2009

LXV No 5

MAY, 2009

Holy Thursday
at the Cathedral

, .
. , .
Parishioners, school children and members of the clergy gathered at the
Cathedral of St Nicholas Holy Thursday morning. They came to celebrate Vespers
.
with the Liturgy of St Basil the Great as prescribed by our Typikon.

His Grace, Bishop RICHARD (Seminack) was the

()
main
celebrant. In attendance was retired bishop.
. Bishop
INNOCENT (Lotocky, OSBM). Gathered
(), .
around the Holy Table were: Protopresbyter, Very
.
Rev Basil Salkovski, OSBM; Very Rev Canon
, ,
Thomas Glynn; and the priests of the Cathedral
,
Parish, Very Rev Bohdan Nalysnyk, Rector; and Rev
,
Volodymyr Hudzan, Vice Rector.
,
From outlying parishes in the Chicago area were
,
Very Rev Archpriest Mykhailo Kuzma; and Fathers
Mykola Buryadnyk, Ihor Koshyk, Oleh Kryvokulsky,
.
Mychailo Melnyk, and Yaroslav Mendyuk. Deacons
,
were Mychajlo Horodysky and Volodymyr Kushnir.
:
Also within the Holy Place were Fr Deacons Michael
, ,
Cook and Michael Huskey. Fr John Lucas was pres, ,
ent--primarily to record the event in photographs.
.
A number of upper-grade students of St Nicholas
-:
Cathedral School were able to participate in the
.
lengthy service--sharing responsibilities on a rotating
-:
basis, assuring that there were always six altar servers
. .
available to attend to the many tasks required. They
were: Neil Browne, Bryant Giles, Andrij Glebiv,
,

Daniel Ivaskiv, Anthony Markese, Valentin Mayka,

.
Andres Moreno, Andrew Owerko, Oleg Pitchuk,

Nicholas Saber, and Denys Vasylechko. Masters of
.
ceremonies were Nazar Sloboda and Subdeacon

Petro Rudka.
,
Responses for the Vesper/Liturgy were sung by the
,
congregation, led by the student body of the school.

Among the unique features of this special cathedral
,
celebration not found in parish churches are three
Bishop Richard pours water on the feet of clergy during
. : ,
distinct rites: the consecration of antimensia; the conHoly Thursday rite.
secration of Chrism; and the washing of feet of
, ,

twelve of the clergy.
, ,

Although not part of this year's service, the conse, , ,
cration
of antimensia may be a part of the prescribed
,
ritual. An antimension is a "portable altar" required
. :
for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on a Holy

Table that is not consecrated, but merely blessed.
.
Because of particular conditions necessary to conse
crate an altar, most parishes must use an antimension
,
(the word means "in place of the altar"). It is a cloth
.
in which relics of martyrs are sewn. It is imprinted
with an icon of Christ in the Tomb--a replica of the

plashchanytsya. Each is assigned to a parish and
, ,
signed by the eparchial bishop who blessed it. It is a
,
sign of common union between the bishop and the
Altar servers flank Fr Deacon Mychajlo during Gospel reading.

10

. -

continued page 15

MOVING?
attach old address (at right) and
Send new address to us at:
2245 W Rice St
Chicago IL 60622

__________________________________________ name
_________________________________________address
___________________________________________ city
________________________________________state, Zip
use another sheet if necessary--allow six weeks for change.

NEW STAR--
2245 W. Rice Street
Chicago, IL 60622-4858
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Calumet City, IL 60409

Permit No. 93

PAID
U.S. Postage
BULK RATE
Non-Profit Org.

dated material--deliver by May 10

, 2009

,


,

.
,

.



,

.

:
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
.

-.

,
,
.

-,

, ,
, . ,
.

-, .

,

.

.
,
,

.

.

,
,


,
.
.



,




.


, ,

.
,

www.cym.org.
cym
m.org

45

, . , 45-
.
29 1964 , . (Fr Tom Glynn)
. 29 2009 , ,
, , , . .
.

!


, , ,
,
.

, .
, ,
, ,
, ,
,


.

. .

(),

.

:
New Star
2245 West Rice Street
Chicago, IL 60622
.
(773) 276-5080

(773) 276-6799

:
.
hurhatNewstar@cs.com

:
. , .
, . ,
,
, ,

,
.

.


, .
.
. , , , ,
. .

,
,

:

lesiaok@yahoo.com
.
(773) 276-9500

:
New Star
Circulation Department
2245 West Rice Street
Chicago, IL 60622
,
,

.


.


.

,

.

, 2009

,

-
-

,

,
,
-

- , ,
' -
.
,
,
: " - ".
, :
, ,
, ,
; ,


. , ,
,
, , - ,
, ( ,

)
, ,

-
.
!
, ,
" !
!". -
, .
,
.
,

.

, ,
" !",
, ,
. , , ,
, ,
,
,
.
, ,
?
, ,

-
? . .
.
. . ,
,
, , .

, ,
,
- ,
,
. , ' , -
. , ,
, - .
, ,
.
,
: '
- ,
- . ,
, , , ,

. -
,
.

,
. , ,
, '
.
. .
-
. , ,
,

, ,
, ,
, .
, !

,
,
, 5/12 2009

, 2009

XVI
19 2009 .,
, ,

,

,
XVI.

, .
XVI,
,

.

XVI,

,



!
radiiovatiicanna.org

?


,
, ,

. ,

, ,

,

.
,
,
,

.
, ,

.
(
) .

,
,
, ,
,

.



,
.
, ,
?

,
,
.

,

,
.


,
,
.
,

, .
,
,
,
,
, ,

,
.

,
,
,
.
,
.
,
. ,

.
.
,

,
,
, ,
. ,

,
,
, .


.

,
,

,
, .
,

,
,
,
.

.


.

-
,

.
.

-
-.

, ,
,
,
,
,
. ,


- .

,
, ,
,
.

,
,

.
,
,

.
,

.
, ,
.
,
, .
,
.
,
. ,
,
. ,
. ,
,
, ,
.

Share 2008 -
3
Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy
-Assumption of the BVM Parish, Omaha, NE
$ 3,240.00
Dormition of Mother of God Parish, Phoenix, AZ $ 12,000.00
Holy Apostles Mission, Berryton, KS
$ 1,000.00
Holy Ascension Mission, Plymouth, MI
$ 1,000.00
Holy Wisdom Mission, Citrus Heights, CA
$ 1,200.00
Immaculate Conception Parish, Hamtramck, MI $ 13,860.00
Immaculate Conception Parish, Palatine, IL
$ 6,840.00
Immaculate Conception Parish, San Francisco, CA$ 2,400.00
Nativity of the BVM Parish, Los Angeles, CA
$ 10,650.00
Nativity of the BVM Parish. Palos Park, IL
$ 7,860.00
Nativity of Mother of God Parish, Springfield, OR $ 3,600.00
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, La Mesa, CA $ 7,680.00
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Dearborn Hts, MI
$ 8,400.00
Protection of Mother of God Parish, Houston, TX $ 9,960.00
St. Andrew Mission, Sacramento, CA
$ 1,000.00
St. Constantine Parish, Minneapolis, MN
$ 13,980.00
St. Demetrius Parish, Belfield, ND
$ 3,000.00
St. George Parish, Lincoln, NE
$ 1,000.00
St. John the Baptist Parish, Belfield, ND
$ 2,220.00
St. John the Baptist Parish, Detroit, MI
$ 7,980.00
St. Josaphat Parish, Munster, IN
$ 5,640.00
St. Josaphat Parish, Warren, MI
$ 44,040.00
St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph, MO
$ 1,200.00
St. Joseph Parish, Chicago, IL
$ 19,920.00
St. Mary's Assumption Parish, St. Louis, MO
$ 2,340.00
St. Michael Mission, Minot, ND
$ 1,140.00
St. Michael Parish, Mishawaka, IN
$ 3,900.00
St. Michael Parish, Tucson, AZ
$ 1,500.00
St. Michael Parish, Chicago, IL
$ 1,000.00
St. Michael Parish, Milwaukee, WI
$ 6,300.00
St. Michael Parish, Grand Rapids, MI
$ 6,000.00
St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Dearborn, MI
$ 1,260.00
St. Nicholas Cathedral, Chicago, IL
$ 55,080.00
St. Paul Mission, Flagstaff, AZ
$ 1,000.00
St. Peter Eastern Catholic Mission, Ukiah, CA
$ 1,000.00
St. Sophia Mission, Honolulu, HI
$ 1,000.00
St. Sophia Parish, The Colony, TX
$ 3,720.00
St. Stephen Mission, St. Paul, MN
$ 1,000.00
St. Vladimir Parish, Flint, MI
$ 1,800.00
St. Volodymyr Mission, Santa Clara, CA
$ 1,000.00
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Wilton, ND
$ 1,500.00
Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish, Chicago, IL
$ 60,300.00
Transfiguration Parish, Denver, CO
$ 7,800.00
$ 3,300.00
Zarvanycia Mission, Seattle, WA
Totals
$351,610.00

$ 10,950.00
1,100.00
515.00
200.00
20.00
1,615.00
4,010.00
3,410.00
1,350.00
3,975.00
1,960.00
1,945.00
475.00
1,600.00
747.00
120.00
1,795.00
4,570.00
120.00
3,125.00
1,550.00
489.00
5,410.00
25.00
3,040.00
1,575.00
730.00
1,750.00
1,981.00
1,285.00
675.00
665.00
300.00
22,580.00
0.00
20.00
50.00
1,775.00
25.00
2,075.00
550.00
990.00
3,405.00
3,205.00
2,425.00
$ 100,177.00

, 2009

,
, ,

!
" ,
' , "
( 24: 13)
, ,
,
,
-
! , ,
!
-
, ,
, ,
, . -
-
.
,
. '
,
,
,
.
, .
, ,
, , :
, ,
, ,
,
. , ,
. , ,

...
,
,
,

. ;
?
.
, ,
,
. , .
, ,
,
, . ,
, ,
,
, ,
.
. !

, ,
,
.

- . ,
. , ,
, . ,
- , ,
, ,
, ,
, , .
, , ,
.
, ,
, .
?
?
, ,
.
.
. ,
. ,

' .
,
.

,
,
,
.
,
. ,
, ""
' .
, , ,
,
, , ',
, .
!
! !
+


+

+

+ ,

+
-

, 2009

195


.
. ,
. .
,
22- 2009 .


-
,
-

,
.

. , ,

,

.
: ,
, ,
, ,
'
,

, , ,
, ,
,
, ,
,

, .
,

,

.

,

.


.


.

.

,

,

.
-

,



.


. .


,

.
, ,
,


.
,
,
, , .
- ,

, ,
.

,

.
-

!
'

.



.



.
.

.
,
195-


.
, , 8
2009 .

, .
,
.
. .

.

,
,
'

,

,
, ,
, ...

"". "
",

.
" ".

,
(. " ",
" ", .
").

.

"
, "
".

..
" ,
" " . .

.

" .

.

, 2009

: ,
(. 6, 36).
,

, ,
,

.
, ,
,

,
,
, .

:

,
.

. .

:
,
:
.
: ,
(. 22, 37-39).
,
: ,
,
(. 24, 40).

,
,

,
(. 16, 27),
,
,
:
, ,
,
.
, ;
, ;
, ;
, ; ,
; ,
(. 25, 34-36).
,
,
!

: :
! (. 15, 17).

.
,
, ,
,

? , ,
,
, ,
?
,
,
.

,

. ,


, .
,
, ,
,
.

.

, ,
.
,

.


. ,

,

, ,
:
(.
41, 4).

:

,

[].
,


,
.


, :
, ,
, ,
,
,
.


,
.
, , ,


,
,
.
, , ,

. ,
. ,


.

, !
, .
,
,
. -

,
, , ,


.

,
.

,
,
.

.

.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
. ,
, ,
.
,
.
, .
,



.


.
,
.
, ,
.
, ,

: ,
(. 5, 7).

.
VIIII

,
, , .
... , , ,
, ,
.

, 2009

7

,

(),
-
-
(). -
,

,
-
, Castra di Galba,
14 2009 .
, 6 ,
.

,
,

,

,
, 18 , - ,
.

.
,
(),
11.00.
- (),
,
,
,
.
,
(),

-,
(), .
,

,
, ,
.
,


.

. , ,
,
.

, -,
. .
,
,
,

.

XVI. ... ,
, ,
,
,
'

- ,

-

,
,
.

.

()

12
2009

. .

(). - -
- ()
(),
(),
-.

.



.

,
1933 .
ugcc.org.uua

16 2009 , 13.00,
,
XVI
-
(),
,
, - .

.

()
6 1956 .
,
, -.
1963 - 1971
. .
1974
.
1974-1976
.

.


. (),
,

.
5 1979 . (),
,
. 8
1983 -
(
).

c

.
,
.

(),
.
9 1984

, 30 1984
( ()).
1984
- .


.
,
.
.

. , ,
.
. .
- .
1990 p,
. ,
. 1992

.
.
1992
-

. 1996

-

. 12 1997 ,
,



,
.
1993
- ()

. 1997

.
1997

,
. 1998

.
1
2008

, 2009

97-


11
12 .
,
.

,
, , .
11

,
.
,

.
12 .

. 32 .
.

(), .

,

,
. ,
, 97-
,


, , .
,

,

.


, .
,
. ,

,
.



.
, 97-


.
10

" ".

, ,

,
.


.
.
25 .
11 11

20- .

20-
.
,
:
,

,
,
.
, 12 ,


!.


, , ,

.

,
1929 ,
1945 .,
.

,

.
, 2006 14

(4810
).
.

www.plast.org.uua

1781

19


(1781 ,

) . 8

.
, -
.
zahiid.nnet

ziik.nnet

()
65-
, 25 2009

.
.
"
,

,


- .



",

.
,


. .
: "
,
,

".

,
,

, -'-
, -

,
,
, ,
, .

.

. 15 ,

.
, , , , , ,
, , , ,
, , ,
, .
"
, 60

,
. ,

",
.
,
,
,
. "
, , ,
.
,
, ",
-'.
,
,

.

, "

, ".
,


.
: " ,
, ,

".
. .
25
1944 ,
2001
.
2008

.
(1884-1944)
20 1884
( )
(1861-1919)
- (1891-1939).
20
( ).


,

. ,

,
. 25
1944 .

.
.
. 2001

. 2008

.
ugcc.org.uua

10

, 2009

99-

.

, 17 2009

,
-

. 22
().
:
29 1910

( ).
. ,
. ,
1932 .

-

.
12
1942 . 1942


-
,
.

1945
-

.
1949


. 1957
.
1991

, -,
"
"
,

.
: " 17831945 ." "
1990-2006 .".
ugcc.org.uua

()
28

.
,
,
29 .
-
,

(),
(),

(),
(),

.
, ,


, .
, ,

.

,

.

,

,
,
.
,
. ,
,


,
, .
riisuu.org.uua

:

21-22
. .
,



-
: .


.

,

6 :
1. : , . 2.
. 3. : , ,
. 4.

. 5.
- . 6.

.

. .
, ,
. .,

.
,

:
,

,
-

.
150
, ,
-, , , ,
, , , ,
, , , , ,
, , , .
,

,
,
,
,

,
,
- , - , ,

, - ,
. . ,
, -
, .
,
-
.

.
1-
:
,

.

.

.
- ,

,
,
. ,
,
,

(
).

.
.
,
,
.
,
.

,

.
- , ,
,

. ,
,
,

-
.

,


,
.

,
,
.

, ,
,
:
, ,


.
,
, .
,
, ,
, ,

,

.
.

NEW STAR

May, 2009

Pastoral Message of the Ukrainian

C a t h o l i c H i e r a rc h y o f t h e U . S . A .
t o O u r C l e r g y,
H i e ro m o n k s a n d B ro t h e r s ,
Religious Sisters, Seminarians
and Beloved Faithful:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
"Now that very day two of them were going to a
village seven miles from Jerusalem called
Emmaus" Luke 24:13
The highlight of Easter morning for each of us is
undoubtedly the moment we first hear the triumphant
Paschal troparion ringing out at the beginning of the
Matins of the Resurrection: "Christ is risen from the
dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the
tombs giving life!" When we repeat these joyful
words, as we will many times on Easter Sunday and for
the next forty days, all our earthly cares seem to melt
away, things that trouble us fade into the background
and become somehow less burdensome. A heavy
weight--the weight of sin and eternal death--has been
lifted from our shoulders with the glorious
Resurrection of Christ.
These feelings of joy were not shared by at least two
of Jesus' disciples, however. In one of the most memorable and evocative scenes from the Gospel accounts
of the Resurrection, we see Cleopas and his nameless
companion, hurrying away from Jerusalem as the sun
sets on that momentous day.
They are distressed, disappointed and fearful. As they
walk they speak in hushed and agitated tones to one
another about what has just taken place before their
eyes: the seizure, trial, scourging and death by crucifixion of their leader upon whom they had pinned all
their aspirations of national liberation, Jesus of
Nazareth. Their hopes are dashed; they are convinced
that everything is finished. And then, it seems out of
nowhere a stranger joins them on the road and begins
to converse with them
We are all familiar with this marvelous scene, how
Jesus gradually lifts the veil from the eyes of Cleopas
and his companion so that they are able to recognize
him, how he transforms their fear and doubt into rekindled hope and a zealous faith in the reality of his
Resurrection. How does he do this; how does he convince them? Through his word and through the breaking of the bread.
As he walks with them Jesus does not perform a miracle that would instantaneously convince Cleopas and
his companion of his identity. Instead, he teaches
them. He speaks to them from Holy Scripture and
allows everything that Moses and the prophets said
about the coming of the Messiah to gradually reveal to
them who he really is. And later, at table at the inn in
Emmaus, when Jesus takes the bread, invokes a blessing, breaks it and shares it with them, the final obstacle
is removed from their mind, the veil is completely lifted from their eyes. The light floods in and they recognize him. It is the Lord! And in this jubilant realization they drop everything and race back to Jerusalem,
even now in the dead of night, to share with the others,

this astonishing appearance of the resurrected Jesus.

It is no accident that the name of Cleopas' companion on the road to Emmaus is never revealed. He is
nameless because he is us. And the road that links
Jerusalem to Emmaus and back again is a symbol of
the road along which each of us is a traveler. In fact all
humanity moves along this path--the path of life--an
immense caravan of people who are sometimes happy
and content, but often distrustful and disillusioned,
sometimes sure and steady, but often uncertain and disoriented, but who are always searching or waiting.
We, like Cleopas' companion along the road, are
nave, filled with fickle hopes and worldly aspirations.
We are blind to God's Providence and have been
brought low by the circumstances of life and our own
sinfulness and pride. Who can restore our equilibrium? Who can save us?
Who indeed, but the Resurrected Lord, who comes
to us of his own free will. It is he who joins us as we
journey every day along our road of life. It is he who
teaches and comforts us. It is he who shares a meal
with us, as he did with Cleopas and his companion. In
other words he enlightens us through Holy Scripture
and he nourishes us with his Body and Blood in the
Holy Eucharist. And our eyes are opened and our
hearts are warmed and we gain strength for the journey.
Our prayer for you on this glorious Feast of the
Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is
that our ears may always be attuned to hear the voice
of the Lord as he speaks to us in many ways but especially through the inspired writings of Holy Scripture.
May also our eyes be opened to truly recognize our
Lord in the breaking of the bread so that we may
worthily receive him in the Holy Eucharist. And,
along with Cleopas and his companion, may our hearts
also 'burn within us' with the love of God and neighbor.
God grant to you and to your loved ones, and to our
brothers and sisters in our beloved Ukraine and scattered throughout the world, good health, joy, peace and
contentment. A blessed Pascha!
CHRIST IS RISEN!

INDEED HE IS RISEN!

+Stefan
Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia
+Robert
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma
+Richard
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago
+Paul
Eparch of Stamford
+John
Auxiliary Bishop to the Metropolitan

[Received after the April issue of New Star went to press--EDITOR.]

Patriarch Lubomyrs Paschal Message, to have been read Palm Sunday is found online: http://www.ugcc.org.ua/609.0.html?&L=2

11

12

May, 2009

NEW STAR

NEW UGCC BISHOP APPOINTED TO DONETSK

AND KHARKIV: KYIV - Pope Benedict XVI blessed the
decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church to appoint
Bishop VASYL (Medvit) auxiliary
bishop of the Donetsk and
Kharkiv Exarchate.
According to the Information
Department of the UGCC,
Bishop Vasyl was consecrated
bishop on July 12, 1994 in Lviv.
In 1994-1997, he served as an
auxiliary bishop of the Lviv
Arch-eparchy. In 1997, the
Synod of Bishops of the UGCC
appointed him Exarch of the Kyiv and Vyshhorod
Exarchate in Kyiv. He stayed there until the moving of the
seat of the head of UGCC from Lviv to Kyiv. In 20012005, he also acted as the Secretary of the Synod of
Bishops of the UGCC.

PATRIARCH GREETED PARTICIPANTS OF CONFERENCE "BIOETHICS IN THE SYSTEM OF HEALTH

CARE AND MEDICAL EDUCATION": On March 26-27
at Holy Spirit Seminary, an international scholarly-practical conference "Bioethics in the system of health care and
medical education" occurred. The
purpose of the conference, according to Sr Diohena-Halyna (Tereshkevych), SSMI, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy
and Economics and the World
Health Organization Department of
Danylo Halytskyj National Medical
University in Lviv, was the popularization and development of an area
of knowledge with great perspec-

tive--personalistic bioethics, called in the period of globalization to make every person, and humanity in general,
healthy both morally and spiritually.
His Beatitude Lubomyr addressed the participants of
the conference with a letter of greeting: "Much of what is
talked about in the area of bioethics today was known in
the past under other names. But today bioethics receives
proper attention in the medical world and is very justified.
I myself would like to note that, in the past or today, this
scholarly and practical area obtains its dignity in accordance with how it approaches its own subject of personal
interest, the human being."
Information Department of the UGCC

IRAQI CHRISTIANS WARY OF WITHRAWL, SAYS

PRELATE--DOUBT ABILITY OF NATIVE POLICE TO
PROVIDE SECURITY: VIENNA, (Zenit.org).- According
to the archbishop of Kirkuk, Iraq's Christians are worried
about a forthcoming withdrawal of international troops
from the country since security is still lacking.
Chaldean Archbishop LOUIS (Sako) spoke of the security issues and the inability of the Iraqi police to handle the
situation on their own at a press conference in Vienna
sponsored by Aid to the Church in Need and the organizations Christian Solidarity International, Austria, and
"Pro Oriente."
"Under Saddam's regime we had security but no freedom," he said. "Today we have freedom, but the problem
is security."
According to a report from Aid to the Church in Need,
the prelate said that another problem is the tendency of
many Iraqis to equate the U.S. troops with Christians.
During the conflict, there has been a mass exodus of
Iraqi Christians from Iraq. "Some 200,000 Christians have
left the country. This is a tragedy for us," Archbishop Sako
lamented.
Nevertheless, the archbishop affirmed, "We have many
problems, but we also have great hope. We are not afraid,
but rather we want to be able to live together with the
Muslims in Iraq in peace."
Archbishop Sako expressed the conviction that a dialogue with Muslims is still possible--"not a theological
dialogue, but a 'dialogue of life.'"

Vitayemo-Welcome!
The Christian home is the smallest unit of the larger
Church community. It is charged with much the same
ministry as the parish church--worship, Christian fellowship, charity, education in the faith, growth in virtue,
evangelism, hospitality and works of mercy. We haven't
spent much time on "hospitality" in this column. As we
approach the summer months, when we welcome visitors
to our homes and churches, "hospitality" is a timely topic
to reflect upon.
Today, hospitality generally refers to the act or practice
of being hospitable, that is, receiving,
welcoming and entertaining guests
and visitors to one's home and parish
church. We are also hospitable when
we extend compassion to strangers,
providing care and kindness to them
when they are in need. Then there is
the hospitality industry, the hotels,
restaurants, casinos, caterers, resorts
and clubs that deal with tourists and
entertainment. This article will not be
concerned with the hospitality industry but rather with the first two examples of hospitality.
Historically, hospitality used to be,
and still is in some parts of the world,
a very serious responsibility. Although we don't see the
word "hospitality" in the Old Testament, there are many
references to the need to be hospitable. In the ancient
world, hospitality was focused on the alien or stranger in
need. If you were not a member of a tribe, city-state or
nation, you were considered an alien or stranger. You had
no way of providing for or protecting yourself, especial-

ly if you were traveling. Anyone you might approach for

help felt obligated to help you, providing you with food,
lodging and protection, thus changing your status from
stranger to guest. We see Abraham and then Lot showing
hospitality to the strangers who visited them (Genesis 1819). In Leviticus (19: 33-34) we read: "When an alien
lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien
living with you must be treated as one of your nativeborn. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.
I am the Lord your God."
In the New Testament, Jesus places
a lot of emphasis on this kind of hospitality. We see it in the story of the
Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37), in
the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man
(Luke 16:19-31) and in the Parable of
the Great Feast (Luke 14:16-24).
Jesus performs his first miracle at The
Wedding at Cana, so that the wedding
guests can be treated properly (John
2:2: 1-12). Jesus also tells us "If your
enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him something to
drink" (Romans 12:20).
In the early Church, traveling evangelists, missionaries and fellow
Christians had to count on finding a Christian community that would welcome and provide for their needs when
they left the hospitable Middle East for the less-hospitable West. Check out Matthew 22: 2-10; Matthew 25:
35-40; and Luke 24:29, when the disciples invite the risen
Jesus to "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is
almost over. So He went in to stay with them."

At the same time, the prelate stressed the importance of

Muslims finding an understanding of the "responsible
freedom" of man. Muslims, he said, should find an interpretation of the Koran for the present time. Instead "the
Muslims are living as though in the 7th century, and that
is a problem."

INVITATION TO YOUTH: Are you a person seeking to

find God and meaning in your life? Are you a Catholic or
Orthodox Christian? Can you trace your spiritual roots to
Kyivan Rus'? Or are you simply a person open to God but
of no particular faith, denomination or tradition?
Whatever your background, we invite you to explore our
website and join us for Unity 2009! Here we are on the
Internet: http://www.unity2009.ca/
Sponsored by the Ukrainian Catholic Church in
Canada, Unity is held every few years as a celebration for
young adults (ages 18-35) from across Canada in order to
better understand, embrace and celebrate who we are as
Byzantine Catholics through fellowship, prayer and education. Unity 2009: Life on the Edge is being held at
Mount Mary Retreat Centre in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
from August 13 to 16, 2009. We hope to see you there.
Hosted and sponsored by the Ukrainian Catholic
Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada

COMMEMORATIVE UGCC PROCESSION CONDUCTED IN LVIV: LVIV - On March 22, 2009, a traditional religious procession took place in Lviv to mark the
20th anniversary of the emergence of Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church from the underground. The event was
attended by approximately 10,000 faithful and was
capped off by a blessing by UGCC Archbishop IHOR
(Vozniak) of Lviv.
The procession started near the Church of the Archangel
Michael, where the first open Greek Catholic services
were celebrated in the 1980's, and ended near the
Cathedral of St. George. The procession was led by
Bishop HLIB (Lonchyna) of the Curia of the Supreme
Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych.
State representatives--particularly Lviv mayor Andrii
Sadovyi--also participated in the procession.

In the United States today, we are still hospitable, but

with a few restrictions. The hospitality industry has pretty much taken over the care and feeding of travelers, yet
many of us still house visiting family and friends. But
everything has to be pretty much planned ahead of time.
We are so busy with work, children and their activities,
social obligations, and a need for some private time that
certain "rules" have evolved. "Dear Abby" and the etiquette books tell us that we should always call before visiting, to be sure that those we are visiting are ready for
guests. This makes sense, especially if one is going to
visit for an extended period of time. But what seems to
have been lost is the custom of just dropping in to say
hello. When I was a child that was much more common.
A guest was always offered coffee, tea, cake or pie and a
little time was made for friendly conversation. Not so
much today.
How can we follow the Biblical directive to be hospitable to all, including the stranger in need, yet balance
it with our need for privacy and time to fulfill our various
obligations and responsibilities?
We certainly can teach our children and grandchildren
that supporting charities that serve the needy are acts of
hospitality. We also have some really great teaching
opportunities in our Ukrainian Catholic traditions, which
are steeped in the concept that "A guest in the house is
God in the house." We can observe the Christmas Eve
Sviatiy Vecher custom of setting a place for the unexpected guest. One of my favorite childhood memories is my
mother telling us how on one Christmas Eve, a stranger
did come to our house! He shared in the Holy Supper,
and after he left our family received many blessings in the
following year. Even if we do not get to actually entertain
an uninvited guest, the mere presence of the table setting
helps develop in our minds the concept of hospitality.
continued page 14

NEW STAR

May, 2009

Why?/Why:

By Fr Denny Molitvy

What do we do with pussy willow branches

on "Palm Sunday"?
This wide-open question has many possible answers.
The question is not specific--here's hoping all (or most)
aspects of the subject are addressed.
1) We bless the willow branches. The order of services calls for this to be done at Matins on "Flowery
Sunday." This precedes the Divine Liturgy. In some
places there is a procession with the branches.
2) We hold (or carry) the willow branches throughout the remainder of the service. The prayers make
mention of "those standing about with branches." The
Typikon demands that no one should dare to voluntarily take the blessed willows by himself, but should be
given from the hand of the church server,
3) We take the willow branches home. Here they are
saved as a reminder of our participation in the day's
welcome of Jesus into our midst. The branches may be
put into a vase, or behind a cross or icon in our home
(or place of business). They are to be handled with reverence and respect.
4) Some take the branches to the graves of loved
ones. Or, a piece of the branch is placed in the hands of
those who die throughout the year--as a standard to
carry to the end-of-time resurrection. According to
faith in Christ, they will conquer death and will resurrect, coming out from the graves with the blessed
branch to the sound of the trumpets of the archangels in
meeting the Saviour (Rev.: 7:6).
5) We reverently dispose of the previous year's
branches. They, having been blessed, are properly
burned or buried in a garden, somewhere not subject to
defilement by people or animals.
Considering the timing of receipt of this question,
perhaps #5 answers the question best--while the other
responses may better be recorded in your memory for
relevance in the future.
Some Churches distribute either olive or palm
branches, depending upon climatic differences. (In the
United States, many commercially available "palms"
are actually long blades of swamp grass).

You said some time ago that you would print

a rationale for the iconostas--rather than
treat the merely physical aspects of it. Did I
miss it--if so, could it be reprinted?

Crisis
Everyone who listens to these words of mine
and acts on them will be like a wise man who
built his house on a rock. The rain fell, the
floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted
the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set
solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to
these words of mine but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds
blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed
and was completely ruined. (Mt. 7: 24-27)
These words from the Gospel according to Matthew
come to me as I reflect upon the current financial crisis. The economic structure--which many people have
built up over many years, and which has been a source
of power and pride for us--has collapsed like a house
of cards, indeed like the house built on sand described
in the Gospel. The wreckage of our economic system
seems to point out the truth in the old saying "Pride
goeth before a fall": in its collapse, our financial house
has taken with it all the self-satisfied certitudes which
have served as our emotional crutches for so long. The
financial "bubble" has burst--revealing itself to be
made of nothing but air, while at the same time taking
the wind out of our sails. So much for firm foundations
Over the Internet, there has lately been a lot of atten-

You did not miss the article. The decision to schedule to print the article by
Vince Kazal now has been made in connection with the recent celebration of
Pascha. Here's why:
No doubt you noticed on that Great
Day and the whole of Bright Week, all
doors of the iconostas were open. This
is in clear reference to the familiar icon
of "The Harrowing of Hell" in which
Christ is shown standing upon broken
gates--pulling Adam, Eve and all of
humanity from the depths of the netherworld--with locks and shackles falling
into the dark hole of Hades. Death is
destroyed. Trampled down; Jesus grants
life to those in the tombs. (cfr Easter
Tropar).
This relates back to the early pages of
the Bible--the Book of Genesis. Here
we hear of the calamity caused by the
first sin. Adam and Eve (and their descendents) were expelled from the perfection of God's good world. Banished
from Paradise, they had to endure consequences: "The LORD God therefore
banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had
been taken. When He expelled the man,
He settled him east of the Garden of Eden; and He stationed the Cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to
guard the way to the tree of life." [Genesis: 3; 4-5].
The iconostas stands as a symbolic representation of
the barrier to Paradise. It is a visual reminder that
Heaven has boundaries watched over by angels. Most
"deacon doors" have icons of angels painted upon
them. If not, deacon saints [Steven, Lawrence, or others] are depicted. Deacons' vestments include a long
stole ("orarion") that at times is fixed into a configuration that represent angels' wings. The gates guard
against unauthorized entry. (By us?) The iconostas
makes this real. It builds our longing desire for Heaven.
Its doors and openings reveal ways that we can come
to experience access to Heaven. The Gospel (Word of
God) is presented, read, and the priest brings first bread
and wine, then the Eucharistic Body and Blood of
Christ through them for us. Our worlds meet. Christ
touches us--we respond.
The iconostas serves as a defining point of the differtion paid to the motto "In God we trust", but our
actions seem to show that we have actually put our
faith elsewhere. The Gospel according to Matthew has
warnings which we have unfortunately not heeded:
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their
fruits you will know them." (Mt. 7: 15-16a)
It seems that we have placed our trust in scoundrels
who have enticed unsuspecting people into an elaborate shell game. The fruits of this misplaced faith? An
avalanche of foreclosures increases the number of the
homeless, teetering and toppling companies swell the
ranks of the unemployed, and our sinking economy
takes with it those who have placed their trust in us.
How sad that the words of the psalmist are coming
true:
This is the destiny of those who trust in folly, the end
of those so pleased with their wealth. (Ps. 49: 14)
How sad that we so readily turn from wisdom to
folly!
Much noise has been made in recent days about the
Ten Commandments: should they be placed on public
buildings for the edification of the citizenry? If only
people were as concerned about obeying those commandments as about displaying them--especially when
such obedience is inconvenient! We need only look at
the very first commandment, which warns against idolatry--that is, substituting false gods for the one true
God. Have otherwise God-fearing Americans not made
the acquisition of wealth and creature-comforts their

13

ence between Heaven and

Earth. Its presence is not incidental. Canon Law specifies:
"An iconostas is to be erected
in every church, according to
liturgical norms." Canon 116
(CCEO c. 886).
A document issued on
Theophany, 1996, enumerates
"instructions" for proper liturgical expression. It states:
"the Christian altar is at the
same time the fulfillment of
the Sancta Sanctorum of the
ancient temple, the Golgotha
altar of the new sacrifice and
the table of the last supper
which prefigured it, the tomb
of the Lord, the place of the
resurrection" [article 83
Instruction for Applying the
Liturgical Prescriptons of the
Code of Canons of the Eastern
Churches]
The Holy Place (or Sanctuary) has its inspiration in Old
Testament requirements as to
construction, material and
purpose to set it aside from
merely mundane matter. (cfr:
Exodus: chapters 37-40) All
Churches of Apostolic origin
have some manner of distinguishing the "sacred space" from "secular place."
Continuing, the document says: "The sanctuary is
separated from the nave by a veil, gate or iconostasis,
[depending upon specific ritual-family usage. ed.]
because it is the most sacred place: it contains the altar
on which the Divine Liturgy is celebrated and the
Oblation is offered. Only those who are entrusted with
the sacred ministry can enter the sanctuary to complete
continued on page 14
Questions for Why?/Why: by Fr Denny Molitvy
may be sent to
Fr. Denny Molitvy; 2245 W Rice St;
Chicago, IL 60622-4858
You may also send e-mail to:
WhyWhyNewStar@cs.com.
Identify yourself by name and parish (which will not
be publshed).
Individual replies are not possible.

highest priority, putting these even in front of God?

That certainly sounds like idolatry! We have perhaps
not been as faithful as we would pretend--in a vain
attempt to convince not only others, but ourselves as
well. We can take comfort in ancient words written to
Timothy and the people of his first-century Church:
If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)
Such thoughts come in the midst of a financial crisis,
but it seems to me that this is not the only crisis facing
us. Etymologically, the word "crisis" refers to a decisive moment, one where we are forced to decide, to
make a choice. Such a situation is presented to us by
the poet Robert Frost:
Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I--I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
We too are called upon to make a choice: will we
take the familiar road of greed, or will we follow the
less-frequented path, the path traced by Christ, Whom
we serve by serving one another--especially those He
calls "the least of My brothers and sisters" (Mt. 25:
40)? We would do well to reread the following passage
and to follow the example which we find there:
And Joshua said unto all the people [of Israel], . . .
choose this day whom you will serve; . . . but as for me
and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:2, 15)
It would certainly make a difference!
--Fr Jim Karepin, op

14 NEW STAR

Patriarch Explains
Move to Kyiv to
"Correspondent"
Readers

Patriarch Lubomyr
KYIV - Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), answered the
questions of readers of "Correspondent". The most
popular question pertained to the moving of the seat of
the UGCC to Kyiv in 2004. Patriarch Lubomyr noted:
"We haven't moved the seat of the UGCC head; we just
returned to where we were in the past. "The decision
(to move the seat from Lviv to Kyiv) would be illogical if all Greek Catholics were located only in western
Ukraine," continued the patriarch. "I visited Donetsk
as well as Sumy and Crimea, and could see that there
are also Greek Catholics there. Greek Catholics may
have been driven from those parts of Ukraine, but they
returned."
According to Patriarch Lubomyr, the Greek Catholic
metropolitan was based in Kyiv before the beginning
of the 19th century, but "when the Russian Empire
occupied Ukraine, it steadily got rid of Greek Catholics
in its lands."
"However, when the Bolshevik regime took over,
Greek Catholics for various reasons returned to the
eastern, central and southern regions of Ukraine," he
added. "And it is our duty to serve them."
The head of the UGCC also noted that Kyiv is the
center of the country and all the big church organizations have their main representative offices there; it is
only fitting for the UGCC to have its seat in the capital. "The Greek Catholic Church is not a western
Ukrainian but an all-Ukrainian reality," stressed
Patriarch Lubomyr.
continued from page 12
We can offer our youngsters the opportunity to observe
and participate in the bread and salt welcoming ceremony frequently practiced in our parish churches. Special
guests and visitors are greeted in the Ukrainian Catholic
Church and sometimes in private homes with bread and
salt, carried on an embroidered towel, or rushnyk, and
greeted with a heartfelt Vitayemo--Welcome! Protocol
requires that the guest accept the bread and salt in their
hands while bowing their heads slightly in thanks, kiss it,
and then hand it back to the host. Sometimes a small
piece of the bread is broken off by the guest, dipped in the
salt, and then eaten. Or if there is a large gathering of people, the bread can be shared with all present. Or it can be
taken to one's home for eating later on. The bread represents hospitality and the fertile soil of Ukraine; the salt
symbolizes friendship, because salt never loses its flavor.
(House of Ukraine, San Diego, California).
We can teach our youngsters to help put hospitality into
practice in our parishes. Our parishes must never be so
inward-focused that they ignore guests and visitors.
Some parishes have a Hospitality Ministry--volunteers
greet people as they enter the church and help them feel
welcome and at home. The volunteers can also take up
offerings, distribute bulletins and other handouts and tidy
up the church after Divine Liturgy. So many of our
churches have adults involved in this ministry. How
about allowing children with their parents, youths and

May, 2009

Bishop SVIATOSLAV (Shevchuk) Ordained

"The ceremony of nomination is the completion of
the process of electing a bishop. The nomination
becomes evidence that nobody becomes a bishop by
himself or takes this task on himself. The Church takes
care that bishops were and are the initiators of the election of new candidates. It does not do this frivolously,

Fr. Sviatoslav Shevchuk, PhD, as auxiliary bishop of

the Eparchy of the Protection of Most Holy Mary in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. The main moments of the
order of nomination are public utterance of consent and
acceptance of the decision of the Synod and taking the
oath.
The bishop's ordination
took place April 7. The main
ordaining bishop was His
Beatitude Lubomyr; assisted
by Archbishop IHOR (Voznyak) of Lviv, and Bishop
MIGUEL (Mykycej), Eparch of
the Eparchy of the Protection
of Most Holy Mary in Buenos
Aires. On January 14, 2009,
it was reported that His
Holiness Benedict XVI
blessed the decision of the
Synod of Bishops of the
Fr Sviatoslav (left) professes Faith the day before becoming Bishop Sviatoslav, (right).
Ukrainian Greek Catholic
but conscientiously and responsibly, looking whether a Church to select Reverend Father Sviatoslav
certain candidate indeed will be a good teacher, sancti- Shevchuk, PhD., rector of Holy Spirit Seminary in
fier, and pastor of Christ's flock," said His Beatitude Lviv, as auxiliary bishop of the Eparchy of the
Lubomyr before the beginning of the ceremony of Protection of Most Holy Mary in Buenos Aires. The titnomination of a new bishop. These words relate to the ular see of Castra Galbae has been given to the new
event which took place on April 6, 2009, at the bishop.
Cathedral of Saint George in Lviv, the nomination of
Information Department of the UGCC
continued from page 13
the sacred acts."
The word "altar" refers to the entire space behind
the icon screen. The "Holy Table" sits in the middle of
the space. This is shown in the Statutes for the
Ukrainian Church in the United States, repeating
directives published specifically for our Church in
1944 that stipulate "an altar cannot be considered fit
for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy before an
iconostas has been erected.." [article 435] The same
article provides for larger churches to have a separate
altar--and additional iconostas--if more than one
Liturgy is (regularly) celebrated. Our directives allow
also a curtain behind the Royal Doors to be encourageed. [article 437].
The iconostas reaches beyond the realm of "decoration" or mere artwork. It teaches profound truth. It
allows us to experience the Kingdom of Heaven, to
witness and participate in an unfolding plan of salvation that presents us with the Word of God, and the
step-by-step process through which we can receive the
actual Body and Blood of Christ. Its doors are closed
young adults to also participate and practice hospitality?
After the Divine Liturgy, coffee, pastries and other
refreshments are pretty much a given in most of our
parishes. Allow the youngsters to participate in this
parish tradition by staying a few minutes after Liturgy to
enjoy the refreshments and conversation and occasionally donate and serve those refreshments.
Many parishes offer senior citizens an opportunity to
gather weekly or monthly in the parish hall. Perhaps
families with youngsters and young adults could take
turns preparing and serving meals and entertaining senior
citizens. As an evangelization tool, perhaps the senior citizen group can be opened up to the community-at-large.
Lastly, let us always remember that there are many
people who feel unwanted and in need of healing.
Perhaps they have lost a loved one, are lonely, have a disability, or are on "overload." They may be members of
our parish. They may be outsiders, visiting our parish
church for the first or second time. The hospitality we
extend to them--a handshake, a smile, remembering their
name, offering them conversation and refreshment, inviting them to return--these are the things that make them
feel welcome.
Hospitality, then, is welcoming those we know and
making strangers into guests. It's making people feel that
they matter. It is, quite simply, the second great commandment: love your neighbor as yourself.

to evidence the fact that our perfection is not completely realized. However, with the constant proclamation "Christ Is Risen!" its open doors expose us to
the realization that we are that much closer to fulfillment of our mission. The iconostas makes this real for
us. "Indeed He Is Risen!"
We stand--not kneel--all during the fifty-day
Paschal season (and every Sunday, as each is "a little
'Easter'") to express our belief and participation in
Christ's victory over sin and death [article 464]. All
our sorrows are taken away. Our penances have been
fruitful. Our Church asks us on Sundays to not cower
in shame, but again stand in awe in the presence of
God, not in judgment, but in joy--as Easter People!
With wide-open doors, and unveiled access, we
have a clearer glimpse of the Throne of God--the seat
of the King of Glory. Because of our human weaknesses, however, we revert to another reality--the
doors are closed again. Our place in the world is once
again directed to the task we have: to work for our
redemption, applying the lessons we learn from the
Word of God we hear read and explained throughout
our earthly journey. The iconostas makes this real for
us. The mundane is made holy as it hides--and exposes--God's perfection for our lowly eyes to behold. It
works for us when we appreciate what the iconostas
teaches us through proper understanding and use of it.
Why mention the purpose of the obligation of fidelity to these traditions? "It cannot be denied that
Eastern Catholic Churches have been exposed, in
rather recent times, to influence of styles completely
foreign to their heritage, concerning both the external
form of sacred buildings and the arrangement of the
interior space and sacred images. Yet, from the preceding observations emerges a harmonious unity of
words, gestures, space, and objects proper and specific to each of the Eastern liturgies. Continuous reference must be made to this aspect that requires on the
part of the clergy an in-depth knowledge of their own
tradition and constant, well-established, systematic
formation of the faithful so they may be able to fully
perceive the richness of the signs entrusted to them.
Fidelity does not imply anachronistic fixation, but
development fully coherent with the profound and
immutable meaning of that which is celebrated in the
liturgy". [cfr: Instructions]
Our liturgy is only an image, an "icon" of the continual Heavenly liturgy of bliss that is on-going and
never-ending. The iconostas is, by making this visual,
a most useful tool to teach us this.

May, 2009

NEW STAR

15

Faithful of Cathedral Experience Great Fast; Celebrate Pascha

The great period of Lenten discipline was embraced
gracefully and whole-heartedly by the parishioners of
St Nicholas Cathedral. Working on a tradition spanning locally over 100 years, the congregation participated in the pre-lenten services of Forgiveness Vespers;
Liturgies of Pre-sanctified Gifts; and the ancient practices of prostrations, the manifestation of humility
before God; and fasting, the self-denial of pleasurable
material items in concert with Christ's sacrifice.
Demonstrating the
importance for the spiritual renewal, great
numbers of the faithful
found the time to be
inspired and motivated
to strengthen their love
of Christ and fellow
man in the Lenten
Mission (March 15-18)
The Grave
given by Fr Bohdan
Lukie and Spiritual
Recollection-Holy Hour (March 28) led by Bishop
INNOCENT (Lotocky, OSBM). The words of Fr Bohdan
opened the hearts, minds and souls of those present to
share in a better understanding the wisdom of the
teachings of Jesus Christ and to experience practical
applications of those teachings in daily life. Bishop
Emeritus, Bishop Innocent conducted a Holy Hour to
spiritually prepare the people for Pascha. During this
hour, the attendees heard of Christ's patience, sympathized with Christ in His pain and suffering, and
reflected on Christ's immeasurable love for all, as He
pardons the sins committed daily.
An especially stirring performance of Giovanni Battisa Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" was presented on April

8th. The vocal arrangement was performed by Irena

Dychyj (soprano) and Oksana Petriv (alto) accompanied by the Northwest String Quartet, composed of
Daria Horodyskyj, Vera Chytra, Michael Holian and
Dan Pankratz. "Stabat Mater" is a thirteenth-century
poem in Latin attributed to Jacopone da Todi adapted
into a hymn. Its title is from the first line, Stabat mater
dolorosa ("The sorrowful mother stood"). The hymn
meditates on the suffering of Mary,
during Jesus' crucifixion. At the end
of the performance, the Rector
thanked the performers for their service to the parish and community, especially to Mr. Michael Holian for
organizing the event and Selfreliance
Ukrainian American Federal Credit
Union for their partial financial support.
On Holy Thursday morning, the
Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great
with Vespers was concelebrated by
Bishop RICHARD (Seminack) and local
clergy. During the service His Grace
blessed the Chrism, which is distributed to all eparchial
parishes for use in the administration of the Mystery of
Chrismation. He washed the feet of twelve eparchial
clergy (see page one article by Fr John Lucas for more
details).
In the evening, the parish clergy celebrated Matins
with the reading of the "Twelve Passion Gospels" that
offers scriptural lessons of the events surrounding
Christ's betrayal, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial.
The Service of the Royal Hours gave more Gospel
lessons and initiated Paschal activities on Holy and
Great Friday morning. In the early afternoon, solemn
vespers were celebrated with the procession and placing of the Holy Shroud--Plaschenytsya--in the tomb for

Milestone
Anniversary
The first priest ordained for the Eparchy of St
Nicholas was feted on the occasion of the forty-fifth
anniversary in the priesthood.
On March 29, 1964, Fr Thomas Glynn was
ordained at St
Nicholas Cathedral
by
Bishop JAROSLAW (Gabro).
On March 29,
2009, Fr Tom
celebrated a
Moleben
of
Thanksgiving
at the Church
of St Joseph
the Betrothed,
Chicago.
Joining Fr
Fr Tom reads Gospel at Moleben. Tom at the
Holy
Table
were the dean of the Chicago Deanery, Protopresbyter Very Rev Basil Salkovski, OSBM and Fr
Mykola Burdyanyk, Pastor of St Joseph's.
Bishop RICHARD (Seminack) presided and delivered a sermon on the occasion. His Grace made an
analogy to the life of Fr Tom and his service to the
Church and the encounter of Cleopas and a companion with the newly-risen Christ on the road to
Emmaus. "Were not our hearts burning?" was their
response to meeting Christ. It is obvious, too, that
"Fr Tom's heart has been afire with the presence of
Christ in his life" Bishop Richard remarked.
The church was filled with members of Fr Tom's
family, friends, parishioners and area clergy. The
Moleben was sung by the entire congregation, led by
Marko Krutiak.

veneration. The tomb

is specially -designed
and -constructed of
solid cherrywood, built
by parishioners Paul
and Melissa Matwyshyn, and was adorned
by over three hundred
flowers sponsored by
parishioners in memory of deceased family
and friends. Members
of the youth organizations Plast and SUM
stood guard over the
Plaschenytsya in the
grave.
In the evening, Candles aglow render a serene
Jerusalem Matins were
mood--or turn a joyous
event glorious.
served by Frs Bohdan
and Volodymyr with
responses by a specially-organized choir directed by
Mr. Taras Popowycz.
Holy Saturday, the Divine Liturgy of St Basil the
Great with Vespers was celebrated by Bishop Richard,
followed by veneration of Christ in the Tomb.
Hundreds came to have their Easter Baskets blessed.
The pre-Paschal season of sacrifice came to fruition
on Holy and Great Day of Pascha, when the faithful
came united as one family to celebrate Christ's
Resurrection and His triumph over death. The time of
denial and fast gave way to rich spreads of ham, kowbasa, eggs and baked goods from blessed baskets--filling our physical bodies all the while reminding us spiritually of the teachings of our Resurrected Christ.
George Matwyshyn

continued from page 1

Amid the congregation were

members of Fr Toms family.

Joining the prayer were Fr Maximos, Holy

Resurrection Monastery, Newberry Springs,
California; Fr James Karepin, OP, Chancellor;
and Mrs Christine Hayda.

Following the service all were invited to the parish

hall for a reception in his honor.
In a conversation with New Star on the occasion,
Fr Tom was asked for some observations on the differences between 1964 and 2009. With a wry smile
he confided "it's enough to say 'the Church now is
not the same Church as when I was ordained.'"
The comment reflects the reality, too, of the whole
world. Times change, and lives are changed by the
reality of bringing Christ--through His Church--to
life for all the people whose hearts are touched by
the presence of Jesus as they meet Him along the
various roads they travel on their journey through
life.
God grant his servant, the priest Thomas "Many
Years!"

parishes in his care. Since our parishes have been supplied with an antimension, there is no need to repeat this
ceremony every year.
Chrism is a complex blend of oils, spices and herbs
required for the celebration of the Holy Mystery of
Chrismation--attached to Baptism. When a previously
baptized--but not Chrismated--person is enrolled into
our Church, the senses are anointed with the sweetly
aromatic balm. Here is found the vital link of the bishop
with each member of his flock, for Chrism is distributed
to eparchial parishes for use in admitting new Christians
into the Church in which they are now communicants.
Washing the feet of the clergy gives the example of
Jesus' act of washing the feet of His disciples--even over
the protests of Peter. Jesus' act of humility overrode their
objections as a sign of their own subjugation to the will
of God, so necessary, as Bishop Richard noted in his
homily, for their role as teachers and followers of Christ:
"I will show you and them that the bishop, the priests,
and the deacons must all work together" in obedience to
the Church.
Once again, the profound spirituality of the Church
has been made real and available to all. Not only those
present in the Cathedral, but to all who are Chrismated
with the Chrism, or who find in the example of their
priests the spirit of service to the Church that is emphasized in the fulfillment of the tenets of this expressive
rite.

Bishop, priest, deacon, server--all occupy the Holy Place

in their own capacity.

16

NEW STAR

May, 2009

Thirty Years As a Deacon

Fr Deacon Michael with his wife Rose and granddaughters Sophia and Olivia.

When I was seventeen years old I asked my parents

to take me to St Nicholas Cathedral. The experience of
the Divine Liturgy celebrated at St Nicholas was something I will never forget. I recall that the whole church
was filled with song. It was an amazing experience. I
would ask my parents to take me back from time to
time. I am now sixty-seven years old.
I did return to attend the celebration of the rededication of St Nicholas Cathedral. I came back again to
attend the Funeral Liturgy of Belorusian Bishop
VLADIMIR (Tarasevich OSB) in Chicago. I got a copy of
the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom which I
prized. Something always drew me to the liturgy of the
Byzantine Church.
I went to Assumption Seminary in Minnesota and
received a Masters in Religious Studies. Later I attended the University of Notre Dame, and received a
Masters in Liturgical Studies. One of the professors was
a Byzantine deacon.
I believe it was the plan of God that I be involved in
Liturgy. The desire for ministry in liturgy, the way that I
would read and understand the flow of liturgy was
something that I appreciated. It came pretty natural to
me, almost like breathing. I left the seminary and got
married. Then I became a deacon, ordained in the Latin
Rite May 9, 1979, by Bishop Raymond Vonesh,
Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet, Illinois.
In the diocese of Joliet, I served in four parishes: St

Raphael, Naperville; Holy Trinity, Westmont; Our Lady

of Mercy, Aurora, and finally at the Cathedral of St
Raymond, Joliet. I served each parish about eight years.
About eighteen years ago, I earned two academic units
of Clinical Pastoral Education at Alexian Brothers in
Elk Grove Village, and found ministry as a hospital
chaplain. I also was Director of Pastoral Care at two
hospitals: Westlake in Maywood and Provena Mercy
Medical Center in Aurora.
In 1993 I had the opportunity to earn a Doctorate in
Ministry at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake
Seminary in Mundelein. My interest and thesis was
Faith in Suffering: the Spirituality of those Impacted by
HIV/AIDS. I had the opportunity to be the volunteer of
AIDS Ministry of Illinois. This was in the midst of the
AIDS pandemic. I received my Doctorate in Ministry in
1995.
When I completed this work, since I enjoy studying,
I went to my first love; the study of Liturgy. This time it
would be Eastern Liturgies. I studied and attended many
Eastern Churches in the Chicago area. However I had a
certain love for the Byzantine Liturgy and my first experience at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Chicago. It
should be mentioned that I spent years telling children
the story of Saint Nicholas, especially the younger children. It gave me great joy.
As I began to study the Byzantine Liturgy, I began to
see its riches. I also began to see that the Latin Church

had adopted many of the liturgical gifts from the

Byzantine Churches--the Little Entrance with reverence for the Book of the Gospels, is the actual beginning of the liturgy now used in the Latin Church. The
Great Entrance, when the gifts are prepared and
brought to the altar from the side table reflects a new
practice in the Latin Church. I realized that the way
the scriptures are ordered on the Byzantine Calendar
was adopted by the Latin Church. I also became very
much aware of the fact that the General Instruction for
the Mass in the Roman Rite borrows much from
Eastern Liturgies. What is also surprising is that in the
Latin Rite many readings in the Office are taken from
the Eastern Fathers and Doctors of the Church. It is a
gift that has shaped the reform of the Latin Church.
I began to see the connections of both Churches.
With the approval of Bishop Richard, I asked Fr
Deacon Michael Huskey if he would train me to serve
the Liturgy in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
As I began to serve the liturgy, while others did not
think I knew what I was doing, I saw connections
between the rituals. I began to be more and more
aware of the richness and beauty of the Byzantine
Liturgy. The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom may take
a significant time to celebrate, but since I am aware of
the origins of the rite, the celebration makes sense and
the liturgy flows well, if it is done well.
I appreciate the way the community sings the whole
Divine Liturgy. I see the spirituality of the people
reflected. I understand that much of this at this point is
new to me, but as a liturgist being aware of the origins
of worship, which has been preserved in the Byzantine
Church has helped me feel a sense of communal prayer.
I have had to continue to study the Byzantine Liturgy.
The Church has a very deep and significant spirituality,
based in antiquity; the lectionary, notably the way that
the epistle readings are paired with the Gospel readings;
the cycle and feasts of the saints, and especially the
whole format of the eight Resurrectional Tones, that
reflect the theology of the Church.
I made a retreat at Transfiguration Skete, and then
came back asked my Latin Rite bishop, Bishop Peter
Sartain, if I could transfer to the Ukrainian Catholic
Church and I had to ask Bishop Richard if he would
accept me. They both agreed.
In May I will celebrate thirty years as a deacon. If I
live as long as my father, I will spend the next thirty
years in the Ukrainian Catholic Church as a deacon. I
appreciate this opportunity to be a part of the Ukrainian
Catholic Church. I feel as though I have come home.

Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council

Grants UGCC Status of
"Repressed Church"

Priests Observe
Ordination Anniversary

IVANO-FRANKIVSK - The Ivano-Frankivsk

Regional Council passed a resolution "to provide
support to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
for full rehabilitation by providing benefits
according to and within the limits of Ukrainian
law."
The resolution was passed to grant to the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the status of
"repressed church" as an expression of respect of
the community of Ivano-Frankivsk region for all
its faithful ministers who courageously went
through the repressions under the Soviet regime.
It also entrusted the head of the council, Ihor
Oliinyk, with the task of addressing Ukraine's
president and the Supreme Council of Ukraine
with a request to recognize the UGCC as a
"repressed church" at the national level.

Two members of the ordination class of 1966 took advantage of close geographic proximity to have a "regional class
reunion." Forty-three years to the day they were ordained by
Bishop NICHOLAS (Elko) at Holy Spirit Church, Pittsburgh on
March 25, 1966--the Feast of the Annunciation to the Holy
Theotokos--Frs Frank Korba and John Lucas concelebrated
the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Church, Munster, Indiana.
Fr John is the Managing Editor of New Star, and serves the
spiritual needs of St Michael's Parish, Chicago. Fr Frank is
the Pastor at St Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, just fifteen miles from his far south-side West Pullman "neighbor"
and classmate.
During the Liturgy, commemoration was made of the
deceased and surviving classmates, whose affiliation began as
their studies commenced at SS Cyril and Methodius Seminary, over a half-century ago, in September, 1958.

Father Deacon Michael

Fr Deacon Michael Cook presently visits
St Nicholas Cathedral and Nativity of the Blessed
Virgin Mary in Palos Park regularly, to gain
experience serving the Divine Liturgy and become
acquainted as well with Matins.

Fr John Lucas (left) and Fr Frank Korba

after the Liturgy at St Nicholas
Byzantine Catholic Church, Munster, Indiana.

photo: Chris Hlebasko

NEW STAR

May, 2009

17

Interim Report: Share 2008

Ukrainain Catholic Appeal
Information for Bulletin Board is taken
from parish weekly bulletins. Send your
church bulletin or short items to New Star;
2245 W Rice St; Chicago, IL 60622-4858;
or: NewStarNews@aol.com.

A 40 year class reunion for

Immaculate Conception High
School class of 1969--and the grade
school class of 1965--was
announced in the bulletin of St Josaphat Parish,
Warren, Michigan. Persons living outside the
area may contact the parish: (586-755-1740). The
date or place is not yet determined.

The Survey Says

New Star recently conducted a survey of its readers. Questions were asked
seeking information about and opinions from readers of our eparchial newspaper.
Responses came from many areas of the eparchy---and a few replies from persons not members of a parish in our eparchy, or who do not even reside in one
of the 16 states that comprise the eparchy.
Some answered all the questions, some replied to several or a few. Some were
anonymous, some chose to identify themselves and/or their parish. Whatever
was received has been collated, and will be considered.
Briefly, from what was returned, some of the information gained indicates that
the newspaper is read by one or two persons per household--almost equally distributed among replies. None indicates a larger number of readers.
From the responses there is slightly larger incidence of English-only readers.
Many indicate they are bi-lingual. Some two-reader households are one bi-lingual and one English-only. Some are one bi-lingual and one Ukrainian-only.
.One statistic not sought in the questionnaire reports a remarkable parakeet
whose cage bottom is lined with copies of New Star. There is no assurance that,
while the bird actually does speak several words and phrases in both languages,
it is not documented that it reads either one or the other.
The age group most represented is from 60-74; followed by 45-59; then 90+;
then 75-90. The 19-29 and 30-44 groups had slightly fewer responses. No
replies indicate readers from age groups 7-12 or 13-18.
There is a wide range of preferences of the writings, activities and talks of the
Pope, Patriarch, or Bishop Richard. Most prefer news of parish activities, people
and anniversaries (in that order). Some express disinterest in all or some of these
items.
A preference is noted for items about liturgical and cultural traditions. Most of
the regular columns or features of New Star are marked positively. Religious
education for adults and children are requested. Some few express dislike for one
or more of the columns or features.
The majority of responses indicate article length as "about right," "interesting"
and "easy to read." Some suggest more attention be paid to developments of
Catholic-Orthodox relations. Many compliment the writing-style; color photos;
and the variety of articles. Some request better quality newsprint; in-depth study
of the Fathers; movie reviews and articles about moral and ethical issues (contraception, natural family planning), and information on vocations and discernment. [As a matter of information, many articles, including movie reviews found
in other papers are syndicated, and may be published only after paying royalty
fees or by subscribing to various news services. New Star has no present financial means of meeting the expenses involved. ed.]
Most indicate they read all (particularly of one language) that is printed. Some
read as little as one-third of the paper. There are those who spread their reading
over several days. Others read what they can at one sitting. No one indicates they
passed their copy on to others.
Some list no other Catholic (or religious) publication is read. Most indicate
reading other Ukrainian Catholic newspapers: (Sower, The Way) or other Eastern
Catholic papers: Ruthenian or Melkite. A number read newspapers of local Latin
(arch)dioceses in Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, California and
elsewhere. Several national or international publications are mentioned: One
[CNEWA], Catholic Digest, Columban, Columbia, Our Sunday Visitor and
National Catholic Register among them. A few cite on-line sites. Several Orthodox publications are mentioned, but no Protestant or non-Christian religious publication is named.
Suggestions also ask to integrate the pages so articles would appear side-byside in both languages. There are logistic and technical reasons why this is not
done.
Most responses were from the laity, a small number (three) were identified as
from clergy. Many thanks to those who took the time and effort to make their
preferences and wishes known.
FrJL

Parish
Goal
Assumption of the BVM Parish - Omaha, NE
$ 3,240.00
Dormition of the Mother of God - Phoenix, AZ $ 12,000.00
Holy Apostles Mission - Berryton, KS
$ 1,000.00
Holy Ascension Mission - Plymouth, MI
$ 1,000.00
Holy Wisdom Mission - Citrus Heights, CA $ 1,200.00
Immaculate Conception Parish - Hamtramck, MI $ 13,860.00
Immaculate Conception Parish - Palatine, IL
$ 6,840.00
Immaculate Conception - San Francisco, CA
$ 2,400.00
Nativity of the BVM Parish - Los Angeles, CA $ 10,650.00
Nativity of the BVM Parish - Palos Park, IL
$ 7,860.00
Nativity of the Mother of God - Springfield, OR $ 3,600.00
Our Lady of Perpetual Help - La Mesa, CA
$ 7,680.00
Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Dearborn Hgts, MI $ 8,400.00
Protection of the Mother of God - Houston, TX $ 9,960.00
St. Andrew Mission - Sacramento, CA
$ 1,000.00
St. Constantine Parish - Minneapolis, MN
$ 13,980.00
St. Demetrius Parish - Belfield, ND
$ 3,000.00
St. George Parish- Lincoln, NE
$ 1 ,000.00
St. John the Baptist Parish - Belfield, ND
$ 2,220.00
St. John the Baptist Parish - Detroit, MI
$ 7,980.00
St. Josaphat Parish - Munster, IN
$ 5,640.00
St. Josaphat Parish - Warren, MI
$ 44,040.00
St. Joseph Parish - St. Joseph, MO
$ 1,200.00
St. Joseph Parish - Chicago, IL
$ 19,920.00
St. Mary's Assumption Parish - St. Louis, MO $ 2,340.00
St. Michael Mission - Minot, ND
$ 1,140.00
$ 3,900.00
St. Michael Parish - Mishawaka, IN
St. Michael Parish - Tucson, AZ
$ 1,500.00
St. Michael Parish - Chicago, IL
$ 1,000.00
St. Michael Parish - Milwaukee, WI
$ 6,300.00
St. Michael Parish - Grand Rapids, MI
$ 6,000.00
St. Michael the Archangel Parish - Dearborn, MI $ 1,260.00
St. Nicholas Cathedral - Chicago, IL
$ 55,080.00
St. Paul Mission - Flagstaff, AZ
$ 1,000.00
St. Peter Mission - Ukiah, CA
$ 1,000.00
St. Sophia Mission - Honolulu, HI
$ 1,000.00
St. Sophia Parish - The Colony, TX
$ 3,720.00
St. Stephen Mission - St. Paul, MN
$ 1,000.00
St. Vladimir Parish - Flint, MI
$ 1,800.00
St. Volodymyr Mission - Santa Clara, CA
$ 1,000.00
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish - Wilton, ND
$ 1,500.00
Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish - Chicago, IL $ 60,300.00
Transfiguration Parish - Denver, CO
$ 7,800.00
Zarvanycia Mission - Seattle, WA
$ 3,300.00
Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy
Totals

$ 351,610.00

As of 4-21-09
$
1,100.00
$
515.00
$
200.00
$
20.00
$
1,615.00
$
4,010.00
$
3,410.00
$
1,350.00
$
3,975.00
$
1,960.00
$
1,945.00
$
475.00
$
1,600.00
$
747.00
$
120.00
$
1,795.00
$
4,570.00
$
120.00
$
3,125.00
$
1,550.00
$
489.00
$
5,410.00
$
25.00
$
3,040.00
$
1,575.00
$
730.00
$
1,750.00
$
1,981.00
$
1,285.00
$
675.00
$
665.00
$
300.00
$
22,580.00
$
0.00
$
20.00
$
50.00
$
1,775.00
$
25.00
$
2,075.00
$
550.00
$
990.00
$
3,405.00
$
3,205.00
$
2,425.00
$
10,950.00
$

100,177.00

Thank you for your generous response

to Share 2008--Ukrainian Catholic Appeal
Open Wide Your Hearts!
Parishes in BLUE have met or exceeded their goal.

Orthodox Church Condemns

Experiments with Embryos
KYIV - On April 8, 2009, a round table
of medical scientists and ministers was
held at the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves
to discuss bioethical and spiritual
aspects of the cell therapy and
cloning.
The discussion is the Church's
response to U.S. President Barack
Obama's March 9 decision to
resume [Unite States] government
financing of stem-cell research,
which was cancelled in 2001.
The Orthodox Church considers
experiments with embryos intolerable because embryos are full-value
humans
Volodymyr Medvediev, a candidate of medical sciences and assistant at the neurosurgical department
at O. Bohomolets' National Medical
University, argued that there are many
alternative ways of producing stem-cells,
such as the genetic modification of mature
cells.

The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox

Church-Moscow Patriarchate's Mission of
Spiritual Education (a synodal depart-

ment), protopriest Heorhii Kovalenko,

reported that the Church plans to continue
its church-science dialogue by organizing
a number of similar events.

18

NEW STAR

May, 2009

OL XIII Washington, DC
June 15-18, 2009
Theme: "Monastic Spirituality for Everyday Life"
The Orientale Lumen XIII Conference will be held at the Pope John Paul II
Cultural Center in northeast Washington next to the campus of The Catholic
University of America. The theme of the conference will be "Monastic
Spirituality for Everyday Life"

Speakers:
Metropolitan JONAH
Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, New York, New York
Bishop HLIB (Lonchyna)
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Kyiv, Ukraine
Mother Lois Farag
Coptic Orthodox Church
Assistant Professor of Church History; Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota
Sister Barbara Jean Mihalchik OSBM
Byzantine Catholic Church of America
Retreat House Director; Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Prof. Richard Schneider
Orthodox Church in America
Professor and Director of the Orthodox Eastern Christian Studies Program
at Trinity College;
University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mr. Elias Damianakis
Greek Orthodox Church
Iconographer and Lecturer; Tampa Bay, Florida
Metropolitan KALLISTOS of Diokleia
Greek Orthodox Church;
Oxford, England (by pre-recorded video)
Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ
Pontifical Oriental Institute;
Rome, Italy (by pre-recorded video)
Each speaker will deliver a plenary session followed by a panel discussion and
questions from the audience. All of the papers presented will be published and
provided to the attendees in a Proceedings book after the conference. Each participate will also receive a Liturgical book of all services during the conference
to assist in their participation. Opening and closing remarks will also be made
by various Church leaders in attendance. Registration must be made in
advance, at least three weeks before the conference begins. Conference Fees are
payable in advance and include all meals, materials, space usage, travel expenses for speakers, receptions and other related costs. Limited accommodations at
the Washington Retreat Center, adjacent to the conference site, are available
through the conference office. All rooms are air-conditioned and include basic
linens. Transportation is not provided. Early Registration Bonus Conference
Fee $195.00 (per person for registrations paid before May 16, 2009). Regular
Registration Conference Fee $225 (per person for registrations paid May 16,
2009-June 15, 2009). Accommodations $75.00/night (per person, per night).
Single Daily Rate $95.00 (includes lunch and dinner). Evening Only Rate
$25.00 (no meals, but reception To register, or for more information:
http://www.olconference.com/OL_FutCon_OL_XIII

OL XIII - Agenda
Washington, June 15-18, 2009
Monday, June 15
Registration (2:00-6:00pm) Dinner Moleben to the Holy Spirit
Opening Session Social Reception
Tuesday, June 16 -- Wednesday, June 17
Breakfast Divine Liturgy Plenary session Lunch Personal
Time Meeting of the SSJC (Tuesday only) Plenary Session Vespers
Dinner Plenary session Social Reception
Thursday, June 18
Breakfast Akathist to the Mother of God Plenary VII / Close
Lunch Departure
During one evening of the conference, participants will be transported to a
local Eastern Christian Church for a meal and prayer service in that Church's
tradition.

His Beatitude Lubomyr Called

Priests of the UGCC to Follow
Example in Life and Ministry of
Blessed Martyr Emilian Kovcz
Kovcz. He accepted a martyr's death here,
rescuing people of another nation, another
faith," noted the Ukrainian Vice-Premier. The
government official noted that it is necessary
to make maximum efforts so that at the official level Father Emilian Kovcz is acknowledged a righteous man of the nations of the
world.
In the word of greeting of President of
Poland Lech Kaczynski it was noted that
"honoring Father Emilian Kovcz shows the

On March 25, 2009, on the occasion of the

65th anniversary of the day of death of
Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian Kovcz, on the
site of the former Nazi concentration camp of
Majdanek in Poland he was proclaimed the
patron of pastors of the UGCC. "By this
decree to the honor and glory of the Holy
Trinity, as a zealous servant and intercessor
before the throne of the Lord on high, I
solemnly proclaim Blessed Martyr Fr.
Emilian Kovcz the patron of pastors of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. All priests
and pastors of our Church are called
to follow in their lives and ministry
Omelian Kovch Proclaimed
the example of this brother of ours in
the priesthood." So His Beatitude
Patron of Pastors of UGCC
Lubomyr wrote in the document. As
part of the ceremony, on the territory
MAJDANEK - On March 25, 2009, the 65th
of the former concentration camp an
anniversary of the death of Omelian Kovch,
obelisk was unveiled with a text of
the blessed holy martyr was proclaimed Patron
Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian in
of the pastors of
Ukrainiam, Polish and English:
the Ukrainian
"Here I see God---God, who is the
Greek Catholic
same for all of us, regardless of our
Church at the
religious differences."
former location
Participating in the event were
of the Nazi conbishops of the UGCC from Ukraine
centration camp
and Poland; Archbishop Jozef
Majdanek, PoZycinski, RCC Metropolitan of
land.
Lublin; Vice-Premier Minister of
During
the
Ukraine Ivan Vasyunyk; Viceevent, an obelisk
Minister of Culture and National
quoting Father Omelian was un-veiled: "Here I see
Heritage of Poland Piotr Zuchowski;
God, who is the same for all regardless of reliMalgorzata Zaluska, representative
gious differences."
of the Secretariat of President of
The event was attended by UGCC bishops
Poland Lech Kaczynski; and reprefrom Ukraine and Poland, the Roman Catholic
sentatives of the local authorities, the
Metropolitan of Lublin, the Ukrainian Vice
Jewish community, the diplomatic
Premier Ivan Vasiunyk, the Polish Minister of
corps, and numerous priests of the
culture and national heritage, Piotr ZhukhUGCC.
ovskyi, a representative of the Secretariat of
The ceremony began with prayers
the Polish President, representatives of local
for those who died in the Majdanek
authorities, the Jewish community, and UGCC
concentration camp. Then the Decree
priests.
of His Beatitude was read. After this
ashes from Majdanek in special containers were handed on to representatives of 15 eparchies and exarchates from victory of good over evil, love over hatred."
Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. These will be In the opinion of the head of the Polish govkept in Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil', Ivano- ernment, this event is evidence of spiritual
Frankivs'k, Drohobych, Kolomyja, Stryj, community and closeness between confesSokal', Zhovkva, Chortkiv, Luts'k, Odesa, sions and peoples. The message of the Polish
Donets'k, and also in Przemysl, Wroclaw and President notes: "It is noteworthy that today
Brest.
during the joint prayer representatives of
"Today we stand on a piece of Polish many peoples of the world give honor to this
ground where more than 60 years ago there personality," reports UKRINFORM.
was a hell created by fascist monsters.
The way of life of Blessed Martyr Fr.
Majdanek is our eternal pain. It will live yet Emilian ended in the concentration camp on
long in the hearts of present and coming gen- March 25, 1944, and in 2001 he was proerations," Ivan Vasyunyk noted in his speech. claimed "Blessed" by Pope of Rome, John
He underlined that the life of Father Kovcz Paul II. In the autumn of 2008, the Synod of
was the way of a truly righteous man of the Bishops of the UGCC decided to proclaim
world who was a Ukrainian but could under- Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian Kovcz the patron
stand and love others. "Today the world of pastors of the UGCC.
knows about Schindler but unfortunately
Information Department of the UGCC
does not know about the Ukrainian Emilian

NEW STAR

May, 2009

Smarter and Well-informed Parents

--Safer Children
Today's technology offers young people an
incredible world of experience. With a click of the
mouse, a young person can research a subject
for school, chat with friends, check an email, download a song and much
more. The upward trend of
computer and Internet use is
strong among young people
in America. Of those between
the ages of five and seventeen,
90% are using computers and
nearly six out of ten are on the
Internet. The electronic world
can be fun and educational.
Unfortunately, like the real
world, the electronic world
also has inherent dangers. Just
as we encourage young people
to behave in certain ways when
dealing with strangers and
interfacing with friends, we
Its never too soon to supervise your childs use of the computer.
need to teach them how to act
safely and appropriately when online or while using
(Hello, Friend, meet me At The End Of The Day,
electronic communication.
Face-to-Face in the park.)
Many children grow up with computers and think
Parents and educators need to know and recognize
they are safe and fun. Many adults think of computers
the warning signs of potential wrong-doing involving
as work tools. In many cases, children know as much,
electronic communication. Behavioral changes that
or even more than many adults about technology. Law
could indicate that a young person is at risk of harm or
enforcement in the United States observed that child
being victimized by a predator or bully while using
molester's use of the Internet exploded in 1997. Child
electronic communication:
molesters no longer had to engage in a child-centered
-Exhibits changes in wardrobe or acts in a provocaprofession, lurk in parks and malls, or befriend a partive manner either at school, at home or in another
ent to gain access to children. An offender could mereenvironment;
ly sit at a computer and roam online from chatroom to
-Purchases a webcam or receives one as a gift;
chatroom, trolling for children and teens susceptible to
-Begins talking about a new, older friend who gives
victimization.
great advice;
Safety and security in the electronic world extends
-Suddenly has large amounts of money or new
to the following: cell phones, text messaging, flash
clothes, or receives mail, packages, flowers or other
drives, chatrooms, webcams, online gaming, blogs,
gifts from a new friend;
online bullying and social networking sites. MySpace
-Withdraws from family or friends;
and Facebook are examples of social networking sites
-Turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes
popular with teens and young adults. These sites are
the window screen on the monitor when an adult
an online combination of a school yearbook, personal
enters the room.
diary and social gathering place.
Isolation and secrecy play very important roles in
Internet users often have a false sense of security
the grooming process when a person is being victimwhen using electronic communication. Contrary to
ized on the Internet. Make sure the computer is locatyoung people's belief, there is no privacy on the
ed in an open and visible area, or have an "open door"
Internet. As cell phone technology has progressed, we
policy. Let children know you are aware of what they
are much more "connected" to one another. Cell phone
are doing on their computer. Parents and other caring
users can transmit a text message often using slang,
adults can purchase monitoring software packages
abbreviated, or coded language that may not be familthat restrict access to inappropriate sites on the
iar to adults. A typical message may read:
Internet and keep a record of sites that have been visited.
HF, @TEOTD, F2F IN PARK =

A Mothers' Day Story to

Think About
A waiter at a local restaurant is characteristically
quite engaging. Always with a friendly smile, he tries
to satisfy every customer's whims. It's not always
easy. People often come in with requests nearly
impossible to meet. But undaunted, he's come to anticipate every manner of quirky query.
It was early one morning and a customer known for
idiosyncratic expectations sat down at a booth.
"What kind of cold cereal do you have?" was the
first thing to be asked.
Politely he replied "Cheerios, Wheaties, Rice
Krispies, corn flakes and yesterday's oatmeal."

Once upon a Mothers' Day, a very busy

young mother--with her job, children's
schedule, personal social life all taking
their toll--decided to set aside a few moments
to stop in and see her aging mother, a resident
at a nearby nursing home.
It had been a while since her last visit
(always with no manner of regularity or
frequency) to the woman who sometimes
seemed a stranger because of her inability to carry on a conversation about the matters of daily family life.

19

Technical Tips for Parents

and Other Caring Adults
Tip #1 ~ Check the computer's Internet history by
opening the browser, double-click on the "History"
icon and once it opens you will see the detailed history file of the web addresses visited on that computer.
Tip #2 ~ Be aware of the capabilities of the various
Internet search engines to perform an Internet search
specifically looking for photo or video images. Most
search engines will allow parents to turn on a safe
search filter that will block most sexually oriented
materials while searching.
Tip #3 ~ Determine if your child has opened a private email account. To do this, open the web browser and double click on the "History" icon.
Tip #4 ~ Ask your child to go online and show you
the location of his/her profile.
Tip #5 ~ Check for webcam software.
Tip #6 ~ Know acronyms and other Internet shorthand.
For example:
Acronym
/
Meaning
2Nite...........................................Tonight
A/S/L...........................Age/Sex/Location
AAF............................................. As A Friend
ADR............................................Address
BAU..................................Business As Usual
F2F.....................................Face-to-Face
POS............................. Parent Over Shoulder
SYS ..........................................See You Soon
WYWH......................... Wish You Were Here
Tip #7 ~ Become familiar with Social Networking
Sites.
Tip #8 ~ Create a membership account on a social
networking site.
Tip #9 ~ Take steps to control your child's access to
online gaming sites.
The best security measure in regard to the Internet
is to regularly and openly communicate with your
children about the latest evolving technology and
discuss the risks and benefits.

Schools need to have computer policies along with

content filters. Children need to be educated not to
supply personal information while on the computer.
Create an atmosphere for open dialogue with children.
Be accessible to answer their questions calmly and
with no repercussions or punishment for coming forward with concerns about people they have met
online. It is important to note that, unlike victims of
other forms of abuse, victims of cyber crimes usually
do not view themselves as being victims.
Stay in tune and connected with your children.
Compiled by Serge Michaluk,
Director, Eparchial Office of
Child and Youth Protection, sergemichaluk@gmail.com
photo: Serge Michaluk

The young mother was surprised to see

her own mom sitting in a rocker on the
porch along the front walk, neatly attired
and pensively looking across the lawn.
She greeted her daughter: "I knew you'd
visit me today" and added "I've been
waiting here all day."
"Why, it's Mothers' Day!"
insisted the younger lady. She
continued: "How ever did you
know to wait for me to come
today?"
"Dear," replied the
senior: "I wait for
you to come every
day."

20

NEW STAR

May, 2009

Count Your Blessings

The practice of using counters of various kinds for the purpose of reciting prayers is one
,
that embraces a broad range of religious practices through the ages.
.
As the development of what we know as Christianity began, repeating a short verse from
, ,
the Psalms or the Lord's Prayer came into vogue. Most commonly the practice was used
.
among the monks of the deserts of Egypt. At that time the Gospel ban against "vain repe .
titions" did not include liturgical prayer or repeated personal prayers that were said slowly
,
and prayed from the heart within a meditative and devotional environment. In the garden
, , ,
at Gethsemane, Christ Himself prayed for long hours repeating a short phrase, " Abba,
. , ,
Father for you all things are possible, remove this cup from me, yet not what I want, but
, : , ,
what you want" And again "He went away and prayed saying the same words." (Mark
; ! , ! ,
14:36-39)
In the 4th century A.D. during the lifetime of St. Basil the Great, the practice of reciting
, ( 14: 36-38).
the Jesus Prayer was predominant among Eastern monastics. This prayer, which today is
, . ,
also referred to as the Prayer of the Heart, is simply the words, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of
. ,
God, have mercy on me a sinner." It is prayed using a simple breathing technique as a way
, :
of centering the focus of our heart on Jesus Christ. Slowly inhaling saying; "Lord Jesus
, , . ,
Christ", exhaling saying; "Son of God"; again inhaling saying, "Have mercy" and exhaling
. ,
saying, "on me a sinner". This form is the most widely-known in the Eastern Catholic
- .
Churches today. Other forms include:
.
"Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me;"
: , , ! ,
"Lord, Jesus Christ, by the Mother of God, Have mercy on me a sinner;"
, , .
"Lord, have mercy."
!
St Basil encouraged praying the Jesus Prayer in place of the Psalms or
. , ,
the Divine Office for those who could not read, traveled or were other , ,
wise impeded from using liturgical books in their daily prayer. He also
, ,
introduced the use of a woolen-knotted cord of 100 knots divided into
.
four sections by a larger knot or bead. (Other numbers of knots are also
, . ,
used) The use of wool in making the cord symbolized the flock of Christ.
. ,
Most often the wool was black symbolizing mourning for one's sins, although
, . , ,
today there is available in a variety of colors. Where the cord is joined to form
, .
a loop, there is usually a knotted cross and at the end of the cross is often a tas . ,
sel. This tassel may also have red wool intertwined symbolizing the blood
, ,
Christ shed for our sins when He was nailed to the life-Giving Cross. The tas , ,
sel is said to have been used to dry one's tears shed as a result of heartfelt
, ,
regret for one's sins and to remind us that one can only enter the Heavenly
Kingdom through the Cross. This cord was called "Chotki" in Old Slavonic.
. ,
Prior to Chotki, monastics carried loose beads and transferred them from
,
Not all chotki are the
one bag to another to count their prayers or they walked with a staff that had
,
same--here are 33- and
carved notches to count prayers. As time evolved the use of Chotki in
. -
100- knot styles.
prayer became more popular. Chotki make it possible to pray the Jesus
.
Prayer unceasingly no matter where one is. It allows one to follow the
,



,

33 100 words of Our Lord Jesus Christ, "to pray without becoming weary." (Luke
18:1) and later the Apostle Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing" (1
,

.
Thessalonians 5:17). This form of counting one's prayers became so popu , -
lar
that
the
Church
of the West eventually developed their own prayer cord, which we know
.
as the "rosary". When St Dominic was said to have received the rosary from the Mother of
, , .
God, what he actually received was chotki because the "rosary" as we know it was not in
( 18:1).
existence at this time. Dominican and other Western monks wrapped these cords around
(5:17) : . ,
their wrists as a part of their monastic attire, just as many of the Eastern clergy and monks
,
were already doing.
. . ,
The prayer cord is normally held in the left hand when praying; leaving the right had free
, , , ,
to make the Sign of the Cross. When the prayer cord is not used in prayer, it is wrapped
. -
around the left wrist to remind us to pray without ceasing. Through this form of constant
, ,
prayer, a believer can find the peace and comforting power of the name of Jesus Christ. As
.
this form of unceasing prayer roots within our hearts, it will deepen the reality of Jesus liv , ,
ing within each of us and will begin to heal us, comfort us and restore our faith as it did for
. . ,
the early Christians.
, .
For a deeper understanding the Jesus Prayer, may I suggest reading the book The Way of
, ,
a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way translated by Helen Bacovcin.
- .
Phyllis Muryn Zaparaniuk
, ,
, ,
.
, The Way of
the Pilgrim and Pilgrim Continues His Way, Helen Bacovcin.

Name

PLEASE

PRINT

ALL

INFORMATION

(Apt/Space)

_____

Address

_______________________________

____

___________

City

State

ZIP Code

Attach separate sheet to include additional information, if necessary

Enclosed is $20.00 [] check; [] money order

Canada: $30.00; Other Foreign: $40.00--in US funds

[] MasterCard [] Visa | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
sixteen-digit account number:

signature on card:
Gift ___ New___ Renew ___

mail to:

_____________________________________

Subscriptions, New Star

2245 W Rice Street
Chicago, IL 60622-4858

__________________________________________________

| | | |
(security
i code)

| | | /| | |

expiration date: MM/YY

My Parish_______________________ , City __________________

or, I am not a member of a parish of St Nicholas Eparchy [ ]

Give a subscription to NEW STAR!

and/or subscribe for yourself~~

Subscribe to New Star now--for yourelf, family and/or friends!

Published monthly with the permission

and authority of His Grace, Bishop
RICHARD (Seminack), by St Nicholas
Publications, official publisher of the:
St Nicholas
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy
2245 W Rice St
Chicago IL 60622-4858
Address manuscripts to:
Editor, New Star
2245 W. Rice St.
Chicago IL 60622-4858
or:

ChurChatNewStar@cs.com [Eng]
or: newstarua@esnucc.org [Ukr]
All submisssions are subject to editing for
style, content and/or length.
Photographs are returned only when a
self-addressed, postage-paid envelope is
included.

Mail subscription payments, address correction requests to:

Circulation Department
2245 W Rice St.
Chicago, IL 60622-4858
Permission is granted to reprint original
material, acknowledging New Star
(a courtesy copy is appreciated).
Editorial board and contributors:
Fr John Lucas, Managing Editor
Fr James Karepin, OP
Fr Denny Molitvy
George Matwyshyn
Lesia Okruch
Olenka Pryma
Nazar Sloboda
Pani Barbara Wroblicky
Phyllis Muryn Zapraniuk