new star - НОВА ЗОРЯ - june, 2009
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Techny Towers, .
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The Clergy Conference for 2009 was held at Techny Towers Conference andRetreat Center, Techny, Illinois. The venue just twenty miles north of eparchial
offices in Chicago was the destination of priests anddeacons from Detroit, Dallas, Denver, San Diego andelsewhere within the vast St Nicholas Eparchy.
This year's topic of discovery addressed the issue ofliturgical celebration. The presenter was Fr MarkMorozovich, of the Eparchy of St Josaphat, Parma,Ohio--a professor at St Josaphat Seminary andAssistant Professor at the Catholic University ofAmerica, Washington, DC.
Fr Mark's approach was intertwined with historicalreferences that emphasized the rationale for our exis-tence as Ukrainian Catholics in the first place. Hebegan with a reference to "the vast undertaking byMetropolitan ANDREW (Sheptytsky) in 1903 'to rid the
Church of Rus' of its unwarranted innovations' fromthe Latin Church."
He asked for introspection on the faithful adherenceto these principles, as well as those of NineteenthCentury Popes Leo XIII and Benedict XV, who in var-ious encyclicals made known to the entire CatholicChurch the valuable riches of Eastern Christianexpression, and our duty to live up to the standards ofour legitimate ritual patrimony.
He reiterated the more recent documents of VaticanII and of subsequent publication of norms by the Codeof Canons of the Eastern Churches andInstruction forApplying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of
Canons of the Eastern Churches, (1996) so that ourfaithful would benefit from the treasures available to
us.Without going into specific details of liturgical cel-ebration of the various services, Fr Mark elucidatedthe principles that insure the proper use of singing,standing, incense, processions, movements andscheduling that set the whole tenor of the liturgicalexperience for all who participate in the Divine serv-ices we offer.
The two-day program of conferences was dividedinto four sessions that provided nearly six hours ofpresentation. During the discourse, questions wereasked--by Fr Mark, to encourage our own criticalthinking--or by us as a matter of clarification: all tomake us more aware.
Out of the talks emerged the reasoning behind theinsistence of the II Vatican Council's strict resolve to
have us forego certain foreign elements that had creptinto our Church over the centuries. "Return to ances-
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datedmaterial--deliverbyJune10
Clergy Conference
2009
continued page 11
Our priests and deacons hear the presentation of Fr Mark.
Bishop Richard addressed the clergy during Divine Liturgy in the
Africa Chapel at Techny Towers of the Society of the Divine Word.
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STEADFAST AND FAITHFUL:A MARTYR'S JOURNEY
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11NEW STARJune, 2009
tral ways" is not a comment out of context--but in har-mony with the early Twentieth Century propheticobservations of Metropolitan Andrew as cited above.
There is a particular reason why certain "latinisms"that have crept into some of our churches are to be
abandoned. Some of these include "Stations of theCross," kneeling on Sunday, "First Communions," theuse of "clackers" on Holy Friday, insertion of the words"and the Son" into the Creed, and the proliferation ofprivate devotions that have less relevance to EasternSpirituality than some others. We were urged to exer-cise our obligation to study the proper rites and prac-tices of our Church--and the duty to dispense suchinformation to the faithful through catechesis and hom-ilies that instruct and inspire all to a better appreciationof who it is we are. We were reminded of the popularand easily attainable resources of God With UsPublications, provided through cooperation of our bish-ops.
A perspective was brought into focus by a look at theactual articles of the Treaty of Brest (1595) which stip-
ulated conditions of establishing a "common union"with the Church of Rome that was to ensure therewould be no coercion to be imitators of that particularform of Christianity. Particularly there was to be nochange made to the use of Vespers, Matins and theDivine Liturgy, nor to the Mysteries of Baptism(including Chrismation, Eucharist), the Crowning ofMarriage or observance of rituals that the RomanChurch does not celebrate.
Here were mentioned specifically the phrase "and theSon," the use of clappers, and the request to not beforced to process with the Mysteries of "the Day ofCorpus Christi." These were among the other provi-sions that fostered subsequent unions in Uzhorod(1646) and L'viv (1700). Slowly, after these 16th, 17thand 18th Century agreements, the resolve eroded to the
point that Metropolitan Andrew found it necessary toinsist one hundred years ago upon more faithful obser-vance of the venerable traditions of our Church. Thencame the more strongly-worded "Decree on the EasternCatholic Churches" of 1964 (Vatican II).
A rather recent innovation was mentioned, that goesagainst the instruction of the Second Vatican Council,and subsequent pronouncements. It, as well, defies thespirit of the articles of union and the intention ofMetropolitan Andrew. It is the intrusion of the so-called"Divine Mercy Sunday" into our calendar in some iso-lated incidents. Fr Mark questioned the purpose ofsuch an unauthorized introduction, based upon a lackof appreciation of the existing format of the Sundayafter Pascha--St Thomas Sunday--which may not besupplanted without damaging the integrity of ourChurch. It remains as an observance applicable only tothe calendar of the Roman Rite.
Each day of the conference the Divine Liturgy wascelebrated. Tuesday, Fr Mark was with us for the 18thanniversary of his priestly ordination, and noted hecould spend it in no better way than by sharing withother clergy. On Wednesday, Bishop Richard was themain celebrant, after which the Chrism signifying thecommon union of all parishes with the eparchial bish-op was distributed to each one.
continued from page 1
There is some time to socialize between sessions
There were times for informal gathering.
Three meals a day kept up the energy level.
ABOVE:Fr Mark also delivered a
homily during the Divine Liturgy.
LEFT: This group spans the width
of the Eparchy--from Detroit to
California, and points in between.Let us pray to the Lord is the invitation
from Fr Deacon Volodomyr.
Fr Deacon Pavlo bows to theicon of the Theotokos.
Fr Mark explains a point projected on the screen.
ABOVE:Fr Andrij
Chirovsky receives
the vial of Chrism
for his parish from
Chancellor, FrJames Karepin,
OP.
LEFT: The daily
Liturgy was an
opportunity for our
clergy to pray
together.
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UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OPENS
STUDENT CHURCH: LVIV - On May 2, 2009 in Lviv,the Church of the New Martyrs of the Ukrainian GreekCatholic Church, particularly intended for students,was blessed. The church is the first object of a futureadditional campus of the Ukrainian Catholic University(UCU) and one of the few newly-built wooden church-es of the region.
The blessing ceremony was led by Archbishop IHOR(Vozniak) of Lviv. The event was attended by top cityand regional officials, representatives of business andcultural elites of the city, civic organizations, lay peo-ple and students.
The first Liturgy in the new church is to be celebrat-ed by the rector of UCU, Fr. Borys Gudziak, Ph.D.During the consecration ceremony, the rector drew theattention of the audience to the fact that the church isnamed after martyrs of the UGCC declared "blessed"
by Pope John Paul II in June, 2001. "No one did morethan they did to overcome the main challenges of the
20th century faced by the UGCC," he stressed. Anotherspecificity of the event is the fact that for the first timea construction project of UCU was implemented withthe funds of only local donors.
The construction was carried out under the leader-ship of a professor of UCU, Fr. Bohdan Prach, Ph.D.According to him, "I hope that the church and, in the
future, the whole campus of UCU will attract studentsfrom other higher educational institutions of Lviv. Thechurch and the campus are to become a laboratorystudying how and in what directions the student apos-tolate in general should develop."
UCU INCLUDED IN UN'S GLOBAL COMPACT: OnJanuary 26, 2009 the Ukrainian Catholic Universityjoined the Global Compact of the United Nations. TheGlobal Compact's network in Ukraine already has 130members, including such influence groups as busi-ness, non-government sector, work organizations, andacademic sector. Ukraine joined the compact in2005.UCU, which is the first Catholic university in thepost-Soviet space, has experience in the area of corpo-
rate social responsibility (CSR). For example, lastyear the university's business school conductedresearch and a seminar-caf, master-class and roundtable on questions of business based on values andsocial responsibility. This year, the business schoolwill continue the research and co-organize a confer-
ence on these questions. The research of 2009 will dealwith questions of the increase of the effectiveness ofbusiness by integrating CSR into a company's strategy.According to the press service of the Global Compactof Ukraine, its "Secretariat welcomes the UkrainianCatholic University as a member of the network andwill continue to promote inclusion of educational insti-tutions in the Global Compact."
NEW AUXILLARY BISHOP HAS BEEN APPOINTED
FOR KYIV ARCHEPARCHY: On April 16, 2009, theVatican announced that His Holiness Benedict XVI has
blessed the decision of theSynod of Bishops of theUkrainian Greek CatholicChurch to appoint Fr. Yosf(Milyan), a monk of theStudite order and pastor ofthe Church of the Annuncia-
tion to the Holy Mother ofGod at the PatriarchalCathedral of the Resurrectionof Christ, as auxiliary bishopof the Kyiv Archeparchy. Thetitular see of Drusiliana will be given to the new bish-op.
CABLE STATION EWTN PROGRAM: EWTN hasscheduled a 30-minute special on the life of BishopVASYL (Velychkovsky), who spent several years as aprisoner in Soviet Gulags for refusing to deny hisCatholic faith. The program will air on June 30.
Here is the schedule as found on the EWTN website.Steadfast and Faithful: A
Martyr's Journey (30:00)This program tells thestory of Blessed VasylVelychkovsky, a Ukrainianpriest who after beingreleased from the SovietGulag prison in 1972, andbanned from his homecountry, found refuge inWinnipeg, Manitoba, Can-ada. He died shortly there-after as a result of tortureand medical testing in thehands of the Soviets.
Times listed are Eastern and Pacific.Tuesday, June 30, 2009: 3:00 AM 12 AM
Tuesday, June 30, 2009: 6:30 PM 3:30 PMCheck your local listings.
In Spring and Summer, many of us turn our attentionto planting and harvesting. Especially nowadays,when we are all being encouraged to "go green!"Many of us have several green gardens to tendtoflower gardens, herb gardens, and vegetable gar-dens. We have fruit trees that need tobe pruned, fertilized and harvested.We eat what we grow and we share
what we've grown with our friendsand our neighbors. In August, webring fruit to our parish churches forblessing on the feast of theTransfiguration; we bring flowersand herbs to our parish churches forblessing on the feast of theDormition of the Mother of God.
There are other kinds of gardensthat God has planted and entrusted toour care that don't have a whole lot todo with fruits, herbs, flowers or veg-etables. Let's spend a few minutesreflecting on them and ask ourselvesand our family members some ques-tions about how well we are tending to these gardens!
Our Spiritual Gardens: What care do we give toour relationship with God in worship, personal prayer,and our calling to use our unique gifts in His service?How well do we tend to our immortal soul?
Our Social Gardens: Do we care sufficiently forthose around us? Do we exercise concern for the issuesof our broader society?
Our Physical Gardens: How well do we manageour health with proper exercise and nutrition, by watch-ing our weight, and by taking or allowing time forleisure?
Our Psychological Gardens: Do we respect ouremotional life and seek help in times of illness? Do we
use prayer to calm us in times of stress? Do we driveour vehicles with a Christian attitude?
Our Political Gardens: Are we informed citizens?Do we assume appropriate responsibility for the goodof all creation? Are we pro-active in helping to shape
political direction? Do wecast our vote in every elec-tion? Do we assist others to
reach the polls?Our Economic Gardens:
Do we accumulate and dis-perse our financial resourceswith justice and charity?What do we own? What ownsus? Do we give back to Godfrom the first fruits of ourabundance or do we give onlyfrom our excess?
Our Ecological Gardens:
How well do we attend to theneeds of the earth by properuse of water, air, soil and othernatural resources? Do we take
time, and give the effort to recycle?Our Cultural Gardens: Do we support the arts and
those who attempt to bring beauty and music to ourlives? Do we read great books? Do we read to chil-dren?
Our Technological Gardens: How well do we usethe great gifts of technology, computers and massmedia to make the world a healthier and safer place?Do we misuse these gifts to the detriment of others?
We can ask ourselves similar questions about ourparish "gardens." Do we appreciate and promote ourUkrainian Catholic spiritual Tradition? Do we careabout the families and friends that are members of ourparish? Do we welcome and are we hospitable to visi-
tors and new parishioners? Do we and members of ourfamilies take on parish responsibilities? Do we supportour fellow parishioners when they take on parishresponsibilities? Do we help care for the parish build-ings and financially support the parish as best as we areable?
You may be able to think of other kinds of gardensthat need tending. One thing for certain, no matterwhich kind of garden we are talking about, "goodground" is really important. (In this column last year,we talked about how important it was to create andtend "good ground" in our families so that the Word of
God could take hold in our hearts and minds). To cre-ate that "good ground" we must frequently take thetime to make a point, teach a principle, instill a behav-ior, and most importantly of all, be and give a goodexample. Our fruit, herb and vegetable gardens alsoneed water, fertilizer and maybe some bug repellent.Our personal and parish gardens need prayer, prayer,and some bug repellent, too--more prayer--to combatthe evil that is all around us!
ANew Star reader sent me the following which nice-ly compliments what this article is all about--beingcareful about what you plant, where you plant, and howyou tend to what you have planted so that in the end,your gardens will flourish!
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust; If you plantgoodness, you will reapfriends; If you plant humility, you will reapgreatness; If you plantperseverance, you will reap contentment; If you plant consideration, you will reapperspective; If you plant hard work, you will reapsuccess; If you plantforgiveness, you will reap reconciliation; If you plantfaith in God, you will reap a great har-vest!
Concept of Life's Gardens adapted from BishopRobert Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Green Bay,Wisconsin, and the Office of Stewardship andDevelopment, Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan
Tending Your Gardens
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A small
T u c s o ncongrega-tion, richand com-plicated inits history,has a per-m a n e n thome aftermore than25 years.
The new church building is powerful in its symbol-ism for parishioners of St. Michael's UkrainianCatholic Church. Some members had parents who suf-fered religious persecution in Ukraine, where fordecades the church was banned. Services during those
years were held secretly in people's homes, or even inthe woods.What binds these Tucson Ukrainian Catholics now is
a shared longing for a strong faith community.Since the early 1980s, about 25 people have met in a
makeshift chapel adjoining a house on the East Side.The site was difficult to find, and newcomers often did-n't return.
"There was no church there, really," said the parishcouncil president, Ihor Kunasz. "There was nothingthat identified it as a church. It was just a building."
About three years ago, interest grew in a North Sidechurch occupied by the Holy Resurrection AntiochianOrthodox Church, 715 W. Vanover Road. That congre-gation was hoping to move after outgrowing theMiracle Manor neighborhood church.
In February, the sale was finalized."We have been trying for so many years, but we have
such a small group and we just couldn't get anywhere,"said Christina Vecbastiks, who moved from Alaska toGreen Valley with her husband, Ivars, 14 years ago.
She said they are overjoyed to have a home at last.In the past, Vecbastiks said, the congregation had
trouble finding priests. [Liturgy] sometimes had to becelebrated on Saturday, when a visiting priest could doit. There were no regular services on holidays.
Vecbastiks, 64, was born in Ukraine and moved tothe United States with her family in 1949. Her husband
is Latvian, she said, but he now enjoys her church.The new priest at St. Michael's, the Rev. Andriy
Chirovsky, is returning the parish to its traditions,Vecbastiks said."He's taking us back to the way things should be,
both spiritually and culturally," she said.Chirovsky, 52, said even now it's critical for
Ukrainian Catholics to feel a sense of belonging. Theirfaith was banned in Ukraine in 1945 and wasn'trestored until 1989.
"They did not fear that the Roman Catholics couldreally spread throughout the Soviet Union because,culturally, they were Western," said Chirovsky, who isalso a professor of Eastern Christian studies at aCanadian university--he teaches mostly through video-
conference.Freedom to practice Ukrainian Catholicism returned
20 years ago, after Mikhail Gorbachev met with PopeJohn Paul II.
Chirovsky commutes each week from Tempe to cel-ebrate [Liturgy] here. He is a married priest, which iscommon in Eastern Catholic churches, and he has threechildren.
Chirovsky was born in New Jersey after his parentsescaped Josef Stalin's dictatorship. He was ordained byCardinal Josyf Slipyj, who spent 18 years in Siberianconcentration camps for his beliefs.
"He was the greatest man I ever knew. He ralliedUkrainian Catholics out in the Free World. He said,'Hold on, hold on,' " Chirovsky recalled.
Parish member Bohban "Buddy" Gojnycz remem-bers working with his mother in a German labor camp.At that time, he was terrified of being returned toUkraine, his homeland, where many were executed forallegations of treason.
Gojnycz, 71, moved to New York City with hismother when he was 12. His father died in World WarII.
"We always pray for our brothers back home and thewelfare of the country," he said. "We're very happy theUkraine is independent now and that the church isallowed to practice freely."
Gojnycz enjoys working on the church,especially reconstructing an iconostasis,or icon screen, which the congregationobtained from a Minneapolis church.
An iconostasis creates a decoratedboundary between the church nave,where people sit, and the altar. He said ittook six weeks to reconstruct the wall,which arrived in 100 pieces.
"We feel very fortunate that this cameto us. It really was a gift from God," hesaid. "If we hadn't taken it, it would havegone to a museum."
An average of 50 people now attend[Liturgy] at St. Michael's. Kunasz, theparish council president, said about 85people attended Easter services.
Kunasz, 69, was born and raised inFrance but grew up knowing his culture.
His mother left Ukraine on work contract when shewas 17.
On Saturdays, when Kunasz was a child, a group ofUkrainians met at his family's home, where the mem-bers studied the language, music, art and customs of
their homeland."And we've now passed it on to our children, andthey are passing it on to their children," said Kunasz,whose family immigrated to the United States in 1958.He moved to Tucson in 1999. "Finally, we have ourown beautiful church," he said. "We are looking for-ward to a great, great future where people can experi-ence the Eastern Church tradition, the Ukrainian one inparticular."
By Patty Machelor, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson,Arizona, April 20, 2009.Reprinted with permission.
UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS IN TUCSONWorshippers find a home
Small group with strong ties has a real church at last
Fr Andriy Chirovsky delivers the homily at St Michaels Church.
On Sunday April 5, 2009 at the conclusion of thePalm Sunday Divine Liturgy Joseph G. Kuchta was pre-sented theParvuli Dei Religion Emblem at Protectionof the Mother of God (Pokrova) Church, Houston,Texas, in conjunction with his participation in the BoyScouts of America (BSA).
The Parvuli Dei is the second of five religionEmblems that is availalble to Catholic youth involvedwith BSA, and is presented by the authority of BishopRichard Seminack.
Joseph, a Webe-los II Scout, is 11years-old and theson of Eugene and
Irene Kuchta, and isan altar server andattends Sunday reli-gion classes.
Houston Scout Presented
Parvuli DeiEmblem
The Bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches metfor their annual two-day gathering April 22 and 23,2009 in St. Louis, Missouri at the Maronite PastoralCenter.
The agenda was very full and included a review ofthe Eastern Catechetical Eparchial programs, and pre-sentations from Theresa Kettelkamp of the Office forProtection of Children and Youth; the NationalAdvisory Council; and the National Organization ofContinuing Education of Catholic Clergy. The bish-ops also continued planning the Encounter of EasternCatholic Churches, scheduled for 2011 and discussed
a presentation from the National LeadershipRoundtable of Church Management.
The meeting is an opportunity for the bishops of theEastern Catholic Churches to share in common con-cerns and needs of our Churches, and to grow in ourfellowship and knowledge of one another. The topicsof discussion facilitate the enhancement of knowl-edge of our respective Churches in specific areas ofneed. The bishops also are able to address specificneeds and issues as members of Region XV of theUnited States Catholic Conference of Bishops.
Father Mykola
Dovzhuk presented
Joseph Kuchta
the Parvuli DeiEmblem.
Eastern Catholic Bishops of USA Meet
Photo: Mary Denny
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Awise and elderly priest abouteighty-eight years old found him-self on the train one day. When
the conductor came by, the priest couldn'tfind his ticket. He seemed terribly upset.He searched through all his pockets andlooked through his wallet without suc-cess. The conductor was very sympathet-ic, saying, "Don't worry, Father! The rail-road will be happy to trust you. After youleave the train, you will probably find theticket and you can mail it to us." But theconductor's kindness failed to put the eld-erly priest at ease. Still very much upset,he said, "My dear man, my problem is notwhere my ticket is, my problem is wheream I going."
As we journey with Jesus today throughJerusalem on the road to Calvary's Hill,"where are WE going?"
The truth of our journey is that Jesus isguiding us to a meeting place with Godwhere we can experience His presencemost intensely.
The truth is that the only way to Easterand the resurrection is through the Cross.The only way to new life in Christ isthrough the Cross.
In Christ's suffering and death we haveGod's supreme expression of His love forus.
This is the very heart of the Christianmessage. This is the very heart of the
Gospel of Christ. This is what Saint Paulmeant when he said, "As for me brothers,when I came to you, it was not any showof oratory or philosophy, but simply to tellyou what God had guaranteed. During mystay with you, the only knowledge Iclaimed to have was about Jesus, and onlyabout Him as the crucified Christ." ICor.2: 1-2)
With joy-filled hearts we call ourselves"Easter Christians" and "ResurrectionChristians." But there is no Resurrection,there is no New Life, except by the jour-ney this week and always by way of theCross.
Our Lord and Savior makes it unmis-takably clear that if we want to identify
with Him and makeHis life a model forour own, we must beready, willing andable to accept painand suffering--evendeath--for others.That is what itmeans to belong toJesus Christ at adeep level of ourbeing. That is thetrue meaning ofbeing a disciple ofJesus. It means astyle of life in which we care about othersso completely that we are willing to sacri-
fice on their behalf. "A man can have nogreater love," says the Lord, "than to laydown his life for his friends."
Not one of us here today is compelledto be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We arehere to accept the call or reject it. But wedo need to realize that in accepting it thereis a price we must pay. The willingness tofollow Jesus' example of sacrificial love isthe cost of discipleship. In truth, we don'tneed to be grim about this because mostwonderfully the life of true discipleship isthe most gloriously fulfilling, and joyouslife that a person can know.
The Lord God Almighty who created usand sustains us in life, lovingly guides us
into wholeness of life. "The Lord is myshepherd," the psalmist wrote: "I lacknothing. Though I pass through a gloomyvalley, I fear no harm."
Jesus tells us that unless we allow Godto guide us through the dark valley therecan be no New Life.
Jesus tells us that the great GodAlmighty works through a process ofdeath and resurrection.
Jesus tells us that this is the way GodAlmighty has chosen to bring New Lifeinto the world. "Unless a wheat grain fallson the ground and dies it remains only asingle grain; but if it dies, it yields a richharvest." (Jn, 12: 24) In speaking thisparable to His disciples, Jesus is helping
them to understand that His death isabsolutely necessary if there is to beNew Life. On Good Friday you will bereminded that Jesus cries out in anguishfrom His Cross, "My God, My God,why have you deserted me?" (Mk.15:34)
Jesus' crown of thorns was a crown oflove. His sorrow was carved into thedeepest level of His being. Because Hebelieved in love He suffered the nails inHis hands and feet, and the sword thatpierced His side. And with his dyingbreath He said of those who crucified
Him, "Father, forgive them." (Lk 23: 34)And to the thief who hung besideHim, Jesus said, "Indeed, I promise you,today you will be with Me in paradise."(Lk 23: 43)
The victory parade into Jerusalem thisPalm Sunday draws attention to thepower of God's love for each of us. Thecrown of victory was in the pain andsuffering that Jesus underwent on thatnecessary Good Friday.
Believe in God's love and you willknow where you are going.
Bishop Richards
Palm Sunday Homily
So What Else Do You Do with
All Your Spare Time?
As Chancellor of the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, I spend most ofmy time inflicting Veritas--i.e., "Truth", the motto of the Dominicans--upon God'sUkrainian clergy and laity. As If I needed more work to do, I have begun to dotranslations for the website of Dominican Network (http://un.op.org), which tellsabout the work of the delegation of the Order of Preachers to the United Nations.The Dominican Delegate to the UN is Olivier Poquillon, OP, a friar of theProvince of France. Since Brother Olivier is a French-speaker, he sends me doc-uments in French so that I can translate them into English for the site. The Frenchfriar (pun intended!) thought that it would be a good idea for me to actually knowwhat I was talking about, so I went to Geneva to get first-hand experience of whatthe UN does, and of the part the Dominican Order is able to play in shaping pol-icy. Moreover, I was able to enjoy the hospitality of the Swiss province and thefriars of St. Dominic Priory in Geneva and St. Hyacinth Priory in Fribourg.
The Dominican Order takes its place among the non-governmental organiza-tions (NGO's) which take part in many of the functions at the UN. Our presenceis intended to bring to light the Christian values for which we stand, values whichare consistent with the human values enshrined in the UN Charter and in interna-
tional treaties to which signatory nations are bound by their free choice.Adherence to these values is subject to the scrutiny of various bodies, such as theHuman Rights Council under the auspices of the UN Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). I focused largely on the work of theUniversal Periodic Review (UPR), where member nations are held up for scruti-ny based upon their human rights record; as a temporary delegate, I was fortunateindeed to be able to attend meetings of the UPR to see how the theory was putinto practice.
In short, I am more than ever convinced of the wisdom of the bumper-stickerwhich reminds us "If you want peace, work for justice."
-Fr. Jim Karepin, op
Eleven members of ECED(Eastern Conference of Ep-archial Directors of ReligiousEducation) met at the Byz-antine Catholic Seminary ofSS Cyril and Methodius inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May17-20, 2009.
The bi-annual meetingaddressed issues of produc-tion, distribution and promo-tion of catechetical materialsfor the various eparchies in theUnited States.
Among the items discussed involved
decisions on conducting sales of spe-cific items, the acceptance of an authorfor revised Grade Seven texts; relo-cating some archives, supplies andoffice furniture; and deciding upon asuitable poster for this years obser-vance of Catechetical Sunday.
Daily, prayers began the schedule,which included times for meals inaddition to the deliberations. Eachevening also included some time forthe members to relax and socialize.
Fr Karepin, as other priests, finds a way to serve the Church in a role that is
"extra-curricular", going beyond the duties imposed upon him by the Eparchy. ed.
ECED Members Meet
The committee scrutinized proofs of the
Catechetical Sunday poster.
ECED members were joined for dinner
by seminary instructors and staff.
L-R: Dr Barbara Lutz, Passaic; Sr Jean Marie Cihota, OSBM, Van Nuys; Fr John Lucas, StNicholas; Rt Rev John Kachuba,Parma; Bishop NICHOLAS (Samra); Fr Elias Rafaj, Pittsburgh;V Rev Gregory Noga,Passaic; Sr Ann Lasxok, OSBM, St Josaphat; Fr Fred Saato,Newton; SrMarion Dobos, OSB, Pittsburgh; not pictured: Fr Albert Forlano, Stamford.
Photo: Sr Margaret Ann Andrako, OSBM
continued page 18
--John 12: 1-18
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Our friends are Ukrainian Orthodox, and serve on
their parish "Finance Committee". Our [Ukrainian
Catholic] parish has an "Advisory Council". Are
there differences between how the two Churches
handle matters such as decisions about and manner
of managing funds?
Without delving too deeply into the details of theprocedures and regulations of each Church, it might bebest to simply state that there are "differences betweenthe two Churches" in the way finances may be handled.
This has to do with various ways the administrationof a parish is viewed. The common practice in mostOrthodox parishes is to disassociate much of if not allmonetary issues from the solely spiritual duties of thepriest. There may be local adaptations, depending uponmany factors.
Ukrainian Catholic parishes have regulations that
may differ in some instances. This is not to judge, crit-icize or demean the practices of anyone, but a way tofind how the structure of a parish determines how itconducts affairs.
Our bishop appoints a person as "pastor" or "admin-istrator" over the day-to-day operation of a parish. Thisincludes spiritual and temporal matters.
Regulations are clearly defined in thePastoral Guidepublished by and for the Metropolia of Philadelphia,which includes the Eparchies of Stamford, St Josaphatin Parma (Ohio) as well as St Nicholas Eparchy inChicago. Article 94 addresses this specifically.
Obligations and duties of a pastor are defined so asto help regularize activities, for the benefit of the cler-gy and faithful alike. It is further stated that an"Advisory" or "Pastoral Council" comprised of elected
and appointed members is to advise the priest of mat-ters pertinent to pastoral work. (Article 107) Theiradvice does not bind the pastor, who may decide oth-erwise in deference to the good of the parish. Notamong the items to be discussed is the management ofthe property and revenue of the parish. For this, a sep-arate "Stewardship" or "Financial" Council orCommittee is to be established. (Article 588) Such acouncil is guided by articles 591-637 of the same doc-ument. Here are addressed collections, stipends, gifts,and expenditures. There are limits to borrowing,spending or lending funds, as well as remuneration ofthe clergy and salaries of workers.
Minutes of meetings of either council are to be
recorded and stored in parish archives.So, it seems that your Orthodox friends may very
well proceed along the same lines, and accomplish thesame tasks, our Church makes an expectation that thepastor is included in collecting and banking funds(Article 584.1); paying bills (Article 584.5) taxes andinsurances (Article 584.6).
As ex officio treasurer of the parish (Article 587), thepastor/administrator is responsible for the managementof all moneys. In the case that a Stewardship Councilexists, there are requirements and responsibilities gov-erning who may or may not be a member of it.However the Pastor is to be the check signatory, alone,or in conjunction with one (or two) trustees. Allfinances are to be made known in annual (or periodi-cal) statements.
Lest there be murmuring about how this all came tobe, it is interesting to see that among statements and
stipulations recorded in the 1595 document signed atthe Union of Brest is: that "all parish churchesshall be subject to the bishop and under his authority,and that lay people shall not administer them under anypretextarranging matters as they wish and do notwant to obey their bishops. Let this not occur in thefuture." (Article 29)
Our priest sometimes omits using incense--saying it
takes too long. Should I be concerned?
"Concern" is a strong term, "curious" might be bet-ter. It seems that you have appropriate expectations thatthe Liturgy you attend will be celebrated as correctlyand completely as possible. After all, you take time toexercise your duty as a Christian to participate in your
Church's active worship of God. You should not bedenied that opportunity.
Our Church has a rather well-defined and -devel-oped system of "rubrics" (order of ritual). It seems thatall are obliged to exercise the role each has (by bap-tism, ordination, or being set aside) so as to be able tooffer praise, adoration, petition and thanksgiving toGod in as perfect a way as is possible.
Priest, deacon, cantor, parishioner must each act inoneness of purpose to "come, let us worship." Eachdepends upon the other. Under normal circumstances,a priest without a congregation cannot celebrate theLiturgy--someone must add "Amen" as assent to cer-tain parts--particularly within the anaphora at the
"words of institution" and more importantly at theinvocation of the Holy Spirit (epiclesis).
To help mitigate haphazard and careless "mechani-cal" performance, our clergy are to attend annual con-ferences designed to present information and instruc-tion pertaining to the way liturgical functions are con-ducted. This is to ensure all are aware of regulationsset forth for our Church (particularly in the 1944 docu-ment of the Congregation for the Eastern Church--TheOrder of Celebration of the Divine Liturgy Vespers,
and Matins...) Herein is outlined in great detail normsfor every situation: One priest; several priests; with nodeacon, with one deacon; with two deacons. Noneomits the use of incense. Furthermore, subsequent pub-lications of documents from the Holy See and our ownPatriarchal Synodal authority and Eparchial statutesreinforce the careful execution of the services.
If Liturgy is relegated to mere mundane and per-functory actions, it becomes something other thanprayer. In order to not be found rigidly ritualistic, partof the presentation of conference materials addressedthe underlying rationale for every action--including theuse of incense. Omitting it is not to be taken lightly. We
do, after all, attend the Liturgy as a whole person, withsenses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. None ofthese senses is ignored in our ritual. This was pointedout--noting incense is not "incidental". To those inattendance at the Clergy Conferences last month, thiswas stated. Those who were there heard it.
You might want to inquire of your priest why incenseis omitted. He may have a good answer. "Too time-consuming" is not an excuse. We might remind our-selves: we come to worship God, fully, unaffected bythe clock, TV schedule, being late to lunch, or othersuch "cares of life" we are exhorted to "lay aside" aswe sing the Cherubicon--as the priest (or deacon)incenses. This adds no time to the Liturgy.
Rather than sit in judgment, see if some external rea-son has precipitated the situation. It may be something
as innocuous as not carefully monitoring the supply ofincense--and there was none to use!
Why?/Why: By Fr Denny Molitvy
Questions forWhy?/Why: by Fr Denny Molitvymay be sent to
Fr. Denny Molitvy;2245 W Rice St;
Chicago, IL 60622-4858
You may also send e-mail to:
Identify yourself by name and parish
(which will not be publshed).
Individual replies are notpossible.
I recently returned from Geneva, Switzerland, whereI spent two weeks with the Delegate of the DominicanOrder to the United Nations. As I trailed him aroundlike a lost puppy, I gradually realized the depth of thelearning which was being made available to me. Theexperience that I had was eye-opening to say the least!Perhaps it was not unlike the experience of the apostlesat Pentecost, which we commemorate in this season.
First, a bit of background on Pentecost. You all knowthe story of the Tower of Babel. In that story, the LordGod confused the speech of the prideful humans whohad presumptuously set out to build a tower reaching toheaven, thus creating the diversity of languages whichexists to this day. Pentecost sets the tower of Babel onits head: the Apostles, filled with the enthusiasm of theHoly Spirit, were able to make themselves understoodby people who spoke different languages; in otherwords, people of many nations who couldn't under-stand one another could nonetheless all understand theApostles. The linguistic divisions of Babel were over-come and, as a consequence, the walls dividing peoplescrumbled since they--unlike us--could not resist thegreat wind Which is the Spirit of God's Love.
Switzerland is a linguistic stew. There are four offi-cial languages: French, Italian, Romanch, and the pre-dominant German. Even within the German language,
there are so many dialects that people who speak thesame language often have trouble understanding oneanother. How were such diverse people able to form acountry? The governmental structure is such that mostthings are decided at the local level; this allows smallgroups to form linguistic enclaves where they can takerefuge. Outsiders become strangers to be mistrusted--ifnot indeed feared; this explains the xenophobia whichhas often caused the Swiss to seek ways of keeping for-eigners out of their already culturally-burdened coun-try. Despite this, foreigners come: an influx of immi-grants brings in a variety of languages and cultures tospice the stew--not always to the liking of the nativeSwiss. And then there is the invasion by diplomats,who mainly communicate in heavily-accented English--especially at the United Nations in Geneva. Thetranslators who are so busy at the UN would perhapsbe helpful in the daily lives of the Swiss!
If the Swiss have issues, so do we Ukrainians in theUnited States. There are divisions which we broughthere with us: back in the "old country", were weEasterners or Westerners, mountaineers or flatlanders,city or village folk? Who were our overlords back there--Poles, Austrians, Germans, Russians, or our ownrevolving-door governments? Moreover, we need toask which of the four waves of immigrations broughtus here: pre-World War II, World War II, Soviet, post-Soviet? All of these considerations influence what lan-guage we use and how we see the world. Another
important factor is the religion which we brought withus: did we start out Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, orPentecostal, and have we stayed with that religion ordisregarded it? As you can see, instead of being solidand unified, our Ukrainian identity has more holes in itthan Swiss cheese!
The Swiss and Ukrainian realities, like so manyother aspects of our lives, depend on what we make ofthem. It seems that the Swiss and the Ukrainians dodifferent things with the potentially-disruptive varietyinherent in their societies. On the one hand, the Swissrealize that they need to overcome their fears and mis-givings so as to transcend their divisions, thus embrac-ing one another and coming together in a confederationfor the benefit of all. We Ukrainians, on the other hand,seem unable to get beyond our differences, with theresult that we remain divided and vulnerable. (I amsure that I do not need to provide examples of this foryou; history, headlines, and personal experience shouldmake this fact obvious.) It seems that the Swiss havelearned the lesson of Pentecost while we have not.
You are certainly familiar with the Ukrainian hymnwhich we used to sing in my home parish: "In unity isthe strength of a people; God, give us unity!" Maythese be our words again in this Pentecost season and,as my novicemaster always told us, "Say what youmean and mean what you say."
-Fr. Jim Karepin, op
Pentecost revisited
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Usually ourm e e t i n g shave a dou-
ble character:
we, if there is thepossibility, gath-er together inm i r a c u l o u splaces, in orderto hold a jointpilgrimage andto have the possi-bility of jointprayer; the otherpurpose is thedesire to get toknow better thetradition of theEastern Church.For this purpose
in recent years we have been considering the holysacraments. This year we will concentrate our attentionon the sacrament of the priesthood." So His BeatitudeLubomyr told the Department of Information, tellingabout the present meeting of the Greek Catholic bish-ops of Europe, which took place in Uzhorod from May12 to 14.
The other task of such meetings, according toHis Beatitude, is the creation of the opportunityto be together, "in fact we in Ukraine have oursynod, and are celebrating in our land, but some
bishops are alone by themselves. We reflecttogether on what their task is, how they shouldshare Eastern spirituality with bishops of theRoman Catholic Church."
A pilgrimage of representatives of the GreekCatholic Churches of Western Europe to Italytook place on June 6-11, 2005, with the motto:"Christian roots of Europe. A pilgrimage to thesources." During the six-day pilgrimage the par-ticipants visited Rome, Grotta Ferrata, Monte Casino,Amalfi and Bari. The main place of the meeting wasthe pilgrim house of the Salesianum near Rome."Precisely during this pilgrimage was born the idea toconduct annually similar meetings of the GreekCatholic bishops of Europe, at which to discuss themesof joint personal interest," His Beatitude Lubomyr said.Therefore the meeting in Uzhorod is now the sixth.
As the web page of the Mukachevo Greek CatholicEparchy, www.reports.mgce.uz.ua, reports, bishopsfrom 14 countries of Europe were present for the meet-ing: Greece, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania,Bulgaria, Serbia, Belarus, Hungary, Italy, France,Poland, Germany, Cyprus, and Ukraine. During their
stay in the Transcarpathia Region the bishops togetherwith priests celebrated three Divine Liturgies: on May 12 in the Cathedral of the Ascension in thecity of Khust.on May 13 in the Cathedral of the Dormition in the
city of Mukachevo. on May 14 in the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the
Cross in the city of Uzhorod.In addition, on May 14 the blessing of a monument
to the Exit from the Underground of the MukachevoEparchy took place near the Chapel of the Crucifixionon Calvary in the city of Uzhorod.
Information Department of the UGCC
Greek Catholic Bishops of Europe Meet in Uzhorod
16 NEW STAR June, 2009
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - In a general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Popefocused remarks on St. John Damascene (675- 749), "a leading figure in the his-tory of Byzantine theology".
Above all, said Benedict XVI, this saint was "an eye-witness to the move fromthe Greek and Syriac culture shared by the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire,to the novelty of Islam whose military conquests opened a space in the territo-ry today known as the Middle or Near East".
St. John Damascene "was born to a rich Christian family and as a young manheld the office ... of economic administrator of the caliphate. Soon, however,dissatisfied with life at court, ... he entered the Monastery of San Saba nearJerusalem around the year 700. ... There he dedicated all his energies to asceti-cism and writing, not disdaining some pastoral work, of which testimony is tobe found in his numerousHomilies. ... Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of theUniversal Church in 1890".
The Pope explained how St. John Damascene's fame rests, above all, "on histhree 'Discourses against the Iconoclasts' which, following his death, were con-demned by the iconoclast Council of Hieria (754)". These Discourses, he went
on, represent "the first attempt to legitimize the veneration of sacred images,associating them with the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God in thebosom of the Virgin Mary.
"St. John Damascene", the Holy Father added, "was among the first to makethe distinction, in the public and private devotions of Christians, between ado-ration (latreia) and veneration (proskynesis): the former may only be addressedto God, Who is supremely spiritual, while the latter may use an image to addressthe person represented in that image".
"It immediately became clear that this distinction was important in order toprovide a Christian response to people who insisted that the severe OldTestament ban against the liturgical use of images was universal and perennial.This was a also a subject of great discussion in the Muslim world, which acceptsthis Hebrew tradition of the complete exclusion of all images from worship. Inthis context Christians, for their part, discussed the problem and found the jus-tification for the veneration of images".
Benedict XVI went on to high-light how St. John Damascene"remains an important witness ofthe veneration of icons, whichwould become one of the most dis-tinctive aspects of Eastern theologyand spirituality, even until today.
His teaching is part of the traditionof the Universal Church whosesacramental doctrine allows ele-ments taken from nature to becomechannels of grace, by virtue of theinvocation (epiclesis) of the HolySpirit, accompanied by the confes-sion of the true faith".
This Syrian saint also admitted"the veneration of the relics ofsaints, on the basis of the convic-tion that Christian saints, havingbeen made participants in the res-urrection of Christ, may not besimply considered as 'dead'".
Finally, the Pope referred to "theoptimism" of St. John Damascene'scontemplation of the natural world:the fact that "he saw the good, thebeautiful and the true in the visiblecreation. Such Christian optimismis not ingenuous optimism. Itmakes allowance for the woundinflicted on human nature by thefreedom of choice decreed by Godand improperly used by man, withall the consequences of widespreaddisharmony this has led to. From here arose the need, which the theologian ofDamascus saw clearly, for 'nature to be reinforced and renewed' by the descentof the Son of God into the flesh".
His Beatitude blesses with the
candles that show the divine and
human natures of Jesus.
St. John DamasceneLeading Figure of Byzantine Theology
The gathered hierarchs from fourteen countries of Europe.
ICON OF ST JOHN OF DAMASCUSThe inscription on the scroll contains
Slavonic words introducing the
Resurrection Canon
attributed to him--which we repeat
until today:
"This is the day of resurrection"
New Starextends greetings to all on the observance of Fathers Day!To every Father, Grandfather, Great-grandfather and father figure:
God Grant you Many Years!For those deceased Fathers: God Grant Eternal Memory!
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T
he glorious feast of the Resurrection concludeswith a feast also most glorious and great--andthat is, the feast of Pentecost. It was on the day
of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon thedisciples of Christ. This descent of the Holy Spirit wasforetold by the prophet Joel, "I will pour out my spiritupon all mankind" (1). The prophet David also pre-dicted, "You shall send forth your spirit and you shallrenew the face of the earth (Ps 103). Christ promisedto send the apostles this Spirit: "You shall receive thepower when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you
shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth" (Acts8).
Before the coming ofthe Holy Spirit, while the apostles listened to the teach-
ings of Christ and witnessed His wonderful works forthree years, they were still filled with the spirit of theworld. James and John asked Jesus to give them thehighest places next to Jesus in Heaven. The disciplesquarreled among themselves as to which of themshould be the great-est. When Jesus wasarrested they fledfrom Him. Whenquestioned, Peterdenied Him threetimes. At the lastsolemn momentwhen Christ wasready to ascend intoheaven, they asked
Him: "Lord, whenwill you restore again the kingdom of Israel?" (Acts1,6).
To such disciples Christ said, "Go into the wholeworld and proclaim the gospel to every creature"(Mk16, 15"); "make disciples of all nations"(Mt 24,19; Jn24, 46). Imagine. Christ told them to do somethingincredible; He told them to conquer the whole world.Mind you. These were people He had called from thelowest ranks of society, people without learning, with-out power, without influence. For the most part fisher-men.
Their task seemed still more hopeless when werecall the condition of the world before Pentecost.Despite the great material accomplishments and men-tal achievements of the ancient world, there wasalmost total darkness as to God and the future stateafter death. The greatest minds knew little of the natureof the human soul, and still less how to live and how todie. The trials of life were intolerable to them. Suicidewas a common occurrence. They knew nothing aboutChristian charity. There was not a word in their lan-guage for charity. Children born deformed were put to
death in accordance with the Roman laws. The agedand enfeebled were treated with equal cruelty.
From every walk of life, the Emperor and his fami-
ly, the nobility, orators, generals, and the refinedRoman ladies would gather at the amphitheater to wit-ness--what? The gladiatorial games in which men whowere slaves or prisoners of war were forced to fight fortheir lives against the wild beasts, or with swords orclubs against one another. Such was the world whenthe Holy Spirit came down to "renew the face of theearth." And this transformation was to be accom-plished by the Holy Spirit through the apostles andChrist's Church. We can truly say with St. Paul: "Thefoolish things of the world God has chosen that he may
confound the wise; and the weak things of the
world God has chosen that he may confound the
strong"(1 Cor 1,27).How was the world transformed with the
coming of the Holy Spirit? Beginning with theapostles, after the Holy Spirit descended upon
them all fear, self-seeking, jealousies wereforgotten. Before so weak and timid,now boldly they go forth to preach the
doctrines of Christ through the known world.Leading the way for them all, we find Peter onthe very first day converting 3,000 to Christ.And on another occasion; 5,000. They enduredhardships of every kind, showing themselvesthe very models of] charity, patience, goodness,mildness, faith, and of all the virtues which pro-ceed from the Holy Spirit. They rejoiced at suf-fering "for the name of Jesus"(Acts 5, 4,) and
ended their lives in martyrdom, sealing with theirblood the doctrines which they taught.
Christianity permeated every level of pagan society.The rulers of haughty Rome cast their diadems beforethe shrines of martyred saints. People regarded oneanother as brothers in Christ. The horrible sights of theamphitheatre became loathsome. The image of the
Christ-Child was recognized in each infant. Instead ofthe pagan knife, orphans came to know the Christiannurse. Christian hospitals and homes were erected forthe care of the crippled and the sick. The aged andmentally ill became the objects of love and respect.The fierce barbarians were molded into Christian peo-ples.
With the Holy Spirit guiding her, Christ's kingdomon Earth has seen other kingdoms rise, and rule, andperish. Yet, His has not failed. His Kingdom has passedinto every land, embracing every people. And todaythe voice of the successor of St. Peter, speaks with irre-sistible authority to the hearts and consciences of mil-lions in every land.
This is the victory the Holy Spirit has accomplishedover the hearts of men since the first Pentecost. All thiswas in accordance with the promise of the Savior to hisapostles, when He said, "I will ask the Father and hewill give you another Paraclete, in order that he may
remain with you forever, the Spirit of truth."
So we can truly say that, in our present world, whichis a scene of anxiety, of trouble, of agitation, restless-
ness, confusion, and alarm, we need not fear the out-come, for as we have seen the Church has weatheredevery conceivable storm. She has been ridiculed, spatupon, and crucified in every generation, but has alwaysrisen victoriously.
Her invincibility encourages us: to believe confi-dently in her future, to believe that the rock uponwhich she is built will not waver, to believe that the lit-tle ship on which we are sailing will not sink, tobelieve, because, standing at the helm is the fisherman,the successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father, who cannoterr.
Her invincibility assures us that she will continue toexist and will not under any circumstance compromise
Christ's doctrine and moral law to suit anyone; that shewill exist and lead mankind till the last day; and that allwho have wholly entrusted themselves to Christ'searthly Church will enter at victors into God's eternalChurch.
We are certain of this, for Christ said, "You are Peterand upon this rock I will build my Church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it"(Mt. 16, 18).
Fr Demetrius Wysochansky, OSBM
17NEW STARJune, 2009
Pentecost Sunday
Priests of the eparchy have been invited tocontribute to "Speaking of Faith" inNew Starasa regular feature. This homily on "PentecostSunday" is not "late."
Even though the Day of Pentecost has alreadyhappened, our cycle of Church observances isdeeply rooted in the afterglow of that Feast.Things are usually in the perspective of a par-ticular "Sunday after Pentecost" and the scrip-ture lessons that are associated with it.
With the Holy Spirit guiding her,
Christ's kingdom on Earth
has seen other kingdoms rise, and rule, and perish.
Yet, His has not failed. His Kingdom has
passed into every land, embracing every people.
Fr Demetrius serves
as assistant at
Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Palos Park, Illinois
June 4th marks the sixth anniversary of the ordination and installation of Bishop Richard Seminack as Eparch of St Nicholas Eparchy.
God Grant to His Servant, Bishop Richard Many Years!
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Pope Meets with Greek Orthodox,Armenian Churches
Expresses Joy at Signs of Ecumenical Unity
JERUSALEM, (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI met with representatives of Christiancommunities in the Holy Land, and is affirming the Catholic Church's desire towork toward common goals of unity.
The Pope said this on the final day of his Holy Land pilgrimage, in the presenceof the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine,Theophilus III, in an ecumenical meeting at the patriarchate.
The Pontiff expressed the hope that the meeting will "give new impetus to thework of theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the OrthodoxChurches, adding to the recent fruits of study documents and other joint initiatives."
"Such ecumenical experience bears clear witness to the link between the unity ofthe Church and her mission," he noted.
The Holy Father affirmed the necessity of the witness of Christian communities,to testify to "what our faith proclaims: the eternal Word, who entered space and timein this land, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked these streets, through his words andactions calls people of every age to his life of truth and love."
Benedict XVI recognized the work of the community leaders who meet regular-
ly together, and encouraged them in the task of upbringing and educating "a furthergeneration of well-formed and committed Christians.""This common pastoral concern," he added, "will ensure that your regular meet-
ings are marked by the wisdom and fraternal charity necessary to support one anoth-er and to engage with both the joys and the particular difficulties which mark thelives of your people."
The Pope expressed a prayer that "the aspirations of the Christians of Jerusalemwill be understood as being concordant with the aspirations of all its inhabitants,whatever their religion: a life of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence and--for young people in particular--unimpeded access to education and employment, theprospect of suitable housing and family residency, and the chance to benefit fromand contribute to economic stability."
After this meeting, the Pontiff went to visit the Holy Sepulcher nearby, and thenwent to the Armenian Apostolic patriarchal church of St. James.
In the presence of Archbishop Torkom II Manoukian and members of theArmenian Church, the Holy Father affirmed that the meeting "is another step along
the path towards the unity which the Lord desires for all hisdisciples."
He acknowledged the recent "significant growth in therelationship between the Catholic Church and theArmenian Apostolic Church," thanking the latter for itscommitment in furthering theological dialogue betweenthe former and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Benedict XVI recalled his previous visits with KarekinII, Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Catholicos ofCilicia of the Armenians.
He continued, "A particular sign of hope is the recentdocument on the nature and mission of the Church pro-duced by the Mixed Commission and presented to theChurches for study and evaluation."
The Pope entrusted this effort to prayer "so that it can bear abundant fruit for thegrowth of Christian unity."
After the meeting, he departed Jerusalem for Tel Aviv airport, where he badefarewell to the Holy Land leaders and boarded a plane for Rome.
Pastors Have TheirOwn Heavenly Patron
His Beatitude Lubomyr, commenting for the lead-ing TV channels of Ukraine after the completion of aDivine Liturgy during which Blessed Martyr Fr.Emilian Kovch was proclaimed the patron of pastorsof the UGCC said: "It is very important for us thatour priests, in human culture, humaneness, learning,and ministry, are of a high quality. We try to educateour priests in such a spirit. Here it is important to havea living example of a human being, a pastor, who didnot live 1,000 years ago but is still fresh in humanmemory. Therefore, for us the memory of BlessedMartyr Fr. Emilian Kovch is extraordinarily impor-tant. Foremost as an educational point of good exam-ple for all our pastors, but also important is his pro-tection, his prayer before the Lord God for all of uspriests".
In his sermon, Bishop IHOR(Voznyak), Archbishop of Lviv, spoke about important pagesin the biography of martyr Fr. Emilian: "This priest did not look for his own good, did notsave his own life, but he helped prisoners to end their earthly life with dignity."
After Liturgy the icon of Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian which now will be kept in Kyiv wasblessed. Then awards named after Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian Kovch were given to per-sons or groups of persons who in their life best follow the example of life of Blessed MartyrFr. Emilian.
(The Ukrainian-language sermon of Archbishop Ihor can be heard at:www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/audio/24.04.2009.mp3)
(The Ukrainian-language words of His Beatitude Lubomyr can be heard at:www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/audio/24.04.2009_2.mp3)
Information Department of the UGCC
On Tuesday, the group was addressed by His Eminence,Metropolitan BASIL (Shott) of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia--who expressed thanks for the work of ECED on behalf of theother Eastern Catholic bishops who rely upon the group to providesuitable catechetical resources for all ages. He was also able to joinmembers for dinner at a restaurant atop Mt Washington with apanoramic view of Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, the DivineLiturgy for the leave-taking ofPascha was celebrated byBishop NICHOLAS (Samra) andthe two representatives of theUkrainian Catholic Metropo-lia present: Fr Albert Forlanoof the Stamford Eparchy andFr John Lucas of St NicholasEparchy.
Plans were made to estab-lish the schedule for the timeand location of the next threemeetings.
continued from page 14
TOP:Fr Al Forlano records the comments of
Metropolitan Basil for the minutes of the
meeting. RIGHT:Fr Al and Sr Jean Marie Cihotadepart the Seminary for the airport--and home.
BOTTOM: The dining room.
A birds eye view of part
of the chapel.
Did You Know? Five things to keep in mind:
On May 11, the postage rates forNew Starincreased by approximately 5%.The Postal Service has announced that postage rates will be revised annually,
in May.The cost for printing theNew Staris less than half of the cost to mailNew Star.Your parish is responsible forNew Starbeing sent to your home--based upon
Article 194 of the Pastoral Guide, which exhorts "each and every family of aneparchy [to be encouraged] to subscribe to the eparchial publication."
Bishop Richard has designated New Staras the catechetical and educationalmedium of the Eparchy of St Nicholas.
Your pastor appreciates your cooperation in paying your parish directly the$20.00 annual subscription rate. Your payment may be made in one remittance orin installments according to your means. Most parishes have made provisions forpayment envelopes to be included in the supply of offertory envelopes distributedto parishioners.
Armenian Cross
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19NEW STARJune, 2009
One of the greatest assets of a parish is a "greeter."Whoever fulfills this position performs a great min-istry of evangelization. Everyone likes to be wel-comed--and a favorable first experience may turn intorepeat visits.
One parish has a particularly adept greeter, Joanne--enthusiastic about making newcomers welcome.Joanne will see to it that a copy of the service book ismade available--and will even check from time-to-time to be sure the right page is found.
After Liturgy, Joanne introduces herself and invites
visitors to the social gathering afterward. Meeting anew family, she inquires about names, and makeseveryone feel comfortable.
On a particular Sunday morning a family was exit-ing, and Joanne was there. She greeted the man andthe woman, learning their names--and their young sonand daughter were there. Bending toward the four- orfive year-old girl, she asked: "What's your name?"
"Jo Ann" was the response."How nice, that's my name, too. But, tell me, is that
'Joanne' with an 'e'?The little girl looked quite puzzled at the question
and answered sarcastically: "No, silly, with a "J"!
Members ofSt ConstantineChurch in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, wre invited to Meet OurAstronaut.
The reception in honor ofHeideStefanyshyn-Piperwas open to all in theParish Hall.
Following was an opportuniy to havelunch. The event was sponsored by Plast.
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;or:[email protected].
Parish Goal As of 4-21-09
Assumption of the BVM Parish - Omaha, NE $ 3,240.00 $ 1,100.00Dormition of the Mother of God - Phoenix, AZ $ 12,000.00 $ 515.00
Holy 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 $ 1,615.00Immaculate Conception Parish - Hamtramck, MI$ 13,860.00 $ 4,010.00Immaculate Conception Parish - Palatine, IL $ 6,840.00 $ 3,410.00Immaculate Conception - San Francisco, CA $ 2,400.00 $ 1,350.00Nativity of the BVM Parish - Los Angeles, CA $ 10,650.00 $ 3,975.00Nativity of the BVM Parish - Palos Park, IL $ 7,860.00 $ 1,960.00Nativity of the Mother of God - Springfield, OR $ 3,600.00 $ 1,945.00Our 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 $ 747.00St. Andrew Mission - Sacramento, CA $ 1,000.00 $ 120.00St. Constantine Parish - Minneapolis, MN $ 13,980.00 $ 1,795.00St. 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 $ 5,410.00St. Joseph Parish - St. Joseph, MO $ 1,200.00 $ 25.00St. Joseph Parish - Chicago, IL $ 19,920.00 $ 3,040.00St. Mary's Assumption Parish - St. Louis, MO $ 2,340.00 $ 1,575.00St. Michael Mission - Minot, ND $ 1,140.00 $ 730.00St. Michael Parish - Mishawaka, IN $ 3,900.00 $ 1,750.00St. 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 $ 22,580.00St. Paul Mission - Flagstaff, AZ $ 1,000.00 $ 0.00St. Peter Mission - Ukiah, CA $ 1,000.00 $ 20.00
St. Sophia Mission - Honolulu, HI $ 1,000.00 $ 50.00St. Sophia Parish - The Colony, TX $ 3,720.00 $ 1,775.00St. 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 $ 2,425.00Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy $ 10,950.00
Totals $ 351,610.00 $ 100,177.00
Thank you for your generous responseto Share 2008--Ukrainian Catholic Appeal
Open Wide Your Hearts!
Parishes in BLUE have met or exceeded their goal.
Final Report: Share 2008Ukrainain Catholic Appeal
TheSacramentoKings re-
cently had aSlavic Night forthe many basket-ball fans in thearea. Among Slavicgroups in andaround the capitalofCalifornia, wehave two missions:
St Andrew theApostle and HolyWisdom.
Priest Vasyl Shelepko (monastic name Roman), a citizen of Ukraine; priestJir pirk (monastic name Cyril), a citizen of the Czech Republic; priestRichard pirk (monastic name Methodius), a citizen of the Czech Republic;priest Vasyl Hityuk (monastic name Markiyan), a citizen of Ukraine; and priestAntonin Dohnal (monastic name Elias), a citizen of the Czech Republic, no
longer belong to the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat. This is discussed in theofficial communication of Fr. Vasyliy Kovbych, proto-archimandrite of theBasilian Order of Saint Josaphat.
The proto-archimandrite issued his report on the basis of the decision of theHighest Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in relation to five celibate priestswith lifelong vows in the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, whom the proto-archimandrite with the council excluded from the order. His decrees were con-firmed by the Holy See and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
On the basis of the decisions obtained from the Highest Tribunal of theApostolic Signatura, all these priests, in accord with all consequences which fol-low from this conclusion, have no authority to wear the Basilian habit and to putnear their first or last name the Basilian mark OSBM or OSBM-III.
The official communication of Fr. Vasyliy Kovbych in .pdf format at:www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/povidomlennya.pdf. [In Ukrainianonly].
The "Pidhirtsi Fathers"
neither Bishops nor Monks
Two graduates ofSt Nicholas CathedralSchool in Chicago were inducted into the
Arnold Damen Chapter of the NationalHonor Society of St Ignatius College Prep.
Congratulations to Solomiya Britska andSolomiya Grushchak.
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20 NEW STAR June, 2009
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Photographs are returned only when a
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Mail subscription payments, address cor-rection requests to:
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Permission is granted to reprint originalmaterial, acknowledgingNew Star
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Editorial board and contributors:
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Nazar Sloboda
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Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning "the fiftieth day." The number
itself stands for eternal and heavenly fulfillment in Christian and Jewish mysti-
cism. It symbolizes both the fullness of time and that which is beyond time:
God's Kingdom. The number is comprised of two components; the first is forty-nine,
which is the fullness of seven: seven times seven, the number of time. To this you add
one, meaning a new day, the day in God's kingdom which has no evening.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a feast which occurred fifty days after Passover,
to celebrate the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt; the celebration of a
new beginning. For us it is a celebration of the "birthday" of the Church, the new life
in Christ, the beginning of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Not only does
it celebrate a beginning, it also brings fulfillment of the Divine Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit as one. Each one of us has lived our own Pentecost. When we are initiated
into the Church through the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Eucharist, we
receive special help to continue in the life in Christ that is just begun. Our being, made
"in the image and likeness of God" grows closer to
the Model--this is "divinization" or "theosis" (be-
coming more godly). Some say that God's life in usis called "grace." This is what keeps us Christian.
To further celebrate the new beginning, the custom
of this time was to cover the floor of ones home with
fresh grass and adorn the exterior with branches of
trees and flowers. This was a sign of life and has
become a symbol of the life-giving Spirit. Just as
nature renews itself at springtime, we as a Church
are renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the
Apostles gathered in the room covered in greenery
where they sha