wINTEr 2011 A QuArTErLY NEwSLETTEr FrOM MISSION AMErICA

People of , Rooted in The Eastern Church in the United States

BY BETH GRIFFIN Hopekrainian Catholics in the United States face challenges famil- iar to every immigrant group that has reached these shores: How do you support the enculturation of newcomers while retainingU the values and traditions of thoseFaith established for genera- tions? And how do you maintain rites and religious traditions with young people who do not understand the language or meanings behind the traditions? Th e Ukrainian is one of several Eastern Catholic Churches that enjoy the same dignity, rights, and obligations as the to which the majority of Catholic Americans belong. Eastern Catholic Churches have distinctive liturgical and legal systems that refl ect the national or ethnic character of their region of origin. is the spiritual leader, or metropolitan, of Ukrainian Catholics throughout the United States. He heads the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, which includes Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. ( and archeparchies in the Eastern Catholic Church are akin to dioceses and archdioceses in the Latin Church.) As the metropolitan, Archbishop Soroka also has jurisdiction over the three other U.S. eparchies in Chicago; Stamford, Connecticut; and Parma, Ohio. supports the Archeparchy of Philadelphia with grants for evangelization, vocations, and communications. Th ere are some 60,000 Ukrainian Catholics in the United States. Catholics fl eeing hardships in Ukraine began to immigrate to Pennsylvania in the 1880s. Th ey found work in coal mines near Scranton and Harrisburg. Archbishop Soroka says, “Th eir faith came fi rst. Th ey built their churches before they built homes.” Th e churches were centers of social and worship life and bastions of Ukrainian language and culture. Th e fi rst Ukrainian Catholic in the United States was appointed in 1907 as the Church spread. continued on page 3

AgnusImages.com CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS

winter From the Chairman 2011

Dear Friends,

rom its earliest times, Christianity was Fmade up of local churches that devel- oped different liturgies and disciplines while maintaining one Catholic faith. Today, there are over 15 million Eastern Catholics worldwide in different churches in full com- munion with Rome. Although their ancient • The Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States traditions are from the East, these churches are fully Catholic. has more than 60,000 members belonging to Years ago, John Paul II referred to the Latin and Eastern 180 parishes. Most of the parishes have 100 to Churches as “the two lungs of the Catholic Church.” 250 families. During the past century, immigrants from Eastern Europe • Eastern Catholics are in with and the Near East have brought their vibrant cultures and faith to Rome. Latin Rite Catholics may receive the the United States. They have often worked at miners’ and laborers’ sacraments in Eastern Churches. wages to support their parishes and families. More recently, • Weekly attendance at Ukrainian Catholic Sunday uprooted Eastern immigrants to our country have struggled to liturgies averages 45% of registered parishioners. learn a new culture and way of life. While they may want to help • Ukrainian Catholics in the United States are their Church, the reverse is often true—they need their Church’s served by 211 priests and 92 religious sisters. The help even more. sisters belong to three congregations: Sisters of the However, Eastern Catholic eparchies (dioceses) face unique Order of Basil the Great, Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, and Missionary Sisters of the challenges of their own in this country. Often, their parishes or Mother of God. missions are quite small and isolated, located hours apart and • Catholic Home Missions supports 25% of the scattered throughout the United States. In fact, many of the budget of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia and is Eastern dioceses cover, geographically, more than half the size of the sole funder of its religious education and youth the entire United States. Because parishes have only 100 to 250 ministry programs. families on average, they can neither meet their operating expenses • The small number of parochial schools makes nor support full-time priests. More often, the bishop and chancery religious education programs an urgent staff travel extensively to ensure that Sunday liturgy is celebrated necessity for faith formation in youth. The where a full-time pastor is not present. Archeparchy of Philadelphia maintains four K-8 The Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions provides parochial schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania needed assistance by funding many of the pastoral ministries and one private girls’ high school, St. Basil of 16 Eastern Catholic dioceses in this country. This year, the Academy, in Jenkintown, PA. subcommittee will allocate close to 20% of its total funds to support their creative pastoral programs and keep both chancery 2011 CatholiC home mission eastern rite Grantees and parish doors open. Armenian Catholic of Our Lady of Nareg Ministering within a Western culture and a predominately Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle Latin Church, the Eastern Catholic Churches struggle for their Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon own voice and dignity. In choosing to maintain their Eastern roots Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and traditions here in this country, they enrich us all. Melkite Eparchy of Newton Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Diocese in the United States and Canada Romanian Catholic Canton Ruthenian Byzantine Eparchy of Van Nuys Most Rev. Michael W. Warfel Ruthenian Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Chicago Bishop of Great Falls–Billings Syro-Malankara Catholic Exarchate Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia on Catholic Home Missions Ukrainian Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma Ukrainian Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago Ukrainian Eparchy of Stamford

2 •wINTEr 2011• S T r ENg THENINg THE CHurCH AT HOME continued from page 1

After the Second World War, Liturgies are now bilingual, and the Church in Ukraine had to go some parishes have separate services underground to escape persecution. At in Ukrainian and English to meet the that time many people left Ukraine to different needs of their parishioners. join relatives in the United States. The Archbishop Soroka explains, “Language next large wave of immigrants came after is such an important part of our tradition. the dissolution of the Soviet Union. We want to worship and pray in the Archbishop Soroka says the recent language that nourishes and comforts us.” arrivals are more skilled and better The Archeparchy of Philadelphia educated than their predecessors, but includes 67 parishes served by 48 active less churched. “They had to hide to go priests. Many of the parishes are in to church,” he says. “It’s a real challenge former industrial areas and old coal- for us today. [The newcomers] are drawn mining towns, and their members are Archbishop Emeritus and to the Church for social support, but retired on fixed incomes. Others are Archbishop Stefan Soroka enter Immaculate they lack knowledge of in more active urban Conception Ukrainian Catholic for “There is a reason our Divine Liturgy and the ordination of a seminar- the faith. We need to centers and include young ian to the holy priesthood. catechize them.” Church was scattered. families that are trying to tradition at the seminary and help out at Ukrainian Catholic It was not happenstance. establish themselves in liturgy is rich in their new country. an adjacent parish. tradition and is generally God meant for us “I marvel that we are Most of the priestly vocations conducted in Ukrainian. to take the roots of a Church of many small, have been from the immigrant groups, This is a mixed blessing, isolated communities,” Archbishop Soroka says, but the number because children of our faith seriously.” says Archbishop Soroka. of American-born seminarians is immigrants may hear —Archbishop Soroka “These are hard financial growing, thanks in part to a renewed their mother tongue only times, but they’re coping, focus on vocations. With help from at home and at church, and the liturgy and attendance is up this year. Perhaps Catholic Home Missions, the archeparchy helps keep the language alive. But young that’s because of the times and maybe now has its first full-time vocation people more comfortable with English because people are searching more.” director. may have a hard time following the The Eastern Catholic tradition “We’ve been in the mindset of an rituals and stop attending. includes a married priesthood, and immigrant Church, where people are Archbishop Soroka acknowledges Archbishop Soroka says about 40% of his more comfortable and feel that they are that the Church did not respond clergy is married. He observes, however, better understood by ‘one of their own,’” quickly enough to immigrants as they that allowing marriage is not a silver Archbishop Soroka says. “But we need assimilated. The result is a drift away bullet for the vocation shortage in the more American-born priests, and we are from the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Catholic Church. “They’re not breaking now seeing men in their late twenties and “This really is the challenge of our down the door to get in,” he smiles. thirties drawn to the priesthood. I prefer Church right now—to reach out to those Archbishop Soroka said that in ten that, because they have gone through life’s who have wandered.” years as metropolitan, he has ordained challenges, and they’re answering the call.” more celibate than married men. “It’s Archbishop Soroka says Catholic a tremendous sacrifice to be a priest, Home Missions and his and a family has to be very accepting are responsive to the needs of the of that. Historically, wives often came Ukrainian Catholic Church. “Catholic from priestly families and knew what Home Missions’ critical help lets us take was entailed” in sharing a husband and on challenges and responsibilities we father with a congregation. This is not as could not manage on our own. It helps common now, he said. us achieve what we are called to be in With the help of Catholic the mosaic of the Church in the Home Missions, the Archeparchy of United States.” Philadelphia operates a seminary in “These are people of hope whose Washington, D.C., for the four eparchies. roots are in a faithful group that Three priests were ordained last year, fled persecution and hardship,” says Photos courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic and three men are in their final year of Archbishop Soroka. “There is a reason Archeparchy of Philadelphia Archbishop Stefan Soroka celebrates the tra- preparation. Students attend the Catholic our Church was scattered. It was not ditional blessing of flowers on the Feast of the University of America; they study happenstance. God meant for us to take Dormition of the . Ukrainian Catholic liturgy, catechism, and the roots of our faith seriously.”

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Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions Office of National Collections United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington, DC 20017-1194

Winter 2011

In this issue . . .

rom its earliest times, Christianity Subcommittee on the Fwas made up of local churches Catholic Home Missions Th e bishops and staff of the that developed diff erent liturgies Chairman Subcommittee on and disciplines while maintaining Most Rev. Michael W. Warfel Catholic Home Missions one Catholic faith. Today, there are Members congratulate over 15 million Eastern Catholics Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley worldwide in diff erent churches in Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley on his appointment as full communion with Rome. One of Most Rev. Curtis J. Guillory Archbishop of Oklahoma City those churches is profi led here. Most Rev. Thomas Olmsted and Most Rev. Stefan Soroka Most Rev. Joseph S. Vasquez For more information about the Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa on his appointment as Catholic Home Missions, visit Most Rev. Joe S. Vasquez Bishop of Austin. www.usccb.org/hm. Th e subcommittee values their faith Staff and commitment to our country’s Dr. David J. Suley, Director mission dioceses. Mr. Ken Q. Ong, Grants Specialist

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