Now, let’s see what our Catechism has to say about the Holy Cross of Christ.

We can check out the Table of Contents in the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ Our Pascha and we will not find a chapter or section specifically about the cross. However, if we look up “cross” in the index, we see lots of paragraph numbers. If you have the time, you can look them all up but let’s study paragraphs 139 and 140.(Remember, the index gives us paragraph numbers.)

Here, we are reminded of the Story of Adam and Eve. Do you know that story? Adam and Eve decided not to obey God. When they disobeyed God, they cut off the wonderful, special bond they had with God. God gave Adam and Eve the gift of freedom to choose death or to choose life. When they disobeyed, they choose death instead of life. We see this free choice decision in this story. Read the story for yourself in the Bible in the book of Genesis, Chapter 2. God tells Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God did not do that to be mean. He did that to strengthen them and so they could prove their love for Him. God is all about love. In fact, God IS love. God did not want robots in heaven to love Him. He wanted us to choose to love him. He wanted people who want to be with Him.

Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. This wrong choice becomes death for them. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil becomes an instrument of death for them. But God did not abandon us. Let’s talk about another

To your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration;

and we glorify your holy Resurrection.

instrument of death, the cross, This cross was an instrument of horrible and shameful death. But through Our Lord’s death on the cross, this now becomes a life-giving cross—a tree of Life. Our Lord voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, By His death and Resurrection He turns this instrument of death into an instrument to give us Life. This month, the Church will celebrate the Feast of the Exultation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. We read in our Catechism how the cross is another tree—the cross planted in the ground, and fed and watered by the blood and water which flowed from the side of Jesus as he was dying on the cross. Our Lord transforms this instrument of death into a tree of life. We must chose this tree instead of the tree of death. On this great feast day we will hear these beautiful words.

God created us with the freedom to choose to love him or not to love Him. (Remember—no robots!) God wants us to chose to love Him. Like Adam and Eve we too can chose to love Him or disobey Him. God has given us the freedom to make this choice. What will you choose? I hope we will all chose “Life” and decide to obey God’s law. If sometimes we make the wrong choice, remember God loves us and is always ready to forgive us and help us choose to love Him.


Children’s Corner

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

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Children’s Corner

WORKSHEETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT BYZIMOM.COM! MAY BE PRINTED AND SHARED FOR EDUCATIONAL USE. NOT TO BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

Interesting Things for those Willing to Look

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS On September 14, we commemorate a great discovery, the finding of the True Cross! It had been lost for many years. Pagan rulers had tried to get rid of everything that would remind people of Our Lord. The Emperor Hadrian ordered that temples to the

Roman god, Jupiter and to the goddess, Venus should be built on the spot where Jesus had died and rose from the dead. Later on, when the Emperor Constantine the Great was converted, he restored Christianity to the Byzantine Empire. He sent his mother, Empress Helena on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the year 326 AD. He sent her to discover and preserve the holy places where Our Lord lived, died and rose from the

dead. St. Helena was given a letter to show to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, giving her permission to explore and try to find these holy places. She asked every-where for clues as to where the cross might be and eventually she was helped by an elderly Jewish man named Jude. He told her where to find the cross. Jude and his family were later converted to Christianity and baptized. Jude took the name Cyriacus and later he became a saint and the Bishop of Jerusalem! Saint Helena ordered the pagan temples to be torn down, and she began to dig under the ground where the temples had been. Three crosses were found there, along with four nails, and the board bearing the inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”. They had found the site of the True Cross. But which of the three crosses was Christ’s and which were those of the thieves? Saint Helena had the wood of each touched to the body of a dying woman. When the True Cross touched the woman, she was restored. A funeral procession was passing by, and when they touched the wood to the dead man he came back to life. News of this became widespread and huge crowds came to the site to venerate the Holy Relics. The people begged Patriarch Macarius to elevate the Cross as high as he could so they could all could see it and venerate it. THIS is the event we see de-picted in the festal icon.

Later, Saint Constantine ordered a new temple to be built in Jerusalem, on Golgotha, to house these newly found relics. The construction took 10 years and St. Helena sadly did not live to see it. This church was dedicated to the Holy Resurrection. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was established the very next day and celebrated for the first time on September 14, 335 AD. -Written by Lynne Wardach

Elevation of The Cross, Dmitry Shkolnik @ http://www.shkolnikstudio.com

Here are some things we can usually find in Icons of this Feast Take a look and see how many you can find.

Do you see the Empress Saint Helena? She is always seen in icons of this Feast. She wears a crown because she is the Emperor’s mother. Sometimes we even see St. Constantine the Great. Even though he was not present as the actual event, he is sometimes pictured in these icons. Remember that icons are not meant to be photos of the actual event. We always see Patriarch Saint Macarius. He is holding up the cross for all to see. Sometimes, we see other people helping him hold it up. Patriarch Macarius is seen in an ambo or pulpit. There are stairs going up to the pulpit. He stands as high up as he can for all to see the cross. Do you notice where everyone is looking? Yup, they are all looking at the Holy Cross. Often, we see St. Jude and his family who helped St. Helena find the cross. Sometimes they are wearing hats. We often see deacons holding candles next to the cross or holding an incenseor. In the coloring page, do you see someone holding a box? What do you think is in the box? Maybe the box holds the four nails St. Helena found. In the background you can usually find the Church that was build to house the holy relics, even though it was not build at the time the cross was found

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.


Holidays/Feast Day

FEAST OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has a great devotion to Mary the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God. Throughout the liturgical (church) year, we celebrate various feasts in honor of Our Lady. On October 1st on the Gregorian calendar and on October 14th on the Julian calendar, Our Church celebrates the Feast of the Pokrov, Her Heavenly Intercession and Protection. Many a church, both here in America and in Ukraine, has been dedicated in Her honor, especially those called the Patronage or Protection (Pokrov) of the Mother of God.

Christ Our Lord before dying on the Cross establishes a special relationship between Mary His mother and His beloved disciple John. “When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near (at the foot of the Cross), He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, Your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took Her to his own home.” (RSV John 19: 26-27)

This special relationship with Mary is not only with John the beloved disciple, but rather with all the faithful disciples of the Lord. Mary is our spiritual mother, the Mother of the Church. The Holy Theotokos Who in heaven in the presence of Her Son, Our Lord, intercedes on our behalf. Her heavenly intercession helps us to remain steadfast in Faith and protects us form the onslaughts of the evil one and from all evil.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav in a sermon delivered on the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin (October 14, 2015) reminds us of how the city of Constantinople was saved through the intercession of the Holy Theotokos from enemy attack, at a time when it appeared that no human force could save the people from ultimate destruction. St. Andrew during services in the Church of Blachernes saw the Mother of God approach the ambo. Accompanied by many saints the Theotokos knelt in prayer with Her face bathed in tears.

Taking Her veil or omorphor, Mary extends

it over the faithful as a sign of protection. The Icon of the Protection of the Mother of God show Mary’s arms outstretched in prayer and draped with a veil or omorphor. This highlights for us the fact that She is the “Never-failing Protectress” of all Christians and our ever-present Advocate before Christ, Her Son.

In the tropar for the Feast, we pray: “Watch over us with Your noble protection and deliver us from all evil by asking Your Son, Christ our God, to save our souls.” Let us remember, we are never alone. We can always and anywhere turn to Her to intercede for us.

Ukraine in recent years has designated October 14th as “Defender of Ukraine Day.” It was under the banner of Our Lady that our Kozaks laid the foundations of statehood. It was on this very day that participants in the national liberation of Ukraine had begun to fight last century for freedom. And it is under the banner, the auspices of the Blessed virgin Mary that Ukrainian servicemen, armed forces, defend our beloved Ukraine from

any external aggression.

His Beatitude spoke of what a vital role those in the Ukrainian army serve in defense of a free Ukraine. His Beatitude asks the faithful to be ever grateful to the Defenders of Ukraine, wishing that all be in solidarity and prayer: “Strengthen our unwavering faith in the victory of the power of God’s truth, renew our hope with unceasing prayer of intercession, and teach us to love and defend our Motherland (Ukraine) through the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

May all of us trust in Mary’s maternal care and protection. For it has never been heard of that She (the Mother of God) would ever not help those in time of need.

Rev. D. George Worschak


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Permanent Whole Life Insurance Cash Value Guaranteed Death Benefit for Your Loved Ones Coverage will Never Expire Face Value Death Benefit Will Never Decrease Affordable Premiums that will Never Increase Peace of Mind Do not be a Financial Burden to your Loved Ones Ready Access to Benefit without Probate or Delays Single Pay “One-and-Done” Option Available Face Value Coverage as High as Needed Available Coverage Amounts as Low as $3,000.00 available

www.provassn.com


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https://www.facebook.com/St.VladimirUCC/

Designer Bag Bingo

NEW EVENT!

Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Doors open

at Noon

Games begin at

1 PM

Tickets: $25 in advance $30 at the door

* Sample Only *

Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church

1564 Allentown Road, Lansdale, PA 19446

https://presentationukrainiancc.com

For Tickets and Information: Please Call Alicia at 215-852-3463

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Mothers in Prayer convention will take place on Sunday, October 13, 2019, in Whippany, NJ

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St. Vladimir Parish Annual Flea Market (Scranton)

The Annual Flea Market sponsored by St. Vladimir Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will be held in the Parish Center, 428 North Seventh Avenue, Scranton on Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Doors will not open before 9:00am. This event benefits the Parish Children’s Religious Education Program. Ukrainian and American foods will be available

for purchase along with a bake sale. An attractive theme basket raffle will also be held.

To reserve a table or for additional information contact Daria at 570 963-1580.

VOL. 80 - No. 18 SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 ENGLISH VERSION First ... · Kuntsevich, Archbishop of Polotsk....

Documents

Transcript of VOL. 80 - No. 18 SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 ENGLISH VERSION First ... · Kuntsevich, Archbishop of Polotsk....