$1.

75

2009

LXV No 6

2009

JUNE, 2009

Clergy Conference
2009

Techny Towers, .
The Clergy Conference for 2009 was held at Techny Towers Conference and
20 ,
Retreat
Center, Techny, Illinois. The venue just twenty miles north of eparchial
, , ,
offices in Chicago was the destination of priests and
,
deacons from Detroit, Dallas, Denver, San Diego and
. . .
elsewhere within the vast St Nicholas Eparchy.

This year's topic of discovery addressed the issue of
, .
liturgical celebration. The presenter was Fr Mark
. ,
Morozovich, of the Eparchy of St Josaphat, Parma,
. .
Ohio--a professor at St Josaphat Seminary and

Assistant Professor at the Catholic University of

America, Washington, DC.
-
Fr Mark's approach was intertwined with historical
-, , ..
references
that emphasized the rationale for our exis , .
tence
as
Ukrainian
Catholics in the first place. He
,
began with a reference to "the vast undertaking by
,
Metropolitan ANDREW (Sheptytsky) in 1903 'to rid the

Church of Rus' of its unwarranted innovations' from
- .
the Latin Church."

He asked for introspection on the faithful adherence
,
to these principles, as well as those of Nineteenth
, ,
Century Popes Leo XIII and Benedict XV, who in various encyclicals made known to the entire Catholic
.
Church the valuable riches of Eastern Christian
,
expression, and our duty to live up to the standards of
,
our legitimate ritual patrimony.
He reiterated the more recent documents of Vatican
XIII
II and of subsequent publication of norms by the Code
XVI,
of Canons of the Eastern Churches and Instruction for
.
Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of

Canons of the Eastern Churches, (1996) so that our

faithful would benefit from the treasures available to

us.
Without going into specific details of liturgical cel .
Bishop Richard addressed the clergy during Divine Liturgy in the ebration of the various services, Fr Mark elucidated
, II Africa Chapel at Techny Towers of the Society of the Divine Word. the principles that insure the proper use of singing,
standing, incense, processions, movements and

scheduling that set the whole tenor of the liturgical
(1991)
experience for all who participate in the Divine serv,
ices we offer.

The two-day program of conferences was divided
(1996), ,
into four sessions that provided nearly six hours of
.
presentation. During the discourse, questions were

asked--by Fr Mark, to encourage our own critical
thinking--or by us as a matter of clarification: all to
, .
make us more aware.
,
Out of the talks emerged the reasoning behind the
, ,
insistence
of the II Vatican Council's strict resolve to
, , ,
have us forego certain foreign elements that had crept
,
into our Church over the centuries. "Return to ancesOur priests and deacons hear the presentation of Fr Mark.
continued page 11
6
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NEW STAR

June, 2009

11

continued from page 1

tral ways" is not a comment out of context--but in harmony with the early Twentieth Century prophetic
observations of Metropolitan Andrew as cited above.
There is a particular reason why certain "latinisms"
that have crept into some of our churches are to be
abandoned. Some of these include "Stations of the
Cross," kneeling on Sunday, "First Communions," the
use of "clackers" on Holy Friday, insertion of the words
"and the Son" into the Creed, and the proliferation of
private devotions that have less relevance to Eastern
Spirituality than some others. We were urged to exercise our obligation to study the proper rites and practices of our Church--and the duty to dispense such
information to the faithful through catechesis and homilies that instruct and inspire all to a better appreciation
of who it is we are. We were reminded of the popular
and easily attainable resources of God With Us
Publications, provided through cooperation of our bishops.
A perspective was brought into focus by a look at the
actual articles of the Treaty of Brest (1595) which stipulated conditions of establishing a "common union"
with the Church of Rome that was to ensure there
would be no coercion to be imitators of that particular
form of Christianity. Particularly there was to be no
change made to the use of Vespers, Matins and the
Divine Liturgy, nor to the Mysteries of Baptism
(including Chrismation, Eucharist), the Crowning of
Marriage or observance of rituals that the Roman
Church does not celebrate.
Here were mentioned specifically the phrase "and the
Son," the use of clappers, and the request to not be
forced to process with the Mysteries of "the Day of
Corpus Christi." These were among the other provisions that fostered subsequent unions in Uzhorod
(1646) and L'viv (1700). Slowly, after these 16th, 17th
and 18th Century agreements, the resolve eroded to the
point that Metropolitan Andrew found it necessary to
insist one hundred years ago upon more faithful observance of the venerable traditions of our Church. Then
came the more strongly-worded "Decree on the Eastern
Catholic Churches" of 1964 (Vatican II).
A rather recent innovation was mentioned, that goes
against the instruction of the Second Vatican Council,
and subsequent pronouncements. It, as well, defies the
spirit of the articles of union and the intention of
Metropolitan Andrew. It is the intrusion of the so-called
"Divine Mercy Sunday" into our calendar in some isolated incidents. Fr Mark questioned the purpose of
such an unauthorized introduction, based upon a lack
of appreciation of the existing format of the Sunday
after Pascha--St Thomas Sunday--which may not be
supplanted without damaging the integrity of our
Church. It remains as an observance applicable only to
the calendar of the Roman Rite.
Each day of the conference the Divine Liturgy was
celebrated. Tuesday, Fr Mark was with us for the 18th
anniversary of his priestly ordination, and noted he
could spend it in no better way than by sharing with
other clergy. On Wednesday, Bishop Richard was the
main celebrant, after which the Chrism signifying the
common union of all parishes with the eparchial bishop was distributed to each one.

Let us pray to the Lord is the invitation

from Fr Deacon Volodomyr.

There were times for informal gathering.

ABOVE: Fr Andrij
Chirovsky receives
the vial of Chrism
for his parish from
Chancellor, Fr
James Karepin,
OP.
LEFT: The daily
Liturgy was an
opportunity for our
clergy to pray
together.
Fr Deacon Pavlo bows to the
icon of the Theotokos.

There is some time to socialize between sessions

Fr Mark explains a point projected on the screen.

Three meals a day kept up the energy level.

ABOVE: Fr Mark also delivered a

homily during the Divine Liturgy.
LEFT: This group spans the width
of the Eparchy--from Detroit to
California, and points in between.

12

June, 2009

NEW STAR

UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OPENS

STUDENT CHURCH: LVIV - On May 2, 2009 in Lviv,
the Church of the New Martyrs of the Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church, particularly intended for students,
was blessed. The church is the first object of a future
additional campus of the Ukrainian Catholic University
(UCU) and one of the few newly-built wooden churches of the region.

The blessing ceremony was led by Archbishop IHOR

(Vozniak) of Lviv. The event was attended by top city
and regional officials, representatives of business and
cultural elites of the city, civic organizations, lay people and students.
The first Liturgy in the new church is to be celebrated by the rector of UCU, Fr. Borys Gudziak, Ph.D.
During the consecration ceremony, the rector drew the
attention of the audience to the fact that the church is
named after martyrs of the UGCC declared "blessed"
by Pope John Paul II in June, 2001. "No one did more
than they did to overcome the main challenges of the

20th century faced by the UGCC," he stressed. Another

specificity of the event is the fact that for the first time
a construction project of UCU was implemented with
the funds of only local donors.
The construction was carried out under the leadership of a professor of UCU, Fr. Bohdan Prach, Ph.D.
According to him, "I hope that the church and, in the
future, the whole campus of UCU will attract students
from other higher educational institutions of Lviv. The
church and the campus are to become a laboratory
studying how and in what directions the student apostolate in general should develop."

UCU INCLUDED IN UN'S GLOBAL COMPACT: On

January 26, 2009 the Ukrainian Catholic University
joined the Global Compact of the United Nations. The
Global Compact's network in Ukraine already has 130
members, including such influence groups as business, non-government sector, work organizations, and
academic sector. Ukraine joined the compact in
2005.UCU, which is the first Catholic university in the
post-Soviet space, has experience in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR). For example, last
year the university's business school conducted
research and a seminar-caf, master-class and round
table on questions of business based on values and
social responsibility. This year, the business school
will continue the research and co-organize a conference on these questions. The research of 2009 will deal
with questions of the increase of the effectiveness of
business by integrating CSR into a company's strategy.
According to the press service of the Global Compact
of Ukraine, its "Secretariat welcomes the Ukrainian
Catholic University as a member of the network and
will continue to promote inclusion of educational institutions in the Global Compact."

NEW AUXILLARY BISHOP HAS BEEN APPOINTED

FOR KYIV ARCHEPARCHY: On April 16, 2009, the
Vatican announced that His Holiness Benedict XVI has

Tending Your Gardens

n Spring and Summer, many of us turn our attention

to planting and harvesting. Especially nowadays,
when we are all being encouraged to "go green!"
Many of us have several green gardens to tend
toflower gardens, herb gardens, and vegetable gardens. We have fruit trees that need to
be pruned, fertilized and harvested.
We eat what we grow and we share
what we've grown with our friends
and our neighbors. In August, we
bring fruit to our parish churches for
blessing on the feast of the
Transfiguration; we bring flowers
and herbs to our parish churches for
blessing on the feast of the
Dormition of the Mother of God.
There are other kinds of gardens
that God has planted and entrusted to
our care that don't have a whole lot to
do with fruits, herbs, flowers or vegetables. Let's spend a few minutes
reflecting on them and ask ourselves
and our family members some questions about how well we are tending to these gardens!
Our Spiritual Gardens: What care do we give to
our relationship with God in worship, personal prayer,
and our calling to use our unique gifts in His service?
How well do we tend to our immortal soul?
Our Social Gardens: Do we care sufficiently for
those around us? Do we exercise concern for the issues
of our broader society?
Our Physical Gardens: How well do we manage
our health with proper exercise and nutrition, by watching our weight, and by taking or allowing time for
leisure?
Our Psychological Gardens: Do we respect our
emotional life and seek help in times of illness? Do we

use prayer to calm us in times of stress? Do we drive

our vehicles with a Christian attitude?
Our Political Gardens: Are we informed citizens?
Do we assume appropriate responsibility for the good
of all creation? Are we pro-active in helping to shape
political direction? Do we
cast our vote in every election? Do we assist others to
reach the polls?
Our Economic Gardens:
Do we accumulate and disperse our financial resources
with justice and charity?
What do we own? What owns
us? Do we give back to God
from the first fruits of our
abundance or do we give only
from our excess?
Our Ecological Gardens:
How well do we attend to the
needs of the earth by proper
use of water, air, soil and other
natural resources? Do we take
time, and give the effort to recycle?
Our Cultural Gardens: Do we support the arts and
those who attempt to bring beauty and music to our
lives? Do we read great books? Do we read to children?
Our Technological Gardens: How well do we use
the great gifts of technology, computers and mass
media to make the world a healthier and safer place?
Do we misuse these gifts to the detriment of others?
We can ask ourselves similar questions about our
parish "gardens." Do we appreciate and promote our
Ukrainian Catholic spiritual Tradition? Do we care
about the families and friends that are members of our
parish? Do we welcome and are we hospitable to visi-

blessed the decision of the

Synod of Bishops of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church to appoint Fr. Yosf
(Milyan), a monk of the
Studite order and pastor of
the Church of the Annunciation to the Holy Mother of
God at the Patriarchal
Cathedral of the Resurrection
of Christ, as auxiliary bishop
of the Kyiv Archeparchy. The
titular see of Drusiliana will be given to the new bishop.

CABLE STATION EWTN PROGRAM: EWTN has

scheduled a 30-minute special on the life of Bishop
VASYL (Velychkovsky), who spent several years as a
prisoner in Soviet Gulags for refusing to deny his
Catholic faith. The program will air on June 30.
Here is the schedule as found on the EWTN website.
Steadfast and Faithful: A
Martyr's Journey (30:00)
This program tells the
story of Blessed Vasyl
Velychkovsky, a Ukrainian
priest who after being
released from the Soviet
Gulag prison in 1972, and
banned from his home
country, found refuge in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He died shortly thereafter as a result of torture
and medical testing in the
hands of the Soviets.
Times listed are Eastern and Pacific.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009: 3:00 AM 12 AM
Tuesday, June 30, 2009: 6:30 PM 3:30 PM
Check your local listings.
tors and new parishioners? Do we and members of our
families take on parish responsibilities? Do we support
our fellow parishioners when they take on parish
responsibilities? Do we help care for the parish buildings and financially support the parish as best as we are
able?
You may be able to think of other kinds of gardens
that need tending. One thing for certain, no matter
which kind of garden we are talking about, "good
ground" is really important. (In this column last year,
we talked about how important it was to create and
tend "good ground" in our families so that the Word of
God could take hold in our hearts and minds). To create that "good ground" we must frequently take the
time to make a point, teach a principle, instill a behavior, and most importantly of all, be and give a good
example. Our fruit, herb and vegetable gardens also
need water, fertilizer and maybe some bug repellent.
Our personal and parish gardens need prayer, prayer,
and some bug repellent, too--more prayer--to combat
the evil that is all around us!
A New Star reader sent me the following which nicely compliments what this article is all about--being
careful about what you plant, where you plant, and how
you tend to what you have planted so that in the end,
your gardens will flourish!
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust;
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends;
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness;
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment;
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective;
If you plant hard work, you will reap success;
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation;
If you plant faith in God, you will reap a great harvest!
Concept of Life's Gardens adapted from Bishop
Robert Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Green Bay,
Wisconsin, and the Office of Stewardship and
Development, Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan

NEW STAR

June, 2009

13

"He was the greatest man I ever knew. He rallied

Ukrainian Catholics out in the Free World. He said,
'Hold on, hold on,' " Chirovsky recalled.
Parish member Bohban "Buddy" Gojnycz remembers working with his mother in a German labor camp.
At that time, he was terrified of being returned to
is Latvian, she said, but he now enjoys her church.
Ukraine, his homeland, where many were executed for
The new priest at St. Michael's, the Rev. Andriy allegations of treason.
Chirovsky, is returning the parish to its traditions,
Gojnycz, 71, moved to New York City with his
Vecbastiks said.
mother when he was 12. His father died in World War
"He's taking us back to the way things should be, II.
both spiritually and culturally," she said.
"We always pray for our brothers back home and the
Chirovsky, 52, said even now it's critical for welfare of the country," he said. "We're very happy the
Ukrainian Catholics to feel a sense of belonging. Their Ukraine is independent now and that the church is
faith was banned in Ukraine in 1945 and wasn't allowed to practice freely."
restored until 1989.
Gojnycz enjoys working on the church,
especially reconstructing an iconostasis,
or icon screen, which the congregation
obtained from a Minneapolis church.
An iconostasis creates a decorated
boundary between the church nave,
where people sit, and the altar. He said it
took six weeks to reconstruct the wall,
which arrived in 100 pieces.
"We feel very fortunate that this came
to us. It really was a gift from God," he
said. "If we hadn't taken it, it would have
gone to a museum."
An average of 50 people now attend
[Liturgy] at St. Michael's. Kunasz, the
parish council president, said about 85
people attended Easter services.
Fr Andriy Chirovsky delivers the homily at St Michaels Church.
Kunasz, 69, was born and raised in
France but grew up knowing his culture.
His mother left Ukraine on work contract when she
"They did not fear that the Roman Catholics could was 17.
really spread throughout the Soviet Union because,
On Saturdays, when Kunasz was a child, a group of
culturally, they were Western," said Chirovsky, who is Ukrainians met at his family's home, where the memalso a professor of Eastern Christian studies at a bers studied the language, music, art and customs of
Canadian university--he teaches mostly through video- their homeland.
conference.
"And we've now passed it on to our children, and
Freedom to practice Ukrainian Catholicism returned they are passing it on to their children," said Kunasz,
20 years ago, after Mikhail Gorbachev met with Pope whose family immigrated to the United States in 1958.
John Paul II.
He moved to Tucson in 1999. "Finally, we have our
Chirovsky commutes each week from Tempe to cel- own beautiful church," he said. "We are looking forebrate [Liturgy] here. He is a married priest, which is ward to a great, great future where people can expericommon in Eastern Catholic churches, and he has three ence the Eastern Church tradition, the Ukrainian one in
children.
particular."
Chirovsky was born in New Jersey after his parents
escaped Josef Stalin's dictatorship. He was ordained by
By Patty Machelor, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson,
Cardinal Josyf Slipyj, who spent 18 years in Siberian Arizona, April 20, 2009. Reprinted with permission.
concentration camps for his beliefs.

UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS IN TUCSON

Worshippers find a home
Small group with strong ties has a real church at last

A small
Tucson
congregation, rich
and complicated in
its history,
has a permanent
home after
more than
25 years.
The new church building is powerful in its symbolism for parishioners of St. Michael's Ukrainian
Catholic Church. Some members had parents who suffered religious persecution in Ukraine, where for
decades the church was banned. Services during those
years were held secretly in people's homes, or even in
the woods.
What binds these Tucson Ukrainian Catholics now is
a shared longing for a strong faith community.
Since the early 1980s, about 25 people have met in a
makeshift chapel adjoining a house on the East Side.
The site was difficult to find, and newcomers often didn't return.
"There was no church there, really," said the parish
council president, Ihor Kunasz. "There was nothing
that identified it as a church. It was just a building."
About three years ago, interest grew in a North Side
church occupied by the Holy Resurrection Antiochian
Orthodox Church, 715 W. Vanover Road. That congregation was hoping to move after outgrowing the
Miracle Manor neighborhood church.
In February, the sale was finalized.
"We have been trying for so many years, but we have
such a small group and we just couldn't get anywhere,"
said Christina Vecbastiks, who moved from Alaska to
Green Valley with her husband, Ivars, 14 years ago.
She said they are overjoyed to have a home at last.
In the past, Vecbastiks said, the congregation had
trouble finding priests. [Liturgy] sometimes had to be
celebrated on Saturday, when a visiting priest could do
it. There were no regular services on holidays.
Vecbastiks, 64, was born in Ukraine and moved to
the United States with her family in 1949. Her husband

Houston Scout Presented

Parvuli Dei Emblem
On Sunday April 5, 2009 at the conclusion of the
Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy Joseph G. Kuchta was presented the Parvuli Dei Religion Emblem at Protection
of the Mother of God (Pokrova) Church, Houston,
Texas, in conjunction with his participation in the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA).
The Parvuli Dei is the second of five religion
Emblems that is availalble to Catholic youth involved
with BSA, and is presented by the authority of Bishop
Richard Seminack.
Joseph, a Webelos II Scout, is 11
years-old and the
son of Eugene and
Irene Kuchta, and is
an altar server and
attends Sunday religion classes.

Father Mykola
Dovzhuk presented
Joseph Kuchta
the Parvuli Dei
Emblem.

Eastern Catholic Bishops of USA Meet

The Bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches met
for their annual two-day gathering April 22 and 23,
2009 in St. Louis, Missouri at the Maronite Pastoral
Center.
The agenda was very full and included a review of
the Eastern Catechetical Eparchial programs, and presentations from Theresa Kettelkamp of the Office for
Protection of Children and Youth; the National
Advisory Council; and the National Organization of
Continuing Education of Catholic Clergy. The bishops also continued planning the Encounter of Eastern
Catholic Churches, scheduled for 2011 and discussed

a presentation from the National Leadership

Roundtable of Church Management.
The meeting is an opportunity for the bishops of the
Eastern Catholic Churches to share in common concerns and needs of our Churches, and to grow in our
fellowship and knowledge of one another. The topics
of discussion facilitate the enhancement of knowledge of our respective Churches in specific areas of
need. The bishops also are able to address specific
needs and issues as members of Region XV of the
United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.
Photo: Mary Denny

14 NEW STAR

June, 2009

Bishop Richards
Palm Sunday Homily

wise and elderly priest about

eighty-eight years old found himself on the train one day. When
the conductor came by, the priest couldn't
find his ticket. He seemed terribly upset.
He searched through all his pockets and
looked through his wallet without success. The conductor was very sympathetic, saying, "Don't worry, Father! The railroad will be happy to trust you. After you
leave the train, you will probably find the
ticket and you can mail it to us." But the
conductor's kindness failed to put the elderly priest at ease. Still very much upset,
he said, "My dear man, my problem is not
where my ticket is, my problem is where
am I going."
As we journey with Jesus today through
Jerusalem on the road to Calvary's Hill,
"where are WE going?"
The truth of our journey is that Jesus is
guiding us to a meeting place with God
where we can experience His presence
most intensely.
The truth is that the only way to Easter
and the resurrection is through the Cross.
The only way to new life in Christ is
through the Cross.
In Christ's suffering and death we have
God's supreme expression of His love for
us.
This is the very heart of the Christian
message. This is the very heart of the
Gospel of Christ. This is what Saint Paul
meant when he said, "As for me brothers,
when I came to you, it was not any show
of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell
you what God had guaranteed. During my
stay with you, the only knowledge I
claimed to have was about Jesus, and only
about Him as the crucified Christ." I
Cor.2: 1-2)
With joy-filled hearts we call ourselves
"Easter Christians" and "Resurrection
Christians." But there is no Resurrection,
there is no New Life, except by the journey this week and always by way of the
Cross.
Our Lord and Savior makes it unmistakably clear that if we want to identify

--John 12: 1-18

with Him and make

His life a model for
our own, we must be
ready, willing and
able to accept pain
and suffering--even
death--for others.
That is what it
means to belong to
Jesus Christ at a
deep level of our
being. That is the
true meaning of
being a disciple of
Jesus. It means a
style of life in which we care about others
so completely that we are willing to sacrifice on their behalf. "A man can have no
greater love," says the Lord, "than to lay
down his life for his friends."
Not one of us here today is compelled
to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are
here to accept the call or reject it. But we
do need to realize that in accepting it there
is a price we must pay. The willingness to
follow Jesus' example of sacrificial love is
the cost of discipleship. In truth, we don't
need to be grim about this because most
wonderfully the life of true discipleship is
the most gloriously fulfilling, and joyous
life that a person can know.
The Lord God Almighty who created us
and sustains us in life, lovingly guides us
into wholeness of life. "The Lord is my
shepherd," the psalmist wrote: "I lack
nothing. Though I pass through a gloomy
valley, I fear no harm."
Jesus tells us that unless we allow God
to guide us through the dark valley there
can be no New Life.
Jesus tells us that the great God
Almighty works through a process of
death and resurrection.
Jesus tells us that this is the way God
Almighty has chosen to bring New Life
into the world. "Unless a wheat grain falls
on the ground and dies it remains only a
single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich
harvest." (Jn, 12: 24) In speaking this
parable to His disciples, Jesus is helping
them to understand that His death is
absolutely necessary if there is to be
New Life. On Good Friday you will be
reminded that Jesus cries out in anguish
from His Cross, "My God, My God,
why have you deserted me?" (Mk.15:
34)
Jesus' crown of thorns was a crown of
love. His sorrow was carved into the
deepest level of His being. Because He
believed in love He suffered the nails in
His hands and feet, and the sword that
pierced His side. And with his dying
breath He said of those who crucified
Him, "Father, forgive them." (Lk 23: 34)
And to the thief who hung beside
Him, Jesus said, "Indeed, I promise you,
today you will be with Me in paradise."
(Lk 23: 43)
The victory parade into Jerusalem this
Palm Sunday draws attention to the
power of God's love for each of us. The
crown of victory was in the pain and
suffering that Jesus underwent on that
necessary Good Friday.
Believe in God's love and you will
know where you are going.

So What Else Do You Do with

All Your Spare Time?
As Chancellor of the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, I spend most of
my time inflicting Veritas--i.e., "Truth", the motto of the Dominicans--upon God's
Ukrainian clergy and laity. As If I needed more work to do, I have begun to do
translations for the website of Dominican Network (http://un.op.org), which tells
about the work of the delegation of the Order of Preachers to the United Nations.
The Dominican Delegate to the UN is Olivier Poquillon, OP, a friar of the
Province of France. Since Brother Olivier is a French-speaker, he sends me documents in French so that I can translate them into English for the site. The French
friar (pun intended!) thought that it would be a good idea for me to actually know
what I was talking about, so I went to Geneva to get first-hand experience of what
the UN does, and of the part the Dominican Order is able to play in shaping policy. Moreover, I was able to enjoy the hospitality of the Swiss province and the
friars of St. Dominic Priory in Geneva and St. Hyacinth Priory in Fribourg.
The Dominican Order takes its place among the non-governmental organizations (NGO's) which take part in many of the functions at the UN. Our presence
is intended to bring to light the Christian values for which we stand, values which
are consistent with the human values enshrined in the UN Charter and in international treaties to which signatory nations are bound by their free choice.
Adherence to these values is subject to the scrutiny of various bodies, such as the
Human Rights Council under the auspices of the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). I focused largely on the work of the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR), where member nations are held up for scrutiny based upon their human rights record; as a temporary delegate, I was fortunate
indeed to be able to attend meetings of the UPR to see how the theory was put
into practice.
In short, I am more than ever convinced of the wisdom of the bumper-sticker
which reminds us "If you want peace, work for justice."
-Fr. Jim Karepin, op
Fr Karepin, as other priests, finds a way to serve the Church in a role that is
"extra-curricular", going beyond the duties imposed upon him by the Eparchy. ed.

ECED Members Meet

Eleven members of ECED
(Eastern Conference of Eparchial Directors of Religious
Education) met at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of
SS Cyril and Methodius in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May
17-20, 2009.
The bi-annual meeting
addressed issues of production, distribution and promotion of catechetical materials
The committee scrutinized proofs of the
for the various eparchies in the
Catechetical Sunday poster.
United States.
Among the items discussed involved
decisions on conducting sales of specific items, the acceptance of an author
for revised Grade Seven texts; relocating some archives, supplies and
office furniture; and deciding upon a
suitable poster for this years observance of Catechetical Sunday.
Daily, prayers began the schedule,
which included times for meals in
addition to the deliberations. Each
evening also included some time for
the members to relax and socialize.
ECED members were joined for dinner
continued page 18
by seminary instructors and staff.

L-R: Dr Barbara Lutz, Passaic; Sr Jean Marie Cihota, OSBM, Van Nuys; Fr John Lucas, St
Nicholas; Rt Rev John Kachuba, Parma; Bishop NICHOLAS (Samra); Fr Elias Rafaj, Pittsburgh;
V Rev Gregory Noga, Passaic; Sr Ann Lasxok, OSBM, St Josaphat; Fr Fred Saato, Newton; Sr
Marion Dobos, OSB, Pittsburgh; not pictured: Fr Albert Forlano, Stamford.
Photo: Sr Margaret Ann Andrako, OSBM

June, 2009

Why?/Why:

NEW STAR

By Fr Denny Molitvy

Our friends are Ukrainian Orthodox, and serve on

their parish "Finance Committee". Our [Ukrainian
Catholic] parish has an "Advisory Council". Are
there differences between how the two Churches
handle matters such as decisions about and manner
of managing funds?
Without delving too deeply into the details of the
procedures and regulations of each Church, it might be
best to simply state that there are "differences between
the two Churches" in the way finances may be handled.
This has to do with various ways the administration
of a parish is viewed. The common practice in most
Orthodox parishes is to disassociate much of if not all
monetary issues from the solely spiritual duties of the
priest. There may be local adaptations, depending upon
many factors.
Ukrainian Catholic parishes have regulations that
may differ in some instances. This is not to judge, criticize or demean the practices of anyone, but a way to
find how the structure of a parish determines how it
conducts affairs.
Our bishop appoints a person as "pastor" or "administrator" over the day-to-day operation of a parish. This
includes spiritual and temporal matters.
Regulations are clearly defined in the Pastoral Guide
published by and for the Metropolia of Philadelphia,
which includes the Eparchies of Stamford, St Josaphat
in Parma (Ohio) as well as St Nicholas Eparchy in
Chicago. Article 94 addresses this specifically.
Obligations and duties of a pastor are defined so as
to help regularize activities, for the benefit of the clergy and faithful alike. It is further stated that an
"Advisory" or "Pastoral Council" comprised of elected
and appointed members is to advise the priest of matters pertinent to pastoral work. (Article 107) Their
advice does not bind the pastor, who may decide otherwise in deference to the good of the parish. Not
among the items to be discussed is the management of
the property and revenue of the parish. For this, a separate "Stewardship" or "Financial" Council or
Committee is to be established. (Article 588) Such a
council is guided by articles 591-637 of the same document. Here are addressed collections, stipends, gifts,
and expenditures. There are limits to borrowing,
spending or lending funds, as well as remuneration of
the clergy and salaries of workers.
Minutes of meetings of either council are to be

Pentecost revisited
I recently returned from Geneva, Switzerland, where
I spent two weeks with the Delegate of the Dominican
Order to the United Nations. As I trailed him around
like a lost puppy, I gradually realized the depth of the
learning which was being made available to me. The
experience that I had was eye-opening to say the least!
Perhaps it was not unlike the experience of the apostles
at Pentecost, which we commemorate in this season.
First, a bit of background on Pentecost. You all know
the story of the Tower of Babel. In that story, the Lord
God confused the speech of the prideful humans who
had presumptuously set out to build a tower reaching to
heaven, thus creating the diversity of languages which
exists to this day. Pentecost sets the tower of Babel on
its head: the Apostles, filled with the enthusiasm of the
Holy Spirit, were able to make themselves understood
by people who spoke different languages; in other
words, people of many nations who couldn't understand one another could nonetheless all understand the
Apostles. The linguistic divisions of Babel were overcome and, as a consequence, the walls dividing peoples
crumbled since they--unlike us--could not resist the
great wind Which is the Spirit of God's Love.
Switzerland is a linguistic stew. There are four official languages: French, Italian, Romanch, and the predominant German. Even within the German language,

recorded and stored in parish archives.

So, it seems that your Orthodox friends may very
well proceed along the same lines, and accomplish the
same tasks, our Church makes an expectation that the
pastor is included in collecting and banking funds
(Article 584.1); paying bills (Article 584.5) taxes and
insurances (Article 584.6).
As ex officio treasurer of the parish (Article 587), the
pastor/administrator is responsible for the management
of all moneys. In the case that a Stewardship Council
exists, there are requirements and responsibilities governing who may or may not be a member of it.
However the Pastor is to be the check signatory, alone,
or in conjunction with one (or two) trustees. All
finances are to be made known in annual (or periodical) statements.
Lest there be murmuring about how this all came to
be, it is interesting to see that among statements and
stipulations recorded in the 1595 document signed at
the Union of Brest is: that "all parish churches
shall be subject to the bishop and under his authority,
and that lay people shall not administer them under any
pretextarranging matters as they wish and do not
want to obey their bishops. Let this not occur in the
future." (Article 29)
Our priest sometimes omits using incense--saying it
takes too long. Should I be concerned?
"Concern" is a strong term, "curious" might be better. It seems that you have appropriate expectations that
the Liturgy you attend will be celebrated as correctly
and completely as possible. After all, you take time to
exercise your duty as a Christian to participate in your
Church's active worship of God. You should not be
denied that opportunity.
Our Church has a rather well-defined and -developed system of "rubrics" (order of ritual). It seems that
all are obliged to exercise the role each has (by baptism, ordination, or being set aside) so as to be able to
offer praise, adoration, petition and thanksgiving to
God in as perfect a way as is possible.
Priest, deacon, cantor, parishioner must each act in
oneness of purpose to "come, let us worship." Each
depends upon the other. Under normal circumstances,
a priest without a congregation cannot celebrate the
Liturgy--someone must add "Amen" as assent to certain parts--particularly within the anaphora at the
there are so many dialects that people who speak the
same language often have trouble understanding one
another. How were such diverse people able to form a
country? The governmental structure is such that most
things are decided at the local level; this allows small
groups to form linguistic enclaves where they can take
refuge. Outsiders become strangers to be mistrusted--if
not indeed feared; this explains the xenophobia which
has often caused the Swiss to seek ways of keeping foreigners out of their already culturally-burdened country. Despite this, foreigners come: an influx of immigrants brings in a variety of languages and cultures to
spice the stew--not always to the liking of the native
Swiss. And then there is the invasion by diplomats,
who mainly communicate in heavily-accented English
--especially at the United Nations in Geneva. The
translators who are so busy at the UN would perhaps
be helpful in the daily lives of the Swiss!
If the Swiss have issues, so do we Ukrainians in the
United States. There are divisions which we brought
here with us: back in the "old country", were we
Easterners or Westerners, mountaineers or flatlanders,
city or village folk? Who were our overlords back there
--Poles, Austrians, Germans, Russians, or our own
revolving-door governments? Moreover, we need to
ask which of the four waves of immigrations brought
us here: pre-World War II, World War II, Soviet, postSoviet? All of these considerations influence what language we use and how we see the world. Another

15

"words of institution" and more importantly at the

invocation of the Holy Spirit (epiclesis).
To help mitigate haphazard and careless "mechanical" performance, our clergy are to attend annual conferences designed to present information and instruction pertaining to the way liturgical functions are conducted. This is to ensure all are aware of regulations
set forth for our Church (particularly in the 1944 document of the Congregation for the Eastern Church--The
Order of Celebration of the Divine Liturgy Vespers,
and Matins...) Herein is outlined in great detail norms
for every situation: One priest; several priests; with no
deacon, with one deacon; with two deacons. None
omits the use of incense. Furthermore, subsequent publications of documents from the Holy See and our own
Patriarchal Synodal authority and Eparchial statutes
reinforce the careful execution of the services.
If Liturgy is relegated to mere mundane and perfunctory actions, it becomes something other than
prayer. In order to not be found rigidly ritualistic, part
of the presentation of conference materials addressed
the underlying rationale for every action--including the
use of incense. Omitting it is not to be taken lightly. We
do, after all, attend the Liturgy as a whole person, with
senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. None of
these senses is ignored in our ritual. This was pointed
out--noting incense is not "incidental". To those in
attendance at the Clergy Conferences last month, this
was stated. Those who were there heard it.
You might want to inquire of your priest why incense
is omitted. He may have a good answer. "Too timeconsuming" is not an excuse. We might remind ourselves: we come to worship God, fully, unaffected by
the clock, TV schedule, being late to lunch, or other
such "cares of life" we are exhorted to "lay aside" as
we sing the Cherubicon--as the priest (or deacon)
incenses. This adds no time to the Liturgy.
Rather than sit in judgment, see if some external reason has precipitated the situation. It may be something
as innocuous as not carefully monitoring the supply of
incense--and there was none to use!
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.

important factor is the religion which we brought with

us: did we start out Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, or
Pentecostal, and have we stayed with that religion or
disregarded it? As you can see, instead of being solid
and unified, our Ukrainian identity has more holes in it
than Swiss cheese!
The Swiss and Ukrainian realities, like so many
other aspects of our lives, depend on what we make of
them. It seems that the Swiss and the Ukrainians do
different things with the potentially-disruptive variety
inherent in their societies. On the one hand, the Swiss
realize that they need to overcome their fears and misgivings so as to transcend their divisions, thus embracing one another and coming together in a confederation
for the benefit of all. We Ukrainians, on the other hand,
seem unable to get beyond our differences, with the
result that we remain divided and vulnerable. (I am
sure that I do not need to provide examples of this for
you; history, headlines, and personal experience should
make this fact obvious.) It seems that the Swiss have
learned the lesson of Pentecost while we have not.
You are certainly familiar with the Ukrainian hymn
which we used to sing in my home parish: "In unity is
the strength of a people; God, give us unity!" May
these be our words again in this Pentecost season and,
as my novicemaster always told us, "Say what you
mean and mean what you say."
-Fr. Jim Karepin, op

16

NEW STAR

June, 2009

Greek Catholic Bishops of Europe Meet in Uzhorod

Usually our
meetings
have a double
character:
we, if there is the
possibility, gather together in
miraculous
places, in order
to hold a joint
pilgrimage and
to have the possibility of joint
prayer; the other
purpose is the
desire to get to
know better the
His Beatitude blesses with the
tradition
of the
candles that show the divine and
Eastern
Church.
human natures of Jesus.
For this purpose
in recent years we have been considering the holy
sacraments. This year we will concentrate our attention
on the sacrament of the priesthood." So His Beatitude
Lubomyr told the Department of Information, telling
about the present meeting of the Greek Catholic bishops of Europe, which took place in Uzhorod from May
12 to 14.

The other task of such meetings, according to

His Beatitude, is the creation of the opportunity
to be together, "in fact we in Ukraine have our
synod, and are celebrating in our land, but some
bishops are alone by themselves. We reflect
together on what their task is, how they should
share Eastern spirituality with bishops of the
Roman Catholic Church."
A pilgrimage of representatives of the Greek
Catholic Churches of Western Europe to Italy
took place on June 6-11, 2005, with the motto:
The gathered hierarchs from fourteen countries of Europe.
"Christian roots of Europe. A pilgrimage to the
sources." During the six-day pilgrimage the participants visited Rome, Grotta Ferrata, Monte Casino, stay in the Transcarpathia Region the bishops together
Amalfi and Bari. The main place of the meeting was with priests celebrated three Divine Liturgies:
the pilgrim house of the Salesianum near Rome. on May 12 in the Cathedral of the Ascension in the
"Precisely during this pilgrimage was born the idea to city of Khust.
conduct annually similar meetings of the Greek on May 13 in the Cathedral of the Dormition in the
Catholic bishops of Europe, at which to discuss themes city of Mukachevo.
of joint personal interest," His Beatitude Lubomyr said. on May 14 in the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the
Cross in the city of Uzhorod.
Therefore the meeting in Uzhorod is now the sixth.
In addition, on May 14 the blessing of a monument
As the web page of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic
to
the Exit from the Underground of the Mukachevo
Eparchy, www.reports.mgce.uz.ua, reports, bishops
from 14 countries of Europe were present for the meet- Eparchy took place near the Chapel of the Crucifixion
ing: Greece, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, on Calvary in the city of Uzhorod.
Bulgaria, Serbia, Belarus, Hungary, Italy, France,
Information Department of the UGCC
Poland, Germany, Cyprus, and Ukraine. During their

St. John Damascene

Leading Figure of Byzantine Theology
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - In a general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pope
focused remarks on St. John Damascene (675- 749), "a leading figure in the history of Byzantine theology".
Above all, said Benedict XVI, this saint was "an eye-witness to the move from
the Greek and Syriac culture shared by the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire,
to the novelty of Islam whose military conquests opened a space in the territory today known as the Middle or Near East".
St. John Damascene "was born to a rich Christian family and as a young man
held the office ... of economic administrator of the caliphate. Soon, however,
dissatisfied with life at court, ... he entered the Monastery of San Saba near
Jerusalem around the year 700. ... There he dedicated all his energies to asceticism and writing, not disdaining some pastoral work, of which testimony is to
be found in his numerous Homilies. ... Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the
Universal Church in 1890".
The Pope explained how St. John Damascene's fame rests, above all, "on his
three 'Discourses against the Iconoclasts' which, following his death, were condemned by the iconoclast Council of Hieria (754)". These Discourses, he went
on, represent "the first attempt to legitimize the veneration of sacred images,
associating them with the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God in the
bosom of the Virgin Mary.
"St. John Damascene", the Holy Father added, "was among the first to make
the distinction, in the public and private devotions of Christians, between adoration (latreia) and veneration (proskynesis): the former may only be addressed
to God, Who is supremely spiritual, while the latter may use an image to address
the person represented in that image".
"It immediately became clear that this distinction was important in order to
provide a Christian response to people who insisted that the severe Old
Testament ban against the liturgical use of images was universal and perennial.
This was a also a subject of great discussion in the Muslim world, which accepts
this Hebrew tradition of the complete exclusion of all images from worship. In
this context Christians, for their part, discussed the problem and found the justification for the veneration of images".

Benedict XVI went on to highlight how St. John Damascene

"remains an important witness of
the veneration of icons, which
would become one of the most distinctive aspects of Eastern theology
and spirituality, even until today.
His teaching is part of the tradition
of the Universal Church whose
sacramental doctrine allows elements taken from nature to become
channels of grace, by virtue of the
invocation (epiclesis) of the Holy
Spirit, accompanied by the confession of the true faith".
This Syrian saint also admitted
"the veneration of the relics of
saints, on the basis of the conviction that Christian saints, having
been made participants in the resurrection of Christ, may not be
simply considered as 'dead'".
Finally, the Pope referred to "the
optimism" of St. John Damascene's
contemplation of the natural world:
the fact that "he saw the good, the
beautiful and the true in the visible
ICON OF ST JOHN OF DAMASCUS
creation. Such Christian optimism
The inscription on the scroll contains
is not ingenuous optimism. It
Slavonic words introducing the
makes allowance for the wound
Resurrection Canon
inflicted on human nature by the
attributed to him--which we repeat
freedom of choice decreed by God
until today:
and improperly used by man, with
"This is the day of resurrection"
all the consequences of widespread
disharmony this has led to. From here arose the need, which the theologian of
Damascus saw clearly, for 'nature to be reinforced and renewed' by the descent
of the Son of God into the flesh".

New Star extends greetings to all on the observance of Fathers Day!

To every Father, Grandfather, Great-grandfather and father figure:
God Grant you Many Years!
For those deceased Fathers: God Grant Eternal Memory!

NEW STAR

June, 2009

17

Pentecost Sunday

he glorious feast of the Resurrection concludes

with a feast also most glorious and great--and
that is, the feast of Pentecost. It was on the day
of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon the
disciples of Christ. This descent of the Holy Spirit was
foretold by the prophet Joel, "I will pour out my spirit
upon all mankind" (1). The prophet David also predicted, "You shall send forth your spirit and you shall
renew the face of the earth (Ps 103). Christ promised
to send the apostles this Spirit: "You shall receive the
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you
shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth" (Acts
8).

death in accordance with the Roman laws. The aged

and enfeebled were treated with equal cruelty.
From every walk of life, the Emperor and his family, the nobility, orators, generals, and the refined
Roman ladies would gather at the amphitheater to witness--what? The gladiatorial games in which men who
were slaves or prisoners of war were forced to fight for
their lives against the wild beasts, or with swords or
clubs against one another. Such was the world when
the Holy Spirit came down to "renew the face of the
earth." And this transformation was to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and
Christ's Church. We can truly say with St. Paul: "The
foolish things of the world God has chosen that he may
confound the wise; and the weak things of the
world God has chosen that he may confound the
strong" (1 Cor 1,27).
How was the world transformed with the
coming of the Holy Spirit? Beginning with the
apostles, after the Holy Spirit descended upon
them all fear, self-seeking, jealousies were
forgotten. Before so weak and timid,
now boldly they go forth to preach the
doctrines of Christ through the known world.
Leading the way for them all, we find Peter on
the very first day converting 3,000 to Christ.
And on another occasion; 5,000. They endured
hardships of every kind, showing themselves
the very models of] charity, patience, goodness,
mildness, faith, and of all the virtues which proceed from the Holy Spirit. They rejoiced at suffering "for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5, 4,) and
ended their lives in martyrdom, sealing with their
blood the doctrines which they taught.
Christianity permeated every level of pagan society.
The rulers of haughty Rome cast their diadems before
the shrines of martyred saints. People regarded one
another as brothers in Christ. The horrible sights of the
amphitheatre became loathsome. The image of the

Before the coming of

the Holy Spirit, while the apostles listened to the teachings of Christ and witnessed His wonderful works for
three years, they were still filled with the spirit of the
world. James and John asked Jesus to give them the
highest places next to Jesus in Heaven. The disciples
quarreled among themselves as to which of them
should be the greatest. When Jesus was
arrested they fled
With the Holy Spirit guiding her,
from Him. When
questioned, Peter
Christ's kingdom on Earth
denied Him three
has seen other kingdoms rise, and rule, and perish.
times. At the last
solemn
moment
Yet, His has not failed. His Kingdom has
when Christ was
passed into every land, embracing every people.
ready to ascend into
heaven, they asked
Him: "Lord, when
will you restore again the kingdom of Israel?" (Acts Christ-Child was recognized in each infant. Instead of
1,6).
the pagan knife, orphans came to know the Christian
To such disciples Christ said, "Go into the whole nurse. Christian hospitals and homes were erected for
world and proclaim the gospel to every creature" (Mk the care of the crippled and the sick. The aged and
16, 15"); "make disciples of all nations" (Mt 24,19; Jn mentally ill became the objects of love and respect.
24, 46). Imagine. Christ told them to do something The fierce barbarians were molded into Christian peoincredible; He told them to conquer the whole world. ples.
Mind you. These were people He had called from the
With the Holy Spirit guiding her, Christ's kingdom
lowest ranks of society, people without learning, with- on Earth has seen other kingdoms rise, and rule, and
out power, without influence. For the most part fisher- perish. Yet, His has not failed. His Kingdom has passed
men.
into every land, embracing every people. And today
Their task seemed still more hopeless when we the voice of the successor of St. Peter, speaks with irrerecall the condition of the world before Pentecost. sistible authority to the hearts and consciences of milDespite the great material accomplishments and men- lions in every land.
tal achievements of the ancient world, there was
This is the victory the Holy Spirit has accomplished
almost total darkness as to God and the future state over the hearts of men since the first Pentecost. All this
after death. The greatest minds knew little of the nature was in accordance with the promise of the Savior to his
of the human soul, and still less how to live and how to apostles, when He said, "I will ask the Father and he
die. The trials of life were intolerable to them. Suicide will give you another Paraclete, in order that he may
was a common occurrence. They knew nothing about remain with you forever, the Spirit of truth."
Christian charity. There was not a word in their lanSo we can truly say that, in our present world, which
guage for charity. Children born deformed were put to is a scene of anxiety, of trouble, of agitation, restless-

ness, confusion, and alarm, we need not fear the outcome, for as we have seen the Church has weathered
every conceivable storm. She has been ridiculed, spat
upon, and crucified in every generation, but has always
risen victoriously.
Her invincibility encourages us: to believe confidently in her future, to believe that the rock upon
which she is built will not waver, to believe that the little ship on which we are sailing will not sink, to
believe, because, standing at the helm is the fisherman,
the successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father, who cannot
err.
Her invincibility assures us that she will continue to
exist and will not under any circumstance compromise
Christ's doctrine and moral law to suit anyone; that she
will exist and lead mankind till the last day; and that all
who have wholly entrusted themselves to Christ's
earthly Church will enter at victors into God's eternal
Church.
We are certain of this, for Christ said, "You are Peter
and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt. 16, 18).
Fr Demetrius Wysochansky, OSBM

Fr Demetrius serves
as assistant at
Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Palos Park, Illinois

Priests of the eparchy have been invited to

contribute to "Speaking of Faith" in New Star as
a regular feature. This homily on "Pentecost
Sunday" is not "late."
Even though the Day of Pentecost has already
happened, our cycle of Church observances is
deeply rooted in the afterglow of that Feast.
Things are usually in the perspective of a particular "Sunday after Pentecost" and the scripture lessons that are associated with it.

June 4th marks the sixth anniversary of the ordination and installation of Bishop Richard Seminack as Eparch of St Nicholas Eparchy.

God Grant to His Servant, Bishop Richard Many Years!

18

NEW STAR

June, 2009

Pope Meets with Greek Orthodox,

Armenian Churches
Expresses Joy at Signs of Ecumenical Unity
JERUSALEM, (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI met with representatives of Christian
communities in the Holy Land, and is affirming the Catholic Church's desire to
work toward common goals of unity.
The Pope said this on the final day of his Holy Land pilgrimage, in the presence
of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine,
Theophilus III, in an ecumenical meeting at the patriarchate.
The Pontiff expressed the hope that the meeting will "give new impetus to the
work of theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox
Churches, adding to the recent fruits of study documents and other joint initiatives."
"Such ecumenical experience bears clear witness to the link between the unity of
the Church and her mission," he noted.
The Holy Father affirmed the necessity of the witness of Christian communities,
to testify to "what our faith proclaims: the eternal Word, who entered space and time
in this land, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked these streets, through his words and
actions calls people of every age to his life of truth and love."
Benedict XVI recognized the work of the community leaders who meet regularly together, and encouraged them in the task of upbringing and educating "a further
generation of well-formed and committed Christians."
"This common pastoral concern," he added, "will ensure that your regular meetings are marked by the wisdom and fraternal charity necessary to support one another and to engage with both the joys and the particular difficulties which mark the
lives of your people."
The Pope expressed a prayer that "the aspirations of the Christians of Jerusalem
will be understood as being concordant with the aspirations of all its inhabitants,
whatever their religion: a life of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence and-for young people in particular--unimpeded access to education and employment, the
prospect of suitable housing and family residency, and the chance to benefit from
and contribute to economic stability."
After this meeting, the Pontiff went to visit the Holy Sepulcher nearby, and then
went to the Armenian Apostolic patriarchal church of St. James.
In the presence of Archbishop Torkom II Manoukian and members of the
Armenian Church, the Holy Father affirmed that the meeting "is another step along
the path towards the unity which the Lord desires for all his
disciples."
He acknowledged the recent "significant growth in the
relationship between the Catholic Church and the
Armenian Apostolic Church," thanking the latter for its
commitment in furthering theological dialogue between
the former and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Benedict XVI recalled his previous visits with Karekin
II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Catholicos of
Cilicia of the Armenians.
He continued, "A particular sign of hope is the recent
document on the nature and mission of the Church proArmenian Cross
duced by the Mixed Commission and presented to the
Churches for study and evaluation."
The Pope entrusted this effort to prayer "so that it can bear abundant fruit for the
growth of Christian unity."
After the meeting, he departed Jerusalem for Tel Aviv airport, where he bade
farewell to the Holy Land leaders and boarded a plane for Rome.

Pastors Have Their

Own Heavenly Patron
His Beatitude Lubomyr, commenting for the leading TV channels of Ukraine after the completion of a
Divine Liturgy during which Blessed Martyr Fr.
Emilian Kovch was proclaimed the patron of pastors
of the UGCC said: "It is very important for us that
our priests, in human culture, humaneness, learning,
and ministry, are of a high quality. We try to educate
our priests in such a spirit. Here it is important to have
a living example of a human being, a pastor, who did
not live 1,000 years ago but is still fresh in human
memory. Therefore, for us the memory of Blessed
Martyr Fr. Emilian Kovch is extraordinarily important. Foremost as an educational point of good example for all our pastors, but also important is his protection, his prayer before the Lord God for all of us
priests".
In his sermon, Bishop IHOR (Voznyak), Archbishop of Lviv, spoke about important pages
in the biography of martyr Fr. Emilian: "This priest did not look for his own good, did not
save his own life, but he helped prisoners to end their earthly life with dignity."
After Liturgy the icon of Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian which now will be kept in Kyiv was
blessed. Then awards named after Blessed Martyr Fr. Emilian Kovch were given to persons or groups of persons who in their life best follow the example of life of Blessed Martyr
Fr. Emilian.
(The Ukrainian-language sermon of Archbishop Ihor can be heard at:
www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/audio/24.04.2009.mp3)
(The Ukrainian-language words of His Beatitude Lubomyr can be heard at:
www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/audio/24.04.2009_2.mp3)
Information Department of the UGCC

Did You Know?

1 On May 11, the postage rates for New Star increased by approximately 5%.
2The Postal Service has announced that postage rates will be revised annually,
in May.
3The cost for printing the New Star is less than half of the cost to mail New Star.
4Your parish is responsible for New Star being sent to your home--based upon
Article 194 of the Pastoral Guide, which exhorts "each and every family of an
eparchy [to be encouraged] to subscribe to the eparchial publication."
5Bishop Richard has designated New Star as the catechetical and educational
medium of the Eparchy of St Nicholas.
Your pastor appreciates your cooperation in paying your parish directly the
$20.00 annual subscription rate. Your payment may be made in one remittance or
in installments according to your means. Most parishes have made provisions for
payment envelopes to be included in the supply of offertory envelopes distributed
to parishioners.

continued from page 14

On Tuesday, the group was addressed by His Eminence,

Metropolitan BASIL (Shott) of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia
--who expressed thanks for the work of ECED on behalf of the
other Eastern Catholic bishops who rely upon the group to provide
suitable catechetical resources for all ages. He was also able to join
members for dinner at a restaurant atop Mt Washington with a
panoramic view of Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, the Divine
Liturgy for the leave-taking of
Pascha was celebrated by
Bishop NICHOLAS (Samra) and
the two representatives of the
Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia present: Fr Albert Forlano
of the Stamford Eparchy and
Fr John Lucas of St Nicholas
Eparchy.
Plans were made to establish the schedule for the time
and location of the next three
meetings.
A birds eye view of part
of the chapel.

TOP:

Five things to keep in mind:

Fr Al Forlano records the comments of

Metropolitan Basil for the minutes of the
meeting. RIGHT: Fr Al and Sr Jean Marie Cihota
depart the Seminary for the airport--and home.
BOTTOM: The dining room.

NEW STAR

June, 2009

19

Final 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.
Members of St Constantine
Church in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, wre invited to Meet Our
Astronaut.
The reception in honor of Heide
Stefanyshyn-Piper was open to all in the
Parish Hall.
Following was an opportuniy to have
lunch. The event was sponsored by Plast.
Two graduates of St Nicholas Cathedral
School in Chicago were inducted into the
Arnold Damen Chapter of the National
Honor Society of St Ignatius College Prep.
Congratulations to Solomiya Britska and
Solomiya Grushchak.

The
Sacramento
Kings recently had a
Slavic Night for
the many basketball fans in the
area. Among Slavic
groups in and
around the capital
of California, we
have two missions:
St Andrew the
Apostle and Holy
Wisdom.

The "Pidhirtsi Fathers"

neither Bishops nor Monks
Priest Vasyl Shelepko (monastic name Roman), a citizen of Ukraine; priest
Jir pirk (monastic name Cyril), a citizen of the Czech Republic; priest
Richard pirk (monastic name Methodius), a citizen of the Czech Republic;
priest Vasyl Hityuk (monastic name Markiyan), a citizen of Ukraine; and priest
Antonin Dohnal (monastic name Elias), a citizen of the Czech Republic, no
longer belong to the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat. This is discussed in the
official communication of Fr. Vasyliy Kovbych, proto-archimandrite of the
Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat.
The proto-archimandrite issued his report on the basis of the decision of the
Highest Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in relation to five celibate priests
with lifelong vows in the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, whom the protoarchimandrite with the council excluded from the order. His decrees were confirmed by the Holy See and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
On the basis of the decisions obtained from the Highest Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura, all these priests, in accord with all consequences which follow from this conclusion, have no authority to wear the Basilian habit and to put
near their first or last name the Basilian mark OSBM or OSBM-III.
The official communication of Fr. Vasyliy Kovbych in .pdf format at:
www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/povidomlennya.pdf. [In Ukrainian
only].

One of the greatest assets of a parish is a "greeter."

Whoever fulfills this position performs a great ministry of evangelization. Everyone likes to be welcomed--and a favorable first experience may turn into
repeat visits.
One parish has a particularly adept greeter, Joanne-enthusiastic about making newcomers welcome.
Joanne will see to it that a copy of the service book is
made available--and will even check from time-totime to be sure the right page is found.
After Liturgy, Joanne introduces herself and invites
visitors to the social gathering afterward. Meeting a
new family, she inquires about names, and makes
everyone feel comfortable.
On a particular Sunday morning a family was exiting, and Joanne was there. She greeted the man and
the woman, learning their names--and their young son
and daughter were there. Bending toward the four- or
five year-old girl, she asked: "What's your name?"
"Jo Ann" was the response.
"How nice, that's my name, too. But, tell me, is that
'Joanne' with an 'e'?
The little girl looked quite puzzled at the question
and answered sarcastically: "No, silly, with a "J"!

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
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 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.

20

NEW STAR

June, 2009

Pentecost: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

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entecost comes from the Greek word meaning "the fiftieth day." The number
itself stands for eternal and heavenly fulfillment in Christian and Jewish mysticism. It symbolizes both the fullness of time and that which is beyond time:
God's Kingdom. The number is comprised of two components; the first is forty-nine,
which is the fullness of seven: seven times seven, the number of time. To this you add
one, meaning a new day, the day in God's kingdom which has no evening.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a feast which occurred fifty days after Passover,
to celebrate the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt; the celebration of a
new beginning. For us it is a celebration of the "birthday" of the Church, the new life
in Christ, the beginning of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Not only does
it celebrate a beginning, it also brings fulfillment of the Divine Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit as one. Each one of us has lived our own Pentecost. When we are initiated
into the Church through the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Eucharist, we
receive special help to continue in the life in Christ that is just begun. Our being, made
"in the image and likeness of God" grows closer to
the Model--this is "divinization" or "theosis" (becoming more godly). Some say that God's life in us
is called "grace." This is what keeps us Christian.
To further celebrate the new beginning, the custom
of this time was to cover the floor of ones home with
fresh grass and adorn the exterior with branches of
trees and flowers. This was a sign of life and has
become a symbol of the life-giving Spirit. Just as
nature renews itself at springtime, we as a Church
are renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the
Apostles gathered in the room covered in greenery
where they shared the Mystical Supper with Christ to
pray, it is said that sounds of rushing winds carried in
the Holy Spirit in the form of "tongues of fire" and
these "tongues" sat on the heads of the Apostles.
Then they began to speak in languages they did not
know. Devout men from every nation under heaven
who were in Jerusalem at this time heard the
Apostles praise God in their own native language.
The people thought that the Apostles were full of
wine, but Peter along with the other Apostles rose
and declared that, the coming of the Holy Spirit, having descended upon Christ's Apostles at the time of
salvation, completed the Divine work of redemption.
It is now left to us to take all the gifts bestowed upon
us, to live in the image of Christ and become participants of His Kingdom.
The icon on this page depicts the Apostles seated around a crowned figure that represents the entire cosmos receiving the Holy Spirit and holds twelve scrolls in a cloth.
This represents the reception by the entire world of the preaching of the twelve disciples. Above this figure place between the Apostles is the Book of Gospels. This place
of honor is the seat where the physical person of Christ would have been seated, is now
occupied by the Book of the Gospels. Color this icon and add it to your icon corner.
Pray to the Holy Spirit that so that He will dwell within you;

, , , ,
, ,
, , .

O Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present

and fill all things, Treasury of Blessings and Bestower of Life, come, and dwell
within us; cleanse us of all that defiles us, and, O Good One, save our souls.

Phyllis Muryn Zapraniuk

Chancery Office Hours:

Monday-Friday, 9:00 am--4:00 pm (Central Time Zone)
The Office is closed on Major Holy Days and National Civic holidays
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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