155N 1042-881X UOL BULLETIN UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Dedicated to our Church -- Devoted to its Youth VOL. 54 NO. 4 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 UOL MEMBERS JOIN THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIANS WHO COMMEMORATE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLODOMOR On November 17th, a cold but sunny day in New York City, two thousand Ukrainians gathered to commemorate the Seventy Fifth Anniversary of the Holodomor, the Artificial Famine in Ukraine. UOL members joined the multitude of Ukrainians who met in front of St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Ukrainian village of New York City. Daria Pishko Komichak seminarians. Additionally, many UOL members carried banners and posters organized UOL participation and served on the committee that organized the that portrayed images about the famine. When the procession reached St. event. It is hard to Patrick’s estimate the number of Cathedral UOL UOL members who members attended because the started singing march stretched for Vichnaya approximately ten Pamyat, large city blocks along “Memory Third avenue. The Eternal” prior procession went from to entering the the East Village to St. Cathedral. Patrick’s Cathedral which is located on It is estimated 51st street. UOL members from Parma, that three Carnegie, Philadelphia, thousand Youngstown and Pittsburgh Ukrainians gathered at St. Sophia joined in the Seminary in South Bound prayer service. The memorial service was co-celebrated with clergy from the Brook, on Friday evening Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Catholic Church. The memorial before the march. That service was followed by addresses from Hierarchs and dignitaries. One very evening young adults had the poignant opportunity to get to know statement was our seminarians and also made by Michael joined in evening prayers. Sawkiw, Jr, the president of the Saturday morning some UOL Ukrainian members met at Cooper Congress Union to walk together as a Committee of group. UOL members from Carteret, Pittsburgh, Carnegie, Parma, Philadelphia, America. He Youngstown, and Maplewood attended. Because the crowd was so large, it spoke about the was difficult to work together as a group. His Eminence Archbishop Antony theme for this led the solemn march year “Ukraine with clergy, the remembers -- the Ukrainian world Ambassador to the recognizes.” That is, the importance of US, Oleh Shamshur, Ukraine and Ukrainians to remember the tragedy of 1932-1933 and for the and the Ukrainian world to recognize the Holodomor. It is estimated that 10 million died as a Ambassador to the result of the Holodomor, Stalin’s attempt to exterminate the Ukrainian nation. United Nations, Yuriy Sergeyev. Following His Eminence Archbishop Antony concluded the memorial service and spoke the clergy were about the importance of remembering for to forget we might enable such an individuals carrying atrocity to happen again. coffins representing the victims of the Following the service UOL members gathered together in the East Village Holodomor. Among these individuals were several UOL members and our Ukrainian Restaurant and had a family dinner. Approximately thirty UOL members joined together for dinner. (picture of group on page 7) I NY 61st UOL CONVENTION I UOL *THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ILLUMINES ALLALL* July 30 – August 3, 2008 Hosted by the Sr. and Jr. UOL Chapters of St. John the Baptist, Johnson City, NY Holidayinnarena.com • (607) 722-1212 • 800-HOLIDAY Co-Chairs: Pam Scannell (607) 754-1554 Alexis Oryhon (607) 341-3748 PAGE 2 UOL BULLETIN JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 UOL BULLETIN - The official publication of the Ukrainian Orthodox League of the United States of America. Circulated to all UOL Members. Non-members subscription rate $30.00 Canada $40.00 Oleh Bilynsky Patrick Scannell Natalie Bilynsky Father John Harvey MESSAGE FROM UOL President Jr. UOL President UOL Bulletin Editor UOL Bulletin 703 Pine Ridge Rd 2000 Clover St. 703 Pine Ridge Road Spiritual Advisor Wallingford, PA 19086 Vestal, NY 13850 Wallingford, PA 19086 THE SENIOR [email protected] Sr. Staff Writer- Elizabeth Mitchell 46 Lexington Court, Carnegie, PA 15106 UOL PRESIDENT UOL Bulletin - Published seven times annually - September, October, November, January/February, Oleh Bilynsky March, April and June. The absolute deadline for each monthly issue is the 1st of the prior month. Photos will not be returned. Note to Contributers: All articles submitted to the UOL Bulletin must be in 12 point Times New Christ is born! Glorify Him! Roman (font), or typed and double spaced in 12 point type. Articles may be submitted via e-mail attachments. (Submit to: [email protected]) The editor reserves the right to condense any material submitted. Material cannot be returned. I pray that you and your family had a blessed Nativity season and that the New Year brings you good health and prosperity. As we turn the page to a ============== new year there are a number of UOL activities that everyone should be aware of. ASK FR. HARVEY The Christian Caregiving and Missions Commission is wrapping up the Tithing Program, and it is still not too late to make a contribution to this RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS annual project. This year’s donations will benefit our Four Evangelists Mission in Bel Air, MD. Also, hopefully you will participate in our Souper Answered by: Fr. John Harvey Bowl Sunday project, which raises funds to benefit the St. Andrew Society’s soup kitchens in Ukraine. This project has raised more than $6,000 during I have heard that people have experienced feeling Jesus when they take the past two years, and if you have not yet participated please contribute to Communion. I have never had this experience. Is there something wrong this worthy cause. Anyone wishing to contribute (to either project) should with me? send donations directly to UOL Financial Secretary Pani Matka Linda Our reception of Communion should be the pinnacle of our spiritual life and Oryhon. an experience that we have often. The difficulty is in that we should not be Now is also the time to make your donations to the UOL’s Annual Fund expecting some sort of elated or “special” feeling. “Feelings” can be often Drive and the Metropolitan John Scholarship Fund (MJSF). Donations to quite delusionary and we should not measure our spirituality on whether we the Annual Fund Drive will be used to support all of the UOL’s activities, have or had not some exotic or powerful feeling in church. It is true that if such as (to name but a few) the UOL Bulletin, the Youth Commission’s we have had an intense preparation during Great Lent, then the joy of the activities with our Preteens, Juniors and Young Adults, and the various Paschal service CAN seem like a special wave of delight. If we do not have projects of the Education Commission. Among other worthy causes, the some powerful reaction it does not mean that we have not been blessed. A MJSF helps support our seminarians and provides grants to clergy wishing preparation for Liturgy and the reception of the sacrament makes Communion to further their education. special. Materials for the 2008 UOL Essay Contest will be in the mail shortly, and Some prayer connecting you with the Lord, consciously made beforehand, please encourage all parishioners (the contest is not limited to UOL members) deepens your realization of what will occur. Abstaining from food and drink to participate in this annual event. The essay topics are listed in this issue of also delineates that this is a moment of note in which your whole being is the Bulletin. For additional information please contact UOL Essay Contest being prepared and that the normal course of events, including breakfast is Chairwoman Shirley Skocypec. eliminated for a special occasion. As Great Lent will soon be upon us, it is now time to make your plans for Although Confession is NOT tied to each time of Communion as it is a separate attending the Lenten Retreats sponsored by the UOL. The first retreat will sacrament, a good sincere confession seems to clear the air. be held at All Saints Camp on April 4-6, and the second will be held at the Let us realize that Jesus is coming into our physical being as food indeed. St. Francis Retreat Center (in Bethlehem, PA) on April 11-13. Besides being Upon entering our blemished being, He will gradually change us from within. spiritually enlightening, and allowing the participants to step away from We come with the right attitude and He will begin to shine through our darkened their everyday lives and reflect on Pascha, these retreats are another life. This is the process known as theosis. We are changed from what we are opportunity for UOL members to come together as fellow members of our and begin more and more to reflect and image Christ in our daily life. “UOL family.” Consciously we should ask that His Holy Spirit reveal our spiritual blindnesses, In a talk I gave at St. Vladimir’s in Philadelphia on the occasion of UOL so that we come to realize and battle the faults we do not now even know we Sunday, I expressed my personal opinion that the most significant aspect of exemplify. This also is a moment, when we bring to Christ our petitions and the UOL is the sense of family created by the UOL. As a member of the needs and ask for His abundant mercy. Cooperating with His Holy Spirit is Philadelphia chapter, I know there are other UOL members in Los Angeles, synergy and out of our good will we do good things and conform to God’s Palos Park or Boston (to name but a few chapters) with whom I feel a sense will. This makes us willing members of the Body of Christ, doing His works of family and belonging, as both UOL members and members of our Church.