The 80Th Anniversary of St. Basil Seminary
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Україномовна частина знаходится на ст . 5 OFFICIAL PuBLICATIOn OF THE uKRAInIAn CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF STAMFORD Vol. XXXVI; no. 11 ThStamfoerd, Conne cticutS 06902 ower november 24 , 2019 The 80th Anniversary of St. Basil Seminary On Saturday, October 19th, the Seminary staff, alumni, and guests gath - ered at the auditorium of St. Basil Seminary to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of its founding. One of the Seminary’s graduates, Most Rev. John Bura, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, delivered the Keynote Address. Below is the English text of his speech. His Excellency, Bishop Paul sion, I would like to congratu - Chomnycky, OSBM requested late all those who contributed to that I be the main speaker for the success of our Seminary dur - today’s ceremony, because he ing these eight decades. considered that I have a good A HISTORY OF ST. BASIL memory. I think it was just a SEMINARY polite way of saying that I am The history of the Seminary elderly, and that I probably had goes back to 1930’s. In 1932 known well some of the people Bishop Constantine and places of our Seminary’s Bohachevsky purchased 8 acres past history. of land along with a building Well, l would like to call to known as the Quintard Estate, your attention a few facts that with the intention of establish - my “old age” remembers. Actually, ing a Seminary and Cultural this was not the first choice Center here in Stamford. In location for our college building. September of 1933, in the pres - I was a first-year student (a ence of several thousand faith - freshman) at St. Basil Prep in ful, a Seminary was established the Fall of 1959. At that time, on Labor Day. The same year, a Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn, high school started operating Some of the alumni of St. Basil Seminary present at the celebration: OSBM broke ground for the with twenty-two students Left to Right: Rev. Taras Chaparin, Very Rev. Ihor Midzak, Very Rev. Bohdan Tymchyshyn (current Rector new college building behind the enrolled. The first graduation of of the Seminary) , Rev. Lubomir Zhybak, Michael Michalow, Most Rev. Basil Losten, Msgr. Martin pavilion, on the other side of the the high school took place in Canavan. Chateau, just across the street 1935. Sixty-two priests had grad - from the Prep school. The new uated from St. Basil's high college was to be a large building school in the first years of its with a central dome, a typical existence. until 1938 only the design of the architect Julian high school operated here. In Jastremsky. These plans were the same year Bishop eventually scrapped. At the time Bohachevsky decided to estab - it was said to be too expensive. lish a College Seminary and one It would destroy the landscape year later it was officially regis - on that side of the campus. Even tered in Connecticut and, in the neighbors complained about same year, it became eligible to potential vehicle traffic and issue a bachelor's degree. Thus, noise. the official opening date of St. Our present modified build - Basil's College is September 18, ing is located on property, on the 1939. The high school was opposite side of the Chateau. renamed St. Basil Preparatory Here we had mainly trees and School. bushes; and in the center there Today, the Seminary can was a fenced-in overgrown ten - boast that it has graduated emi - nis, volleyball, or basketball nent bishops of the ukrainian court. Catholic Church, e. g. , Bishop In 1961, the Most Reverend Basil Losten—longtime Eparch Joseph M. Schmodiuk became of the Stamford Eparchy, now the second bishop of the Bishop Emeritus; Bishop Eparchy of Stamford. It now Yaroslav Gabro of Chicago; became his duty to build our Bishop Walter Paska, Auxiliary present college building. At that Bishop of the Philadelphia Seminarians (from Left to Right) , Vasyl Vorokh, Roman Kuzmiak, Taras Pashchak, and Markiyan time, I was a 2nd year college Archeparchy; Bishop Richard Dmyterko sung the responses for the Moleben to the Mother of God opening the Anniversary cele - student, when in 1964 this new Seminack of Chicago; Bishop bration. St. Basil College Seminary build - Robert Moskal of the Eparchy ing was blessed and dedicated. of Parma; Cardinal and The ceremonies were conducted Patriarch Lubomyr Husar, the by Archbishop Ambrose Head of the ukrainian Catholic Senyshyn, OSBM and Bishop Church. The achievements of THE EDITOR & STAFF OF THE SOWER Joseph M. Schmondiuk. our Seminary College were Today is an important day unique – from 1942 to 2008 the greet St. Basil Seminary, its staff, the seminarians, and the alumni, on the occasion for all of us: St. Basil ukrainian College held 58 graduations for of the 80th Anniversary, and wish many more years of successful formation of Catholic Seminary here in 230 graduates – and 131 of them future priests. Stamford, CT, as it celebrats its 80th anniversary. On this occa - COnTInuED On PAGE 14 page 2, november 24 , 2019 The Sower Pope’s reflection on Paul’s sermon in Athens and the importance of dia - logue among cultures “Gratitude is the Seed of All Outstretched Hands to Build Good Things” Bridges with non-believers and LIGHT OnE CAnDLE Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers Those of Different Belief On Thanksgiving Day, we usually express gratitude for The Holy Father invited the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for the big things: family, friends, faith, work, etc. But the General Audience on Wednesday morning, 6 November, to ask the chances are we overlook the ability to take a sip of water, Holy Spirit “to teach us to build bridges through culture, with those who a breath of air, or even speak. not Jeannie Gaffigan, do not believe and those who have a different belief from ours”. though. After requiring surgery for a pear-sized tumor Continuing his catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, he spoke about Saint wrapped around her brain stem in 2017, she endured an Paul’s discourse in the Areopagus. The following is a translation of the arduous recovery that upended her life. Yet Jeannie came Pope’s reflection which he delivered in Italian. to realize that her life needed upending. The mother of five and Christopher Award-winning wife/writing partner of comedian Jim Gaffigan joined me recently on Dear Brothers and Sisters, of the city dedicated to “an choose conversion in view of the “Christopher Closeup” to discuss her memoir “When Life Good Morning! unknown god” (Acts 17:23) — there imminent judgment. Paul thus Gives You Pears.” Let us continue our “journey” was an altar with the inscription arrives at kerygma and alludes to Jeannie’s introduction to God came in her Catholic with the Book of the Acts of the “to an unknown god” ; no image, Christ without naming him, family’s home in Milwaukee, where she grew up as the eld - Apostles. After the trials experi - nothing, only that inscription. defining him as the “man whom he est of nine children. She recalled the tradition of going to enced in Philippi, Thessalonica Starting from their “worship” of has appointed, and of this he has Mass every week: “It became ingrained in my cultural identity and Berea, Paul arrived in an unknown god, so as to given assurance to all men by raising that that’s what you do on Sunday: you get up, fight with your sib - Athens, the very heart of Greece empathize with his listeners, he him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). lings, go to Mass, complain on the way…and then you have a big (cf. Acts 17:15). This city that proclaims that God “dwells among And herein lies the problem. family dinner.” lived in the shadow of its ancient them” (Evangelii Gaudium, 71) and Paul’s word, which had kept the As she got older and life got more complicated, glory despite its political decline, “does not hide himself from those who speakers in suspense — because Jeannie came to trust that God was the designer of her life still held the primacy of culture. seek him with a sincere heart, even it was an interesting discovery — who would lead her down another road when things did - Here the Apostle’s “spirit was pro - though they do so tentatively” (ibid). meets a stumbling block: the n’t go as planned. That trust met its greatest challenge voked within him as he saw that the It is precisely this presence that death and Resurrection of Christ with her tumor diagnosis. She realized that she was city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). Paul tries to unveil: “What there - appears to be “folly” (1 Cor 1:23) addicted to control, and this new situation required her to However rather than avoid this fore you worship as unknown, this I and raises scorn and derision. humble herself. She said, “I “collision” with paganism, it spurs proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23). Paul then distances himself: his think there’s a tendency to turn him to create a bridge to con - In order to reveal the identi - attempt appears to have failed; your back on God because life verse with that culture. ty of the god that the Athenians instead some accept his word isn’t fair. Instead of that, I Paul chooses to acquaint adore, the Apostle begins from and open themselves to the faith. would get closer to Him…[I “Live your himself with the city and he thus Creation, that is from biblical Among them is a man, said], ‘I can’t handle this one, so began to visit its most important faith in the God of revelation, in Dionysius, a member of the I’m going to turn it over to You.’” day in grati = sites and people.