Issue 1, January 2003 UKRAINIAN REDEMPTORISTS OF THE YORKTON PROVINCE FULLY ALIVE A Bishop Velychkovsky Martyr’s Shrine Publication In This Issue: Welcome to our first edition of the Bishop Velychkovsky Martyr’s Shrine Newsletter “FULLY ALIVE” . Through this newsletter we will have the oppor- Shrine Co-ordinator - 1 tunity to keep you abreast with the activities at the Shrine. The name “Fully Alive” was chosen to describe the spirit of Martyr Vasyl. Despite all his suffer- A Week to Remember - 2 ings, he was fully alive in the Holy Spirit during his lifetime and now in the full- God is Wonderful - 3 ness of the Kingdom of God he is Fully Alive before the Lord. Thanks to Contributors - 4 Shrine Schedule - 8 Prayer to the Martyr - 8 Help Required - 8 SHRINE CO-ORDINATOR HIRED As the Relics of Blessed Vasyl were being enshrined at St. Joseph’s Church, it became very evident to the Redemptor- ists that the work was just beginning. It would take much work to have the Shrine functional, that is, available to the faithful, organizing and guiding pilgrims who come to the Shrine, setting up tour/pilgrimage programs, looking after the gift shop, etc. With no hesitation the Redemptorist Provincial Council, chose to implement a paid position for a Shrine Co- ordinator whose responsibility would be to organize volun- teers for the Shrine and Gift shop, manage the Shrine office, and promote devotion to Blessed Vasyl. With this first newsletter we introduce our Shrine Co-ordinator, Mary Jane Kalenchuk, a mother of three, who has spent the last several years conduct- ing an aboriginal enrichment program at Ralph Brown School. Mary Jane brings to this work much talent, her enthusiasm for the Shrine and her love of Blessed Vasyl. In her short time she has already organised and co-ordinated over 40 volunteers who spend time at the Shrine and make it possible for the Shrine to have regular hours of operation. We welcome Mary Jane on board in our Redemptorist ministry and wish her strength and God’s Blessings in this new venture and apostolate. Blessed Velychkovsky Martyr's Shrine 250 Jefferson Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R2V 0M6 Tel: 204-338-7321 Fax: 204 –339-1062 Email: [email protected] Website:www.yorktonredemptorists.com A WEEK TO REMEMBER The week of September 16-22, 2002 prayer led by the Metropolitan. Then eve- colour, holding the hand cross, with the will always be a highlight of my life. That ryone, individually, took an oath to fulfil episcopal ring on his finger. Everyone, was the week of the exhumation and the including the doctors were overwhelmed transfer of the holy Relics of Blessed Mar- at the state of the body, which had al- tyr Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky, C.Ss.R. ready been in the grave for almost thirty from All-Saints Cemetery to St. Joseph’s years. It was fully in tact, with all its mus- Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg. cle mass. Although the body was stiff through rigor mortis, the arms were pli- Much preparation was needed. Civil able and movable. We were all filled with permission was required from the govern- awe. ment of Manitoba to exhume (disinternment) and to transfer his mortal With great reverence and care the remains. Permission had to be obtained vestments were then removed from the also from the Vatican, the Congregation their office to the best of their ability. Be- body, so that it could be completely ex- for Saints. With the Vatican’s permission fore any exhumation could take place, two amined. The episcopal vestments, like and mandate to proceed with the transfer, witnesses – an original pallbearer and a the coffin, were in poor shape and fell came a detailed protocol that had to be relative – confirmed that this was the spot apart shortly after they were removed. followed. The Postulator General for the where Blessed Vasyl was buried. Once His whole body was then washed, Redemptorists (the one who is in charge established and confirmed, at the com- cleaned and examined. Since the very of the causes for Redemptorist saints and mand of the Metropolitan, the exhumation ends of the toes had already fallen off, blesseds) was contacted and he too gave began. they were carefully cleaned and pre- a number of detailed instructions for the served to be used as 1 st Class relics process. Throughout the exhumation which took which will eventually be distributed to several hours, the faithful that were pre- various churches for the veneration of All things had to be prepared before sent sang a Moleben in Blessed Vasyl’s the faithful. hand. When someone’s cause to saint- honour and also the Acafist Hymn com- hood is first begun in the Church, a proc- posed to Blessed Vasyl. This prayerful The next day the process continued as ess that can take decades, often the mor- atmosphere which began at the cemetery tal remains are exhumed, examined, re- prevailed throughout the whole week. Fi- corded and reburied. This is done to see nally when the coffin was extracted from whether or not the mortal remains are the grave, it was placed in a hearse from incorrupt and to simply see their state. In Cropo’s Funeral Home and in a solemn our case, Bishop Vasyl was already pro- motor procession all proceeded to St. claimed a Blessed. All the church laws Boniface General Hospital, where a room must now be applied. He could not simply was already prepared for the next stage of be examined, but rather his mortal re- the process. his holy body was wrapped with cloth mains would have to be transferred into a and a preservative compound (according church. We faced a dilemma. What would With great reverence the coffin was to Vatican prescriptions). Then it was we find? Would it be just some bone frag- brought into the examination room. The vested again in new episcopal robes, a ments? Would we find a skeleton? Would long awaited and anticipated moment panagia and cross, a hand cross and it be a mummified (dried) corpse? Would came – the uncovering of the coffin. In episcopal ring and a veil was again the process of corruption be complete? No preparation for that moment the Acafist placed over his face. The holy body was one could give us a definite answer. In the Hymn was prayed. As the lid was re- then placed into the newly made end we decided to prepare a full length moved, all those present in the room rev- stainless steel container, along with offi- stainless steel container (according to erenced themselves in awe and wonder. cial documents sealed in a tube. The Vatican prescriptions). All had to be ready Although the coffin itself was badly dam- container was then welded shut. Finally before we began our exhumation. aged by water and corruption, the body of the container was tied with a silk ribbon and sealed using melted red wax and the A team to accomplish this process had episcopal seal of our Metropolitan. to be found: funeral director; grave dig- gers; a welder of stainless steel; a medical Although the whole process was emo- team (medical examiners, anthropologists, tionally draining, it was very fulfilling and etc.); a photographer; a church tribunal life-giving. It can best be described as consisting of the Metropolitan, his Dele- having experienced Easter. After one gate, a Promoter of Justice and a Notary; spends hours in prayer mediating on the the Postulator; the Redemptorists; Wit- suffering and passion of Christ and then nesses; family members and select faithful on Easter morning to joyfully sing Easter observers and helpers. Every member of Matins and Liturgy proclaiming the great this team had to be personally authorised News that He is Risen, one experiences by the Metropolitan with official document. a fullness of life, which is only a small Blessed Vasyl was fully in tact. His face foretaste of eternity in the presence of On Monday September 16, 2002 the was covered by the chalice veil that was the All-Mighty. A similar experience fol- team gathered at All Saints Cemetery at placed on it during the funeral. When it lowed those days. There was a profound 8:00 am. It was a crisp, clear morning with was removed his face with his beard radi- peace and joy. There was a great desire a hint of a morning mist. We began with ated its holiness. His hands were of flesh for silence – to be simply in the presence 2 GOD IS WONDERFUL IN HIS SAINTS There are some events in life which the gift that we were all receiving – the have historical significance the moment Presence of the Relics of Blessed Vasyl. they occur. Most events need the test of time to gain this status, but we witnessed People arrived from across the country an event in Winnipeg that reached this to be present at this event. There were status the moment it happened – the Bishops from across the world. Priests transfer of the Hoy Relics of Blessed and deacons from Manitoba and Sas- of the Holy. This sacred presence was Bishop and Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky, katchewan, nearly all the Ukrainian Re- experienced throughout the week as peo- C.Ss.R. demptorists from Canada, people came ple came to venerate the relics, first at the by “bus” from Saskatoon, Wynyard, Ituna residence of the Sister Servants, then at News came in early January 2001 that and Yorkton, people from Toronto, peo- Sts. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral and fi- Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky, who was al- ple from the United States and of course nally at St.