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30 2009
(. , 11/28-29, .
, 01001) . (e-mail: synod@ugcc.org.ua)
.

JULY, 2009

Faithful of UGCC Invited to

Participate in Preparation
for Future Synod

n April 2, 2009, His Beatitude Lubomyr signed a decree which, on the basis
of the decision of last year's Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, proclaimed the
convocation of the 2009 Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church. The synod will take place in Lviv-Bryukhovychi from November 29 to
December 9. His Beatitude Lubomyr calls the faithful of the Church to pray that the
preparation and conduct of the synod and its work be fruitful for the life of the
UGCC.
As His Beatitude Lubomyr said, the main theme of the 2009 synod is evangelization. "Evangelization is sharing the faith with those who have not yet received it and
with those in whom it has become weak. In the post-Soviet period we see that, for
many people, the knowledge and understanding of God is very superficial. The task
of the Church, while not
forcing the Divine Word on
anybody, is to present the
truths of the faith: To help
people understand their
vocation and task in life,"
His Beatitude explained.
In 2009, as well as in
2006, 2007 and 2008, the
clergy and laity of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church are invited to participate in the preparation
of the next Synod of
Bishops of the UGCC.
About this Patriarch
Lubomyr, in particular,
said: "In past years we have
As a concrete example of the way "collegiality"
called priests, religious and
works in Christs Church,
lay people who are interestan invitation has been extended to the faithful
ed in expressing their
to express their views on "evangelization" to
thoughts on the theme of
the Fathers of the Church meeting in Synod.
the synod to send their
opinions to the secretariat of the synod. Many members of our Church have done this,
for which we are very thankful to them. The secretariat familiarized itself with their
suggestions and on their basis made a summary which was later given to all the bishops as part of the materials of the synod. Certain ideas indeed enriched our discussion."
As His Beatitude noted, this year, considering the positive experience, it has been
decided to repeat such an attempt: "in fact the Holy Spirit operates in different ways
and through different people Therefore we invite the members of our Church, if
they feel they have ideas which can help fruitfully develop the main theme of the
synod, to express them in written form,"
We ask all those interested to send their reflections by September 30, 2009, to the
address of the: Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC; Riznyts'ka St.
11/28-29; Kyiv, 01001; or by e-mail: synod@ugcc.org.ua with the "subject" line
note "About Evangelization."
Information Department of the UGCC

MOVING?
attach old address (at left) and
Send new address to us at:
2245 W Rice St
Chicago IL 60622

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Permit No. 93

PAID
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BULK RATE
Non-Profit Org.

dated material--deliver by July 10

, 2009

Share 2008

3
Parish
Assumption of the BVM Parish-Omaha, NE
Dormition of the Mother of God Parish-Phoenix, AZ***
Holy Apostles Mission-Berryton, KS
Holy Ascension Mission-Plymouth, MI
Holy Wisdom Mission-Citrus Heights, CA *
Immaculate Conception Parish-Hamtramck, MI
Immaculate Conception Parish-Palatine, IL**
Immaculate Conception- Parish - San Francisco, CA**
Nativity of the BVM Parish-Los Angeles, CA
Nativity of the BVM Parish-Palos Park, IL***
Nativity of the Mother of God Parish-Springfield, OR**
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish-La Mesa, CA***
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish - Dearborn Heights,MI***
Protection of the Mother of God Parish-Houston, TX***
St. Andrew Mission-Sacramento, CA
St. Constantine Parish-Minneapolis, MN***
St. Demetrius Parish-Belfield, ND*
St. George Parish-Lincoln, NE***
St. John the Baptist Parish-Belfield, ND*
St. John the Baptist Parish-Detroit, MI***
St. Josaphat Parish-Munster, IN***
St. Josaphat Parish-Warren, MI***
St. Joseph Parish-St. Joseph, MO***
St. Joseph Parish-Chicago, IL***
St. Mary's Assumption Parish-St. Louis, MO**
St. Michael Mission-Minot, ND**
St. Michael Parish-Mishawaka, IN
St. Michael Parish-Tucson, AZ*
St. Michael Parish-Chicago, IL*
St. Michael Parish -Milwaukee, WI***
St. Michael Parish-Grand Rapids, MI***
St. Michael the Archangel Parish - Dearborn, MI
St. Nicholas Cathedral-Chicago, IL
St. Paul Mission-Flagstaff, AZ
St. Peter Eastern Catholic Mission-Ukiah, CA
St. Sophia Mission-Honolulu, HI
St. Sophia Parish-The Colony, TX**
St. Stephen Mission-St. Paul, MN
St. Vladimir Parish-Flint, MI*
St. Volodymyr Mission-Santa Clara, CA**
Sts. Peter & Paul Parish-Wilton, ND**
Sts. Volodymyr & Olha Parish-Chicago, IL***
Transfiguration Parish-Denver, CO**
Zarvanycia Mission-Seattle, WA**
Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy
TOTALS

Goal

As of 6-12-09

$3,240.00
$12,000.00
$1,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$1,200.00
$13,860.00
$6,840.00
$2,400.00
$10,650.00
$7,860.00
$3,600.00
$7,680.00
$8,400.00
$9,960.00
$1,000.00
$13,980.00
$3,000.00
$1,000.00
$2,220.00
$7,980.00
$5,640.00
$44,040.00
$1,200.00
$19,920.00
$2,340.00
$1,140.00
$3,900.00
$1,500.00
$1,000.00
$6,300.00
$6,000.00
$1,260.00
$55,080.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$3,720.00
$1,000.00
$1,800.00
$1,000.00
$1,500.00
$60,300.00
$7,800.00
$3,300.00

$1,100.00
$590.00
$ 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
$872.00
$120.00
$1,895.00
$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
$22,955.00
$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
$11,000.00
$100,902.00

$351,610.00

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NEW STAR

July, 2009

11

"Jesus Christ said: 'Love each other and be

one.' And we say: 'I will not pray with you,
because you dislike me'"
--Patriarch Lubomyr

uizzed about "Church Unity", Patriarch

Lubomyr replied: "The most important theme
is a lack of unity between people, especially
between believers in Jesus Christ. If we are not able to
live with each other in peace, are we indeed believers?
Jesus Christ said: 'Love each other and be one.' And we
say: 'I will not pray with you, because you dislike me,
you are not the same as I am.' What kind of Christianity
do we have?" His Beatitude Lubomyr posed such a
question in an interview for the magazine Ukrainian
Week. Issue # 20 of the magazine, with an interview
with the Patriarch entitled "The Holy Trinity as the
ideal of unity," that was published on May 22, 2009.
The interlocutors, Olena Chekan and Viktor Yelens'kyj, returned repeatedly to the question of unity
among Christians. A separate section of the interview
was dedicated to this. Speaking about whether His
Beatitude has hope for the unity of at least the

Ukrainian Churches, he answered that it should be so,

but asked: "Will we live at that moment when it happens?... " "Unity is also a gift of God. But it seems to
me that all wish to accept it on their own conditions.
Nobody wants to change, to talk--let the entire world
change, but do not make me change", His Beatitude
said.
Then the interviewers asked His Beatitude what he
thinks about the mission of the Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church. He answered using the word "identity." He said that he understands identity as that to
which someone is called. "The Lord God created me
and called me to something; He did not reject me. I,
carrying out my vocation from God, am myself, but in
community. This makes me myself. It is similar with
nations. And similar with Churches sui juris. The Lord
gives us the ideal of unity--the Holy Trinity, one God
in three persons. Humanity is the same; it lives in a

His Beatitude, Patriarch Lubomyr

great number of manifestations, but should be one," he
explained. Thus His Beatitude said that he sees the
mission of the UGCC in "showing people that the socalled Catholic and Orthodox worlds can be together;
in fact our Church unites the elements of two great cultures, Latin and Byzantine, allowing each to remain
itself," he said.
The Ukrainian-language interview can be read on the
web page of Ukrainian Week at their web site:
www.ut.net.ua/art/166/0/2559/
Information Department of the UGCC

UCU Organizes International Seminar on Common Easter

On May15, 2009 the international seminar "A
Common Date of Easter--Possible: The 1997 Aleppo
Consensus" was held at the Ukrainian Catholic
University (UCU) in Lviv. The participants considered
the recommendations of the meeting in Syria concerning a common date of Easter to be acceptable for all
Christian Churches of both the East and West today.
At the same time, the speakers accented the fact that
the main problem lies not in deciding the calculations
but in the lack of trust between the different Christian
denominations due to long division.The aim of the seminar, as the organizers mentioned, was to inform the
broader public and to discuss "the good news concerning the consensus which Christian Churches at Aleppo
have achieved for the common celebration of Christ's
resurrection," At the same time, it intends to raise the
level of trust between Christian confessions.
According to the words of the organizer of the seminar, the director of UCU's Institute of Ecumenical
Studies, Dr. Antoine Arjakovsky, the seminar in Lviv is
the first such meeting of this character after the consultation in Aleppo. He stressed that it was very important
that the representatives of all of the confessions which
participated in the seminar and also representatives of
the World Council of Churches and Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity reach an agreement concerning the proposals of Aleppo that they are the most
acceptable for having one date of Easter.
In the 20th century, Roman Catholic and Protestant
Churches of the West were even ready to accept a fixed
date of Easter on the second Sunday of April, presuming that such a proposal were to find agreement among
all Christian Churches. Responding to this, a commission from the Orthodox Churches, which was formed
with the intention of giving such a response to this proposal, declined the idea of a fixed date of Easter after
the proposal was given at a consultation in 1977 in
Chambesy. This decline on behalf of the Orthodox commission came due to the fact that it would be in contradiction with the ancient method of calculating the date
of Easter.
All of the members expressed their desire to calculate
the feast of the resurrection according to the rules of the
Nicene Council that mandates that Easter is to be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following
the vernal equinox in accord with modern, astronomical
data. Responding to this, the World Council of
Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches, by
the invitation of the Syrian Orthodox Church, organized
the 1997 Aleppo consultation where the theologians of
all of the represented Churches accepted the decision of

the Orthodox conference and decided that the most

acceptable and traditionally rooted method of calculating the date for the celebration of Easter would be following the norms of the Nicene Council and that the
celebration of Easter would take place on the first
Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox

using the calculations of modern, astronomical data.

The consultation also recommended that the calculation
be made on the basis of the Jerusalem meridian.
Dr. Antoine Arjakovsky emphasized that it is an
important fact that these proposals of the seminar were
supported by the major Christian Churches of Lviv.
During the meeting, formal remarks from Metropolitan
ANDRIY (Horak) of the Lviv-Sokal Metropolitanate of
the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate;
Archbishop MAKARY (Miletich) of the Lviv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox
Church; Archbishop IHOR (Vozniak) of Lviv of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Rev. Dymytro
Kolesnyk, pastor of Hosanna Church and director of the
Youth Christian Association of Lviv; Rev. Roman
Solovij, representative of the Evangelical Churches of
Ukraine, and rector of the Lviv Theological Seminary;
Rev. Mikhailo Mokienko, a representative of the
Evangelical Churches of Ukraine and dean of the
Dnipropetrovsk Bible College; and the administrator of
the Armenian Cathedral in Lviv, Father Tadeos
Gevorgian. Expressing joy that such an important theme
had been raised in the seminar, Metropolitan ANDRIY
(Horak) mentioned that such a detailed answer from the
Orthodox representation concerning the Aleppo proposals could be received only after a Pan-Orthodox consultation and, eventually, a council. It is worth mentioning
that Fr. Milan Zust, S.J., representative for the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said that the
Roman Catholic Church is waiting for a response from
the Orthodox Churches and he thinks that if the
Orthodox would accept the Aleppo recommendations,
then there would be no problems with establishing one,

common date of Easter. If some remarks would come

from the Orthodox representation or if they were to propose another variant, then the question would definitely
need to be reviewed.
Dr. Konstantine Sigov, chief director of the publishing firm Spirit and Letter, who spoke in the name of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate),
mentioned that it is of huge importance to spread information about the possibility of establishing a common
date for Easter--especially within an academic environment as well as among the broader public. As it was
declared in the seminar in Lviv, the participants
declared the task before themselves to "gain the attention of all Christians to the difficult question of the division in celebrating the feast above all feasts, the solemn
day of Easter, and to inform with invigorated power,
concerning the consensus and the progress which has
already been attained by Christians with regard to this
issue." Expressing his point of view concerning this
issue, which was explored within the seminar, UCU
Vice Rector Myroslav Marynovych mentioned that cultural barriers are the main obstacle. "When we think
about one date of celebrating Easter for Christians, we
think first of all, who wins or who loses," mentioned
Marynovych. He gave an example as experienced within the forced labor camps of the Soviet Union saying
that all Christian feasts were celebrated together and
Easter was celebrated twice. According to his words,
people are united primarily by an animosity against a
common enemy. "Why is it today that we do not have a
sentiment that the best 'glue' is not a common enemy,
but is rather a common God." He placed this as a rhetorical question to the participants.
In 2010 and 2011, the dates of Easter will coincide in
both the Eastern and Western traditions.
As mentioned by Dr. Arjakovsky, we need to accent
the fact that the dates for celebrating Easter not only
coincide according to the Julian and Gregorian calendars, but also with astronomical data. "This is an important witness that the time has come to celebrate Easter
jointly not only from time to time, but as a rule ," mentioned Dr. Arjakovsky. The participants of the seminar,
as the final communique stated, encouraged all
Christians to actively join in discussion concerning this
issue and to put all of their efforts to make the coinciding of the celebration of Easter by Christians to be not
merely an exception, but a rule. It is the hope that the
Christian churches of both the East and the West will
jointly celebrate the feast of Easter and this would constitute a real step toward establishing full communion in
the future.

12

July, 2009

NEW STAR

BISHOP APPOINTED

FOR

GREAT BRITAIN: The

Holy Father has acceded to the Appointment of Bishop

Hlib (Lonchyna M.S.U.), curial bishop of the major archbishopric of Kyiv-Halyc,
Ukraine, as apostolic exarch
for Ukrainian faithful residents in Great Britain
The native of Steubenville,
Ohio, entered the Studite
Monastery in Grottaferata,
and after his ordination to the
Holy Priesthood fulfilled
many duties within the
Church, and was ordained
Bishop, in 2002, and has served in various capacities in
several countries in Europe until this time.

"FAITH HAS

NO

BORDERS": On Sunday, May 24,

the Patriarchate of Lisbon on the occasion of the year

of Saint Paul organized a celebration for foreigners,

"Faith has no borders." Responsible for its conduct was
Fr. Delmar Barreyrush. Each community stood with its
national flag. All present in turn congregated at Aline
Hall. Consequently from the square all went to the
Church of Saint
Dominic.
African, Brazilian,
Italian,
German,
Ukrainian, Filipino
and Portuguese took
part in the Divine
Liturgy, which was
led by PatriarchCardinal Joseph da Kruz Polikarp. The singing of
African, Brazilian and Ukrainian choirs was heard.
Present from the Ukrainian community were Fr.
Yoan Lubiv, OSBM, Fr. Natanail Herasym, OSBM,
and the Ukrainian choir of the Parish of the Nativity of
the Most Holy Mother of God, directed by Mrs. Oksana
Kiba.
It is necessary to note that the Ukrainian community
was the most numerous one.

GREEK CATHOLIC EPARCHY OF STRYI

DISTRIBUTES AID FROM HOLY SEE TO FLOOD

VICTIMS: In the middle of May, 2009, the Pontifical

Council Cor Unum began the realization of the project
of a grant of help to the population of the Stryi Eparchy
which suffered as a result of last year's flood. The help
is directed at the sphere of rural education, restoration
of parochial property, distribution of food packages,
and renewal of agricultural land lots.
Help was first obtained by the Greek Catholic parish
in the village of Monastyrets, Komarno District. Last
year's flood inflicted losses on the local church and old
residences, in which water reached the level of the windows. On May 15, 2009, Bishop YULIAN (Gbur) visited the village and celebrated a moleben to the Mother
of God in the local church.
The faithful have obtained food packages, which
contained oil, sugar, buckwheat and canned meat.
Financial help for this parish is directed at repairing the
road to the church, the school dining-room, boiler
room, installing new doors, and restoring the balcony.
On May 16, 2009, the Eparch of Stryi visited the
Greek Catholic parish in the village of Borodchytsi,
Znydachiv District. The greater half of the village suffered as a result of the flood; the small holdings of the
parish's land lots were destroyed. For the renewal of
agricultural land the Stryi Eparchy passed on 13 tons of
potatoes, five tons of wheat, and three tons of oats.

Little Things Mean a Lot

s I sit in my house with a cup of coffee in my

hand, I look around at what needs to be done
today. And it mostly has to do with things.
Buying them, making them, using them, sorting
them, moving them from room to room, cleaning
them, repairing them, giving them to others, throwing them away! Having lived over thirty years in
one house (although we moved from one end of the
country to the other several times) and having served
as an executor of the last will and testament of loved
ones, I am always astonished at how much time we
spend on taking care of "things."
Things, that is, possessions or belongings, mean a
lot to many of us. As in any society, we need food,
clothing and shelter to sustain us. We spend a lot of
time acquiring and using things related to daily living--food, medicine, clothing, property, furniture,
decorative items, and various supplies such as pencils, pens, paper, and last but not least, computers
and all the paraphernalia that goes with them. Some
of us also like to collect things just for the pure joy
of collecting them--stamps, dolls, coins, books,
paintings, sculptures and so on. Then there are the
things that help us preserve our family histories-photographs, films, recordings, tapes, compact discs
and now we have blue ray CDs! We spend countless
hours putting things in scrapbooks and picture albums and transferring our recorded
memories from one medium to another so that we can easily recall our past.
Not everyone has lived this way! St. Maximos Kavsokalyvia, who became a
monk at the age of seventeen and died on the monastic holy mountain of Athos at
the ripe old age of 95 in AD 1365, was not particularly concerned with "things."
When still a young Orthodox monk, the Mother of God appeared to him when he
was praying and told him to live in solitude on the slopes of Mount Athos. Barefoot,
no matter what the weather, eating only bread said to be sent from heaven and drinking only seawater, he would build himself crude shelters of branches and brush; after
living in one for a short time he would burn it and move to a new place. His fellow
monks, who dismissed him as a madman, knew him as "the Hut-Burner". He is said
to have pretended madness so that he would be left alone to pray but later in his life
he became well-known for his depth of spiritual understanding and eloquence. He
counseled monks, emperors and even the Patriarch of Constantinople from his humble huts.
In contrast to the lifestyle of St. Maximos the Hut-Burner, the philosophy of
Christian Stewardship teaches us how to live with material things. We learn that
everything that we have is a gift from God and that we should "receive these gifts
gratefully, cherishing and tending them in a responsible and accountable manner,
sharing them in justice and love with others, and returning them with increase to the
Lord."
Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical Divini redemptoris, stated this in another way. He
tells us that we must be detached from earthly goods and encourages us to practice

charity. He admonishes us to be "poor in spirit " as

Scripture teaches us to be and tells us not to place
our happiness in things of the earth nor spend our
best efforts in the acquisition of them. Rather, considering ourselves only as stewards of our earthly
goods, we must be mindful of the account we will
have to render to our Lord and Master regarding our
use of them and value them as precious means that
God has put into our hands for doing good; to distribute of our abundance to the poor, according to
the evangelical precept.
So we do have a choicewe can live extremely
simply, like St. Maximos, or we can be good stewards of the gifts we have been given. But we can't
let things own us--we can't let them come between
God and us. And even if, like Job, we lose everything that is material, we will not have lost everything. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen tells us, in The
Choice: The Sacred or Profane Life, that it is very
easy to confuse having with being. We think we are
something, because we have something. Not true.
At the Last Judgment we will be judged on our
behavior, not on the number of possessions we accumulated in our lifetime.
It is really important that we pass on to our children and grandchildren this lesson: material things
may be acquired, used, enjoyed and shared, but acquiring them is not the purpose of
life. If we lose all of our material things, our lives will still be full. We will have
our God, our Church, our family and friends. You could probably add even more
gifts to this list!
As I was writing this article, the lyrics of an old popular song, "Little Things Mean
a Lot," kept popping into my head. I share them with you:
Don't have to buy me diamonds or pearls
Champagne, sables, and such
I never cared much for diamonds and pearls
'cause honestly, honey, they just cost money
Give me a hand when I've lost the way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on
Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me you haven't forgot
For now and forever, that's always and ever
Honey, little things mean a lot.

NEW STAR

July, 2009

Why?/Why:

By Fr Denny Molitvy

I've wondered why it is we sit for a very short "ektenia" (just three short lines after Great Entrance)
then the priest sometimes waits for everyone to
make the effort to stand again before saying "Peace
be to all!" Why?

the priest is not remiss in his prayer, but merely following the text of the service.

People are creatures of habit. Many times people

have sat during the usually longer series of petitions-even if it less strenuous to remain standing rather than
sit for these (four) short prayers then stand up again.
"Seated" is not necessarily the best posture (or "attitude") for prayer. Somewhere along the line, some pew
books had indicated "people [may] sit" during these
times. Taking the path of least resistance, people sat.
Some automatically sit at all such times, perhaps thinking: "say: 'Lord, have mercy'; sit."
In reality, this is only an accommodation to human
weakness. Recently-printed books omit all such "directives" to sit. This is not an oversight. However people
retain old habits, and sit as an automatic response (akin
to "Pavlov's dogs'" conditioning).
There is no reason to sit at this time. Often many
stand, but if one person sits, others see this, and quite
thoughtlessly follow suit. [In some parishes it is not
done the way you describe].
You may stand at this time, and any other time, irrespective of what others do, and be in tune with the
intent of our prayer: to stand--in awe, in petition, or in
thanksgiving--at the foot of the Throne of God (the
Holy Table, or "Altar.") If someone wants to sit, that's
their business. You don't have to.

Perhaps to a casual observer the use of the Liturgy of

St John Chrysostom presents a formula that seems
repetitive. The truth is, every Liturgy is not the same.
Liturgy differs with each celebration--the alternating
weekly cycle, the particular feast, and the special seasons all add a degree of difference. Additionally, there
are other liturgical expressions than the Chrysostom
Liturgy. This could be a matter of instruction on the
structure of the services--and paying attention.
Some are wont to say that the Liturgy (ancient as it
is) is out of touch with modern times, and new ways of
thinking need to be introduced. This idea is erroneous.
The unfortunate thing is that people do not "update"
their notion of what Church is all about, to see the relevance there is in it.
The Church is here to reinforce the idea that Jesus
Christ is the "same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow"
not in the idea of monotony, but in steadfast fidelity to
Truth--which is one, which is unchangeable.
What does change is our appreciation of the depth of
this truth, as it relates to our own changing experience.
Liturgical services and other traditions of the Church
are not arbitrary faddish ways of doing things--but
rather well-thought out and geared to speak directly to
the needs of the human condition of any age.
People of older generations often experience comfort
in familiar patters of worship--passed on by parents
and grandparents. Often these faithful could be at vespers, matins or Divine Liturgy and sing all the verses
of the various feasts with limited (or no) use of the
large service books stacked up at the end of the pews.
The repeated cycle of feasts and fasts offers a stability
factor rooted in traditions that span ages and is graced
with the wisdom of the structure of the services. In that
is a certain comfort and nostalgia.
A bit younger generation may have fond memories
of how their Church accommodates their needs--in as
simple a way as having services, homilies and instructions translated into English. The matter of the Faith
has remained constant--but the manner of expression

If memory serves me correctly, years ago our priest

used to say "Christ is Risen" just before and just
after communion. This year, I realized our priest
didn't do so. Why not?
First of all, it is not written in the book for him to do
so. Some priests may have interjected the phrase as a
courtesy "reminder" to the cantor or people to substitute the Paschal Tropar for the words usually sung as a
response to the invitation to communion and the benediction afterward. However, a congregation actively
involved in the liturgical life of the Church and the calendar, knows that the substitution is prescribed, and the
"reminder" is not necessary. By omitting the greeting,

Why is the Liturgy always the same thing, over and

over--week after week?

13

has been integrated into the pattern of their lives.

Still younger people, condtioned by TV to visual and
other sensory stimulation--sound, smells and activity-find icons, hymns, incense and processions attracting
their attention. The great unfolding drama and production of Christ's message are not lessened--but
enhanced--by faithful attention to the gifts of our everexpanding presentation of faith.
Often people become unfocused upon the Liturgy
because they have expectations fostered by the entertainment industry. Without critical thinking, the experience is that Church is not "exciting" because it does
not "entertain." It is not supposed to be a passivelyattended "spectator sport," stage production, or movie,
but a venue of personal interaction. Maybe we have
been remiss in injecting ourselves into the Liturgy!
What better way to get involved than to look deeply
into the format and information of the Liturgy?
If it seems that Liturgy is not interactive--it is time to
delve more deeply into it. If it seems boring and repetitious, it is time to see that there are changeable parts
of every Liturgy: readings express a different focus
every day; there is a variety of music available: the
texts of troparia; the melodies of hymns. It is true that
the Liturgy celebrated one Sunday differs from that of
any other Sunday--and in some places this happens
much more obviously. There are a number of versions
of "Holy God"; the Cherubicon; the Lord's Prayer; the
phrases "Lord, have mercy;" "Grant this, O Lord;" and
"Alleluia!" available so that every celebration may be
really unique. (This takes work on the part of the cantor and the congregation--but it happens--and renders
the Liturgy more than "routine").
It is insufficient to be a "casual observer" to the most
important activity affecting eternal salvation. For our
prayer to be effective, it must be a real experience, not
merely a "get it over-with 'obligation'" to spend a certain amount of time in the building to "satisfy" God.
Real prayer allows "interactive" experience so
sought after by the youth. Look, for example at video
games. How enthralled, and challenged people are
with the various levels of expertise required to master
a game! The latest Wii systems now require no external gadgets to master any task wirelessly, relying upon
sensors to respond to movements. The Liturgy is no
different. We can approach Liturgy with no tools
except our senses and our will to respond to it. Perhaps
if Liturgy were approached with the same interest and
intensity of seeking a game's mastery, all could see
how realistic it actually is. After all, the message of
continued page 16

Tumultuous Things a-Brewing

ack in the early 1960's, tumultuous things were

a-brewing in the Church, but most of us didn't
have a clue. We in the United States were
happy as a clam: parishioners filled the pews--and,
perhaps more importantly, the collection baskets--at
revolving door "Masses", while crowds of students
made their way through our schools as if they were on
an assembly line. Meanwhile, over in Ukraine, the
Church was outlawed, so people clung to whatever
life-preservers they could--usually rosaries and statues
of the Sacred Heart. On both sides of the Atlantic, our
Church and our rich spiritual heritage had been distorted by accretions brought in from the Latin Rite.
Yet over in Rome, where the Latin Rite had first
developed, the Second Vatican Council was taking
place. The assembled bishops, in the documents which
they crafted, would challenge our complacency and
demand that we reclaim our spiritual heritage, recognizing our Byzantine Rite and our Ukrainian Catholic
Church to be instruments of salvation no less than our
Sister Church, the Roman Catholic Church, with its
Latin Rite. Two seemingly contradictory principles
were at work in the renewal of Vatican II; to describe
these principles, theologians of the day liked to use the
French word ressourcement and the Italian word
aggiornamento.
Ressourcement means "going back to the source", to
the bubbling, lively wellspring. Perhaps an image best

describes what this is all about. Ressourcement is like

pruning a tree: dead branches are cut away so that they
will not damage the living tree when they collapse and
fall, and diseased or dying branches are cut away so as
not to divert sap--and thereby life--from the healthy,
vibrant tree. How much is cut? Neither too much nor
too little: we need to get rid of the dead or diseased
branches completely, right down to the living, healthy
branch; if this is not done, the pruning will be useless,
for no healthy, vigorous shoots will be able to sprout.
Ressourcement in our Church is about life and
growth. It involves cutting away all the accretions and
deformations which have developed over the centuries--for example, the latinizations with which we
are all too familiar. However, the pruning is not done
just because we like to cut; rather, we need to get back
to the main stem, to a place where life still flows, so
that new life can once again burst forth. Where was our
Church the most vibrant? Where were we most faithful to our vocation--namely, to being an instrument of
salvation? That's what we need to get back to; that's
how far we have to cut, and cutting hurts, it leaves
wounds.
Some think that ressourcement looks back to a
"Golden Age" where everything was perfect. I hate to
disillusion anyone, but such a time has existed only in
our romantic fantasies and never in the Church. Behind
the grandeur of Constantinople, behind the asceticism

of the Pecherska Lavra, behind the rose-colored memories of Metropolitan Sheptytsky's L'viv, one sees people struggling to live the life of Christ despite the challenges and obstacles coming as often from within as
from outside the Church. The Church in every age has
to answer new challenges and take advantage of new
opportunities; these challenges and opportunities are
God's way of inviting us to growth and new life. This
is what aggiornamento is all about: bringing the
Church "up to date" so that it can effectively speak to
and inspire people here and now. Yesterday's Church
just won't do, nor will a Church so focused on Ukraine
that it takes little heed of the needs of people living in
and shaped by the culture of 21st-century America--for
that is the case with all of us, whether we choose to
admit it or not.
Back in the early 1960's, tumultuous things were abrewing in the Church. People didn't like tumult back
then any more than we do now: they wanted peace and
serenity, and so do we. Vatican II pulled away the curtain away from their complacency--and from ours. In
the tumult, Christ calls us to live and to grow, but we
would rather rest on our laurels. We claim to follow
Christ, but do we really dare to do so? The flourishing
of Christ's Church--for, after all, it is His Church and
not ours--depends on our answer.
Fr. Jim Karepin, op

14 NEW STAR

July, 2009

Patriarch Filaret Comments on Russian

Patriarch's Up-Coming Visit to Ukraine
LUTSK - As part of his visit to the Volyn region, the head of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Patriarch FILARET,
met with representatives of the local mass media. When asked about
his attitude about the Russian Patriarch Kirill's up-coming visit to
Ukraine, the Ukrainian hierarch said that the visit will be welcomed
only if it will promote the establishment of one national Ukrainian
Orthodox Church.
"If the visit of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is just to
visit his flock, it will not provoke objections. But he is coming here
stating that he is not a foreigner to Ukraine. Thus, it shows that he does
not see our country as an independent state." For Patriarch KIRILL, Kyiv
is the southern capital of "Russian Orthodoxy" and not the Ukrainian
one. Therefore, the visit is seen as an encroachment on our national Church.
church in the state-creating
process and the subject of the
spiritual-moral improvement
of the nation.
In closing, President Yushchenko promised to assist
the work of UCU, in particular, he promised to ask the
Pope for support for the university. "You are worthy
of attention and support," said the president.

Ukraine's President Visits

Ukrainian Catholic University
LVIV- During his visit to Lviv on May 28, 2009,
President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine visited the
Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), where he met
with the administration and students. He invited
UCU's rector, Fr. Borys Gudziak, to be a member of
the official delegation to visit the Vatican on June 1.
In response to the presentation of the university's
activity by the rector, the president said: "I bow my
head to what you are doing. It seems to me that the
work of your university is akin to the development of
our state." He emphasized the important role of the

Ukraine's President
Visits Vatican
As part of his one-day official visit to the Vatican
City on June 1, 2009, President Viktor Yushchenko
had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
After the audience the president met with Vatican
Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
At the meeting the parties discussed bilateral relations between Ukraine and the State of the Vatican
City. They also touched on the subject of Ukraine's
European integration. The president noted that
Ukraine highly appreciates
the Vatican's support in
this regard. "The Christian
dimension of the national
identity of Ukrainians is
closely connected with the
awareness of our affiliation the European civilization," said the president.
The parties also talked
about their cooperation
within the framework of
international organizations
and cooperation in the cultural humanitarian area.
Viktor Yushchenko expressed his gratitude for
the Vatican's constant support of Ukraine's initiatives as to the international recognition of the
Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine.
President Victor Yushchenko together with his wife
Kateryna Yushchenko also visited the grave of Pope
John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica.

Leadership Program Galvanizes Ukrainian Laity

LVIV -- Co-organizing a meeting of youth with the
Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of Lviv at St. George's
Cathedral on April 12, was only the most recent of
many activities of the Lay Leadership Center of the
Ukrainian Catholic University. The meeting was
geared to the center's target audience, the laity; but
clergy and religious also benefited from the center's
training programs.
"The meeting, coinciding with the celebration of
World Youth Day in Rome, gathered the most active
youth from throughout the Archeparchy of Lviv,"
explained Olenka Karnaukh, the center's assistant
director. "There were some 100 people, youth and clergy, from various districts.
"We tried to prepare the youth not to focus only on
limited local concerns. For example, 'we don't have a
priest,' or 'we need premises.' We tried, really, to train
them how to act at a meeting with a bishop. The Lviv
Archeparchy Commission on Youth Matters was
responsible for organizing a prayer service," added
Miss Karnaukh. "At the end, the archbishop presented
a small cross to each participant, blessing them for further apostolic activities."
The Lay Leadership Center was founded at the
Ukrainian Catholic University in 2003 "to activate the
work of laity in the Church according to the teachings
of the Second Vatican Council," explained Olha
Zarichynska, the center's founder and director.
"Our center has not set as its goal to change the
world," admitted Mrs. Zarichynska. "But we want to
change people, in order to improve the world together.
If we learn how to work together, to be kinder, more
understanding, more tolerant, then we won't be afraid
to take the initiative, to be involved and active. And we
become the seed that bears fruit a hundredfold."
The center has now trained some 150 youth from 18
to 30 years of age through its Summer Leadership
School. This, in turn, led to a special program focusing
on leadership training for orphans, which will be
expanded in 2009 thanks to funding from the Ukrainian

Catholic Education Foundation.

covered was how to conduct an auction in order to raise
"Orphans suffer from a low level of education," funds to put one's ideas into practice, an important lesnoted Ms. Karnaukh. "They aren't ready for life in the son in these difficult economic times that have hit
world. They don't know the basics of religion and faith. Ukraine especially hard.
They also don't have habits of effective leadership.
The center has also offered training sessions in other
"It's practically impossible to overcome these prob- areas, including Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, and Kyiv and
lems acting independently. But nearly all programs for the Kyiv Region.
orphans focus exclusively on charitable aid. To help
The energetic and professional approach of the cenyoung people develop habits of communication; work- ter's workers has caught the attention of clergy and
ing in a team; overcoming conflict situations; we offer religious, which has led to an expansion of the center's
the 'Choose your future!' program. Together with peo- initial mission. At the initiative of Ukrainian Catholic
ple close to their own age from various Christian Bishop BOHDAN (Dziurakh), auxiliary of Kyiv, center
organizations, children living in institutions can dis- trainers conducted a session in 2008 in Zhytomyr for
50 priests of the archeparchy,
cover their potential and develop
which includes the Kyiv, Vyshit," explained Miss Karnaukh.
horod, Volyn, and Zhytomyr deanUsing an innovative approach,
eries, through various interactive
the center starts with a meeting
methods, presented "The Art of
with administrators of the orphanChurch Leadership."
ages, talking about how staff can
Orthodox believers have particihelp the children profit from the
pated in the leadership schools as
training that they will receive. Then
well. In 2006, center staff were
it works with young graduates of
invited to attend the all-Ukrainian
previous leadership schools, who
convention of Orthodox youth in
conduct training for the orphans.
Kyiv. "There has been an ongoing
Then, in addition to the main trainexchange of experience, in particuing session, the most active orphans
lar since then," noted Mrs. Zarichalso participate in an active retreat
Archbishop IHOR (Vozniak)
ynska.
at the end.
presents a cross to one of the
Also, in 2005 the center started a
dozens of youth who came to
Matthew Matuszak
school of Christian Leadership for
St. George Cathedral for a
high school students, "Voice of the
meeting co-organized by the
Further information about UCU
Future," in which more than 50
Lay Leadership Center of the
(in
English and Ukrainian) is
youth participate every year, in colUkrainian Catholic University.
available on the university's weblaboration with the university's
site at www.ucu.edu.ua. Readers
Catechetical-Pedagogical Institute.
The center has trained youth from various parts of may also cotact the Ukrainian Catholic Education
Ukraine. For example, chaplains and youth involved in Foundation; in writing at 2247 W. Chicago Ave.,
student ministry at universities in Uzhorod, Ivano- Chicago, IL 60622; or by phoning 773-235-8462; or eFrankivsk, Ternopil, Lutsk, Kherson, and Odesa partic- mailing ucef@ucef.org; or browsing its website,
ipated in a session in February, 2009. Among topics www.ucef.org.

July, 2009

NEW STAR

15

Cathedral School Graduates Fourteen

unday, June 7, 2009, was a memorable day in the

life of the St. Nicholas Cathedral School family,
particularly for the fourteen young people who
were graduated.
The day's event began with a procession from the
school to St. Nicholas Cathedral. The graduates were
welcomed into the Cathedral by the St. Nicholas
School Choir, directed by Mrs. Irene Dychiy. The
Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace, Bishop

called upon the Salutatorian of the Class to say a few

words. Oleh Dankovych thanked the teachers for their
dedication and love. He spoke for all of his classmates
when he said that in their hearts they would always
love their first teachers. He wished his fellow graduates much luck in the future.
The ceremony continued with the introduction of
Mrs. Maria Klysh-Finiak, principal of St. Nicholas
School. She presented special awards to some of the
graduates. Yuliana Nalysnyk, Valedictorian, received
the Bishop Innocent Lotocky Scholarship Award,
established in September, 1993, to honor one student
each year for excellence in scholarship, Christian
moral values and service. Yuliana was also awarded
the Mykluz Family Memorial Award, established in
memory of deceased members of the Mykluz family
and is given to one student each year with the highest

at St. Nicholas School who were proud of the graduates.

Ms. Hankewych invited Bishop Richard, Father
Nalysnyk and Mrs. Finiak to present the diplomas. The
graduates received their diplomas and a special blessing from Bishop Richard and were acknowledged by
the entire congregation.
The ceremony came to a close as Ms. Hankewych
called upon Valedictorian, Yuliana Nalysnyk, who

Portraits by: Van Gogh Studios

RICHARD (Seminack), Very Reverend Bohdan Nalysnyk, and Reverend Volodymyr Hudzan. The altar
servers included three seventh graders from the school
and two alumni.
The graduates listened as Bishop Richard mentioned
that there is much more to life than what they have
learned so far. He also asked them to make good use
of the talents given to them by God, and to surround
themselves with people who are good Christians.
Commencement began after the Divine Liturgy. All
in attendance were greeted by Ms. Daria Hankewych,
eighth grade teacher. The graduates rose and recited a
special prayer in which they consecrated their bodies,
souls and hearts to Jesus Christ. Ms. Hankewych

scholastic achievement. The Salutatorian of the Class

of 2009, Oleh Dankovych, received an award from
Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union
for outstanding scholastic achievement.
Mrs. Finiak also awarded the Principal's Award to
four students for their outstanding academic excellence. Honored were Yuliana Nalysnyk, Oleh Dankovych, Anna-Maria Bagan and Maryann Krasko. Six
students received the Principal's Award for outstanding
academic achievement: Neil Browne, Solomiya Chuyko, Emilia Saber, Tania Jarmola, Anthony Markese and
Khrystyna Vatseba.
The ceremony continued with a short address by Ms.
Hankewych. She mentioned a field trip to Springfield,
Illinois, and quoted Abraham Lincoln: "Whatever you
are, be a good one," "Don't worry when you are not
recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition," and
"Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand
firm." She also spoke on behalf of all of the teachers

Bishops Weigh in on
US Stem Cell Proposal
Participate in Public Comment Period
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Zenit.org).- As the National
Institutes of Health is considering guidelines on federally funding embryonic stem cell research, the U.S.
bishops say the proposal is not only "morally objectionable" but also increasingly "scientifically obsolete."
Monsignor David Malloy, general secretary of the
U.S. episcopal conference, submitted comments on
the draft guidelines.
For his part, the monsignor affirmed the dignity of
human life at every stage and the right to not be subjected to harmful experimentation without one's consent. The "central fact of science," he added, is that the
embryo to be destroyed to obtain stem cells, "is a
human being at a very early stage of his or her development."
Monsignor Malloy affirmed that the stem cell
debate is not a matter of religious belief.
The priest recalled the conclusion of the National
Bioethics Advisory Commission appointed by
President Bill Clinton, that "because human embryos
deserve 'respect' as a form of human life, destroying

them for stem cells is 'justifiable only if no less morally problematic alternatives are available for advancing
the research.'"
He went on to note that alternatives are not only
available, but have been found to offer the only effective promise for stem cell cures.
He said "science and ethics have been ignored" in
President Barack Obama's March decision to rescind
both the policy preventing researchers from destroying live human embryos for federally funded research
and the executive order instructing the NIH to thoroughly explore new avenues for obtaining pluripotent
stem cells without destroying human embryos.
"As the president noted," Monsignor Malloy said,
"we must not make 'a false choice between sound science and moral values.' In fact, these sources of guidance both point in the same direction, away from
destructive embryonic stem cell research. His executive order and these guidelines nonetheless insist on a
course of action that is both morally objectionable
and, increasingly, scientifically obsolete."

thanked all the parents for their support; the principal

and teachers for their hard work; and her fellow classmates for all the wonderful memories from her years at
St. Nicholas.
Ms. Hankewych concluded by asking all present to
rise and wish the graduates many happy years-Mnohaya Lita. As they leave St. Nicholas School, they
enter some the best high schools in the City of Chicago
and beyond. Six local schools will be attended by thirteen graduates. One student, Khrystyna Vatseba, was
named a Daniel Murphy Foundation Scholar and will
be attending Williston Northampton School in
Massachusetts on a four-year scholarship.

Ivano-Frankivsk Authorities
Return Former Seminary
Building to Greek Catholics
IVANO-FRANKIVSK - The building of the Military
Registration and Enlistment Office in the western
Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk, where the local
Greek Catholic seminary was located before 1937, has
been transferred to the Church again.
After the procedure of handing over the building is
completed, the Catholic School of St. Basil the Great
will be located there.
A commission including the church and regional
state administration representatives examined the
building on June16.
According to sources, of the Sisters of St Basil the
Great, three hundred forty-five students are initially
enrolled, awaiting reconstruction and renovation of
classroom space.

16

NEW STAR

July, 2009

Religion Shopping:
Faith in Flux in the United States
ROME, (Zenit.org).- Americans are prone to changing
their church affiliation, according to a report released
by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The
report, "Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation
in the U.S.," was published April 27.
The study found that 28% of American adults have
changed their religious affiliation from the one in
which they were raised. The figure is higher, 44%, if
changing from one Protestant denomination to another
is counted.
The study was a follow-up to the "U.S. Religious
Landscape Survey," published in 2008. It was based on
interviews with participants in the previous report.
The survey discovered that there is a notable difference between Catholics and Protestants when it comes
to the factors causing a change. Almost 40% of
Protestants said they changed denominations simply
because of moving. An almost equal number attributed
the change due to marrying someone from a different
religious affiliation.
Two-thirds of Catholics, by contrast, say they left the
Church due to no longer believing in some of its teachings. Nearly six-in-ten former Catholics who are now
unaffiliated said they left due to dissatisfaction with
Catholic teachings on abortion and homosexuality.
About half cited concerns about Catholic teachings on
birth control.
Just over 10% of American adults have left the
Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic.
This is notably greater than the number joining the
Catholic Church. Only 2.6% of adults have become
Catholic after having been raised something other than
Catholic.
The survey also found that age is a critical factor in
changing religious allegiances. Most of those who left
the faith they were brought up in did so before reaching 24 years of age. By the age of 36 a large majority
reached their current religion, and very few change
once they reach 50 years or more.
Another important factor is the level of religious formation and practice during the teen years. The survey
found that ex-Catholics who are now unaffiliated are
much less likely than lifelong Catholics to have attended [Mass] regularly or to have had very strong faith as
teenagers.
Similarly, now unaffiliated former Protestants were
less likely to have regularly attended services as children or teenagers. They also scored lower when it came
to attending Sunday school or having had very strong
religious faith as a child or a teenager.
The study also revealed that the category of people
who are unaffiliated with any particular religion has

grown more rapidly

than any other religious
group in recent decades.
The Landscape Survey
found that 16% of American
adults say they are currently unaffiliated with any particular religion, compared with
only 7% who were raised unaffiliated.
The unaffiliated are, however, very diverse.
Moreover, approximately four-in-ten unaffiliated individuals say religion is somewhat important in their
lives.
The Pew study was published shortly after a controversial story on Christianity by Newsweek magazine.
In its April 13 Easter issue Jon Meacham authored a
feature article titled: "The End of Christian America."
He cited data from the 2009 American Religious
Identification Survey, according to which the number
of Americans who claim no religious affiliation nearly
doubled since 1990, going from 8% to 15%.
According to Meacham's interpretation Christianity
is now much less of a force in politics and culture. He
also affirmed that this was "a good thing," and even
went so far as to claim that it was good for Christians
in order to help them rediscover the benefits of separating Church and state.
At the same time Meacham did admit that
Christianity is still strong in America and that it would
be wrong to define it as "post-Christian."
Meacham's thesis, however, came in for sharp criticism from a number of commentators. In an April 12
article Washington Post columnist, E.J. Dionne, commented that in its history America has gone through
several cycles of religious fervor and decline.
Dionne agreed that change is occurring, but maintained that this "will strengthen rather than weaken the
Christian church over the long run."
This is so, he continued, because in recent years
evangelical Christians were the ones who most exerted
cultural and political influence and the relative decline
of their power opens up the possibility for other
Christian groups to make an impact.
More polemically, L. Brent Bozell, penning an opinion article in the April 16 edition of the Wall Street
Journal, turned the focus back on Newsweek itself. The
number of Christians may well have decreased, but
Bozell drew attention to the plummeting circulation of
Newsweek, down 52% in just the last two years.
Bozell also reminded readers that prior to marking
Easter by proclaiming the decline of Christianity,
Newsweek celebrated last Christmas with another questionable article, making the case for same-sex marriage

Orthodox Priest Says:

"Faith not Dead in Russia"
PAMPLONA, Spain, (Zenit.org).- The Moscow Patriarchate's secretary for ecumenical relations is affirming that relations between the Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church in Russia are progressing, and that it is an important step for
evangelizing the world.
In an address at the University of Navarra in Spain, Father Igor Vyzhanov stated that the two Churches "seem to understand each other better now than before."
His conference titled "Relations Between the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church: The Current Situation" noted signs of the Churches' collaboration.
The priest affirmed a shared responsibility of Orthodox and Catholics to "renew
the Christian roots of Europe" and to preach the message of Christ to the world.
He explained the challenges of the Orthodox Church in the task of evangelization, faced to Russia's history of enforced atheism.
Nonetheless, Father Vyzhanov said, "the Russian people did not lose their faith,"
although the communist regime tried to take it away.
He added that in the communist era, "the faith was hidden, not dead, and after
the changes in our country many people converted to the faith."
Now, the priest added, the principal challenge is to help people deepen in this
faith, a project in which there is a "great future" for collaboration with the Catholic
Church.

as being compatible with Christianity.

In an acerbic aside he commented that: "Christianity,
in contrast to Newsweek, is in decent demographic
shape."
Stephen Prothero, chair of the Department of
Religion at Boston University, returned to the
Newsweek story in an opinion article published by
USA Today on April 27.
Prothero also cited what President Barack Obama
said in a speech given April 6 during a visit to Turkey.
Obama said that the United States "does not consider
itself a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim
nation" but "a nation of citizens who are bound by
ideals and a set of values."
Prothero observed that the rise in the number of
Americans who profess no religion becomes less clear
once some digging is done. He called the researchers of
the American Religious Identification Survey and was
told that when asked about God, 23% of the no religion
category said they believed in a higher power and that
21% gave allegiance to a personal God.
Prothero also cited the results of a similar survey carried out by Baylor University in 2006. They found that
no less than 63% of Americans who claim no religious
affiliation believe in God, and 36% said they prayed at
least occasionally.
As well, a 2008 survey done by the Pew Forum discovered that 41% of those without religious affiliation
nonetheless described religion as either very important
or somewhat important in their lives.
So, Prothero concluded, Christianity in America is
changing rather than declining. A greater number of
people are reluctant to identify themselves with institutional religion, but they are still spiritually inclined.
While less alarming than the argument put forward
by Newsweek, the trend away from organized religion
is still a problem, as Pope Benedict XVI admitted in his
trip to the United States just over a year ago.
In a question and answer session with American
bishops last April 16, the Pontiff addressed the subject
of religious faith being more a "pick and choose"
approach.
The American people are, in fact, deeply religious,
the Pope stressed, but an individualistic approach can
reduce religion to its lowest common denominator,
leaving it without much practical relevance when it
comes to everyday life.
Dealing with this, Benedict XVI explained, requires
connecting more the Gospel truths and the principles of
natural law with what is the pursuit of authentic human
good.
The Church needs to promote more that faith and
reason are compatible and to present the Gospel as an
attractive and true answer to human problems, the Pope
concluded. The challenge, then, is to bring about this
new beginning for Christianity.

continued from page 13

Liturgy is conquest (as in most games)
of good over evil. Its rewards are more
real and lasting than any transient victory. Who is the "Sensor par excellence" if not God with whom we must
all interact and react? At the Liturgy, at
least, and at all other times at best.
The reality of "Christ is Born!" or
"Christ is Risen!" far outstrips any
game that flashes "You win! You win!
You win!" in brighter and larger letters.
The festivals and fasts of the Church
have much more real interactive content than any screen of animated pixels
can ever contain or suggest. And the
consequences are greater--and furtherreaching!
What does it take to make people
interested in Liturgy? Maybe it's in-

By Father John Flynn, LC

volvement (in good Liturgy)! We are to
be participants, not casual "drop-in"
visitors. If it is expected that people of
any age come only to endure a Sunday
service, the real purpose is defeated.
When people find full expression and
experience of faith in every liturgy in
which they take part--their memories
will be filled with those same levels of
those of ages past, passed on. Nostalgia
and comfort will be based in this.
People of each age are present at the
same Liturgy with different needs and
expectations. It is possible that at the
same service each need is met-because each person relates in a personal way. You approach the Liturgy
not to take--but to give--and the more
you give (of yourself) the more you
come away with--for now, for ever and
forever.

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.

NEW STAR

July, 2009

Staying Alert W

Recently, several members of my family attended a

spring football game at our alma mater. Getting together to go to the game with my children and grandchildren was a fun day for all of us. In a crowd of thirty
thousand fans all dressed in the team's colors, the seven
of us were indistinguishable from the rest of the group.
At one point as we were walking together across
campus toward the stadium, my five year-old granddaughter was suddenly no longer with the group. It
took us a few seconds to locate her up ahead of us
walking alone into a big crowd at the gates waiting to
go in. We were paying attention and had our eye on all
four of the kids with us and yet, as we stopped for just
a few seconds to distribute the tickets to everyone, she
was suddenly out of sight. It only took a few heartstopping moments for us to locate her. She did not
notice we stopped and was walking ahead into the
crowd. She was fine and so were we but we did use the
occasion to remind her of the family rules about staying together in crowds.
She knew the rules. She was just daydreaming and mesmerized by the size of the
stadium and the spectacle of all those football fans heading to the game. The situation
was a reminder of the reinforcement it takes
to make sure that what we "know" becomes
more than knowledge and helps us respond
automatically to risky or unsafe situationsfor children and adults.
Her parents had done a great job of teaching her about safety. Mom is the acting executive director of a child sexual abuse prevention organization and has brought her passion for preventing this crime to her parenting. That means that this five year old knows
safety rules, including the touching rules. If
asked she can tell you what she is supposed
to do in virtually any emergency. The problem is that
"knowing" the rules was not enough. In that moment,
she forgot that she was supposed to stay with the group
and make sure we knew where she was, and she knew
where we were.
Most of us agree that reminding children of the safety rules that apply to their lives is an ongoing job. In
fact, it often annoys us to have to repeat ourselves so
many times. However, a bigger issue is that we sometimes think that need for repetition only applies to children. Nothing could be further from the truth. Both
repetition and reinforcement are required if adults are
to create safe environments for children.
Reviewing material from the Protecting God's
Children program periodically, reading articles and
bulletins, taking appropriate recertification modules, as
well as other efforts are necessary to assure that keeping environments safe becomes an automatic response
for us.

e can do some simple things to keep

what we know to do at the forefront
of our thinking and observation.
Go over the Five Steps for creating and
maintaining a safe environment every week
and review them in your mind as you walk out
the door to go somewhere.
Remind children of the safety rules and that
they apply in all situations.
Think about potentially risky situations in
advance and think through how you would
manage them.
These simple reminders can help us
remain alert and, at the same time, enjoy fun
events with the whole family. Keeping up with
these reminders can help us develop the ability to operate almost automatically regarding
the safety and security of children. And perhaps most importantly, it is vital for caring
adults to remain vigilant.
Staying alert is the first step in maintaining
a safe, fun, and wholesome environment for
the entire community!

17

a moment to review the warning signs from the session

and refresh your commitment to observe and get
involved when you see the signs.
Step 2: Control Access
Once the plan to protect our children was created,
most dioceses and parishes went to work to put structures in place to adequately screen applicants for staff
and volunteer positions. Now is the time to take another look at those structures and see that all the pieces are
still being used. Background checks without applications and interviews will not provide the assurances we
expect from a thorough screening process. Keeping the
process intact gives us the best chance of controlling
who has access to our children.
Step 3: Monitor All Programs
As the new program schedules begin, have a team of
people go through the property and make sure the
physical environment still meets the standards set after
seeing the VIRTUS program. Making a checklist will
help identify difficulties and make sure problems are
addressed quickly. Renewed programs also
need a fresh look. Just because they met standards for adult supervision last year or the year
before does not mean those same standards
still exist.
Step 4: Be Aware
It is not difficult to maintain a commitment
to being aware of what is going on with your
own children. However, it is not always easy to
keep that close eye on the other children in
your environment. Take a moment to look
carefully at the children in the environment.
Pay attention to the abrupt changes and call
them to the attention of someone who can
check it out.

Five Steps
Step 1: Know the Warning Signs
Take a moment and, in your mind's eye, look at all
the adults that interact with children and young people
in your environment. Have you been scrupulous in
your observation of their interactions with every young
person? Are there things you may have overlooked?
Have you talked yourself out of a concern about some
interaction because you know the person or you can't
imagine that he or she would do any harm?
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," consider that somewhere along the way you let your guard
down and that puts children and young people at risk.
Whether or not the actions of the adult were ultimately
harmless isn't, as you know, the issue. Step 1 reminds
us to recognize the behavioral warning signs and intervene to stop the action regardless of the intention. Take

Gospel Made to Be Preached in Every Language

Step 5: Communicate Your Concerns

Since your participation in the awareness
session, you may never have been faced with confronting someone about their behavior or reporting
suspected abuse. Even so, the situation may arise
tomorrow or next week and action will be necessary.
Take time to review the procedure for reporting in your
state. Put the number in an easy location to find if it is
needed. Be prepared!
From time to time, it is important that every adult
take a moment to stop and remember our mission. To
protect God's children we must take time to remind
ourselves of the plan and of our responsibility, and
rejuvenate our commitment to implement all five steps
in our effort to create and maintain safe environments
for all of God's children.
Sharon Doty, J.D., M.H.R.
Printed with permission from VIRTUS.org
Protecting God's Children for Adults
languages: Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
Following the inspiration of St. Gregory
Nazianzus, who emphasized the value of language
in the transmission of Revelation, "Cyril asked
Christ to speak in Slavic through him," the Holy
Father noted. "He introduces his work of translation
with the solemn invocation: 'Hear, Slavic peoples, hear
the Word that proceeds from God, the Word that
encourages souls, the Word that leads to the knowledge
of God.'"
The Holy Father illustrated how the brothers were
instrumental in creating the alphabet used for the translation.
He explained: "Actually, already years before the
prince of Moravia asked Emperor Michael III to send
missionaries to his land, it seems that Cyril and his
brother Methodius, surrounded by a group of disciples,
were working on a project of collecting the Christian
dogmas in books written in Slavic. Then it was clearly
seen that there was a need to have new graphic signs
that were more adequate for the spoken language: Thus

Pope Recalls Contribution of Cyril and Methodius to Inculturation

VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org).- Revelation should penetrate every culture and the truths of salvation should
be expressed by every language of the world, says
Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this when he reflected on the
example of the "apostles to the Slavs" during a general
audience in St. Peter's Square.
Continuing his catechetical series on great thinkers
from the Church of the East and the West in the Middle
Ages, the Holy Father spoke of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, co-patrons of Europe, along with St. Benedict.
He said the two brother-saints are "a classic example
of what is today referred to with the term 'inculturation': Each people should make the revealed message
penetrate into their own culture, and express the salvific truth with their own language."
The Pontiff acknowledged that bringing this about

implies "a very exacting work of 'translation,' as it

requires finding adequate terms to propose anew the
richness of the revealed Word, without betraying it."
"The two brother-saints have left in this sense a particularly significant testimony that the Church continues looking at today to be inspired and guided," he
affirmed.
Benedict XVI recalled how the two brothers were
key to the development of the Slavic peoples, not only
in the religious sense, but also culturally and nationally.
Their mission to the Slavs "very promptly had
uncommon success," the Pope explained. "In translating the liturgy to the Slavic language, the two brothers
won great affection among the people."
They also worked against a heresy of the era, which
proposed that God could only be licitly praised in three

continued page 18

18

NEW STAR

July, 2009

St Theodore the Studite: Order, Obedience, Renunciation

VATICAN CITY (VIS) - In a general audience, the
Pope continued with his series of catechesis on the
great writers of the Eastern and Western Church in the
Middle Ages, turning his attention to St. Theodore the
Studite.
Addressing more than 15,000 pilgrims gathered in St.
Peter's Square, the Pope explained how St. Theodore
was born in the year 759 "to a noble and religious family". At the age of twenty-two he embraced the monastic life in the monastery of Sakkudion but,
because of his opposition to the adulterous marriage of the emperor Constantine VI, was exiled
to Thessalonika in 796. He was able to return to
Sakkudion the following year thanks to the
intervention of the empress Irene, who also
encouraged the saint to move to the monastery
of Studios in order to evade the incursions of
the Saracens.
St. Theodore "became the head of the resistance against the iconoclast emperor Leo V the
Armenian". This again led "to his being exiled
in various places in Asia Minor. Finally he was
allowed to return to Constantinople, but not to
his monastery". He died in the year 826.
"Theodore stands out in Church history as
one of the great reformers of monastic life",
said Pope Benedict, "and, alongside Patriarch
St. Nicephorus of Constantinople, as a defender
of sacred images during the second stage of
iconoclasm".
The saint also emphasised "the necessity for
order and submission on the part of his monks
... so that the monastery could go back to being
a truly organic community, a real family or, as
he said, a true 'Body of Christ'". This was because persecutions had forced the monks to disband.
The Holy Father went on: "One of Theodore's basic
convictions was that monks, more than others, have a

commitment to observe Christian duties with greater

rigor and intensity in order to offer a sign, an indication, to all Christians. This is why they make a special
profession, ... almost a 'new Baptism'".
"The commitment to poverty, chastity and obedience", said the Pope, "distinguishes monks from those
who live in the world". Yet personal poverty, "an essential element of monasticism, also shows the rest of us a
way to follow. The renunciation of private property,

freedom from material things, sobriety and simplicity

have radical validity only for monks, but the spirit of
such renunciation is the same for everyone. We must
not depend upon material things, we must learn renun-

Cardinal Glemp Visits Cathedral

The retired Primate of Poland, His
Eminence Cardinal Jozef Glemp paid a
short visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral Parish
on May 29, 2009. He was greeted by
Bishop RICHARD (Seminack); Very Rev
James Karepin, OP, Chancellor of the
Eparchy; and the Rector of St Nicholas
Cathedral, Very Rev Bohdan Nalysnyk.
His Eminence, laid flowers at the icon of
the Mother of God and, after a short
prayer, toured the cathedral church. He
expressed amazement at the richness of the
icons and decor of the church.
His Eminence, long-time primate of
Poland, was invited by the Polish people of
the Archdiocese of Chicago to dedicate the
Katyn Forest Massacre Monument on May
17, in St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles.

Cardinal Jozef Glemp.

"Now retired, Glemp served as Archbishop of Warsaw, Poland, from 1981
through 2006. In his homily delivered to
about 3,000 people, the cardinal said that
Katyn symbolizes both cross and glory.
"'Those who died in Katyn knew as well
as we know today that the cross doesn't
signify defeat. We all know that there is a
resurrection after death,' said Glemp.
"Even though families never got back
their relatives executed in Katyn, there was
a time in Polish history comparable to a
resurrection. Katyn, the name of a wooded
area near Smolensk in Russia, was a prohibited word in Poland during the communist government rule from the end of the
war until 1989.
"The truth about the
massacre was suppressed both by the Soviet Union and by their
post-war satellite regime
in Poland. In 1989, thenSoviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev admitted that
it was the Soviet secret
police who executed the
Poles, not the German
army, which originally
got the blame. AcBishop Richard and Frs Karepin and Nalysnyk and visiting knowledging the truth
Cardinal Glemp and entourage on Cathedral steps.
about what happened at
Katyn was a type of resAlicja Pozywio reports for the Catholic urrection for the Polish people."
New World: "For this long-awaited dedication, organizers here invited many guests Quotes from Alicja Pozywio for the Cathfrom Poland, among whom was ... olic New World reprinted with permission.

ciation, simplicity, austerity and sobriety. Only in this

way can a united society develop and the great problem
of poverty in this world be overcome".
"The main forms of renunciation are those imposed
by obedience", which St. Theodore "describes as the
'martyrdom of submission'". In this context the Holy
Father noted how "the social fabric cannot function if
each exclusively follows his or her own path. ...
Legality--in other words, submission and obedience to
the rules of the common life and the common
good--is the only thing that can heal a society, and
ego itself, from the pride of being at the centre of
the world".
"For Theodore the Studite, one important virtue
--equal to the virtues of obedience and humility-was philergia, that is, love for work. ... He did not,
then, allow monks, under the pretext of prayer or
contemplation, to dispense themselves from work,
which is in fact the means to discover God".
Benedict XVI also highlighted how St.
Theodore was "the spiritual father of his monks",
always ready "to listen to the confidences of
everyone. He also gave spiritual advice to many
people outside the monastery".
Theodore's Rule, "known by the name of
Hypotyposis", was codified shortly after his death
and "adopted with a few modifications on Mount
Athos, ... It remains", noted the Pope, "highly relevant".
The Holy Father concluded by warning of the
"numerous perils that today threaten the unity of
the shared faith and push us towards a dangerous
kind of spiritual individualism. It is necessary to
work to defend and develop the perfect unity of
the Body of Christ, a unity in which the peace of order
and sincere personal relationships in the Spirit can
come together harmoniously".

continued from page 17

was born the Glagolitic alphabet,
based upon the Greek alphabet--with
some Hebrew characters adapted for
Slavic sounds not represented by
Greek letters. This was modified
later, and designated as 'Cyrillic,' in
honor of its inspirer."
The making of this alphabet was "a
decisive factor for the development
of the Slavic civilization in general,"
the Bishop of Rome stated. And it
was key for bringing Christ to the
Slavs.
"Cyril and Methodius were convinced," the Pope affirmed, that the
various peoples could not consider
that they had fully received Revelation until they had heard it in their
own language and read it with the
characters proper to their own alphabet.
Not mentioned by Benedict XVI
were some historic details which precipitated the use of Byzantine ritual
over Roman ritual for most Slavs: In
869, Pope Adrian II gave Methodius
the title of Archbishop of Sirmium
(now Sremska Mitrovica in Yugoslavia) and sent him back with jurisdiction over all of Moravia and
Pannonia, and authorization to use
the Slavonic Liturgy. Soon, however,
Prince Rotislav, who had originally
invited the brothers to Moravia, died,
and his successor did not support
Methodius. In 870 the Frankish King
Louis and his bishops deposed Methodius at a synod at Ratisbon, and imprisoned him for two years.
Pope John VIII secured his release,

SS METHODIUS AND CYRIL

but told him not to use the Slavonic

Liturgy any more. In 878 he was
summoned to Rome on charges of
heresy and using Slavonic. This time
Pope John, convinced by his arguments, sent him back--cleared of all
charges, and with permission to use
Slavonic. He died April 6, 885, in
Velehrad, the old capitol of Moravia.
The Carolingian bishop who succeeded him, Wiching, suppressed the
Slavonic Liturgy and forced the followers of Methodius into exile. Many
found refuge with King Boris of
Bulgaria (852-889), under whom
they reorganized a Slavic-speaking
(Byzantine) Church.
Meanwhile, Pope John's successors adopted a Latin-only policy
which lasted for centuries in the West
until II Vatican Council looked East
for directives.

NEW STAR

July, 2009

19

Share 2008
Ukrainain Catholic Appeal
Parish
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.
The number one
favorite song at St
Michaels Church in
Chicago must be
Mnohaja Lita!
On June 14, all gathered
around 97 year-old Alyce
Gbur--with a lighted candle
placed in one of the Sunday
Sweets--and sang several versions. Alyce drives to the
South Side parish as often as
possible--with fery few
absences.

Parishioners of
Nativity of the BVM
Parish, Palos Park,
are hosting Sisters of the
Sisters Servants of Mary
Immaculate [SSMI] July 12,
after the Liturgy.
They are preparing a special
brunch to honor the more than
20 years service of the Sisters
to the parish, while still on
Paulina Street in Chicago.

Know what?
Somethings happenning in your parish--let
us know, and find it here!

10% of Ukrainians Reported Catholics

UKRAINE - The total number of
Catholics (of all rites) in Ukraine is
4,801,879 persons. According to the
papal annual edition Annuario
Pontificio, which is the main official
source about the hierarchy of the
[Roman] Catholic Church and its
structure in various countries of the
world, 3,982,589 Catholics in
Ukraine are of the Eastern Rite and
819,290 are of the Latin Rite and

Catholics constitute approximately

10% of the population of Ukraine.
RISU's Ukrainian-language web
page posted this story.
In his publication at web site
www.bogoslov.ru, Volodymyr Bureha notes that the official Vatican
statistics point to a certain growth in
the number of Catholics of Ukraine
in recent years, particularly, the last
four years, by 104,879 persons.

Goal

Assumption of the BVM Parish - Omaha, NE

Dormition of the Mother of God Parish - Phoenix, AZ***
Holy Apostles Mission - Berryton, KS
Holy Ascension Mission - Plymouth, MI
Holy Wisdom Mission - Citrus Heights, CA *
Immaculate Conception Parish - Hamtramck, MI
Immaculate Conception Parish - Palatine, IL**
Immaculate Conception- Parish - San Francisco, CA**
Nativity of the BVM Parish - Los Angeles, CA
Nativity of the BVM Parish - Palos Park, IL***
Nativity of the Mother of God Parish - Springfield, OR**
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish - La Mesa, CA***
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish - Dearborn Heights,MI***
Protection of the Mother of God Parish - Houston, TX***
St. Andrew Mission - Sacramento, CA
St. Constantine Parish - Minneapolis, MN***
St. Demetrius Parish - Belfield, ND*
St. George Parish - Lincoln, NE***
St. John the Baptist Parish - Belfield, ND*
St. John the Baptist Parish - Detroit, MI***
St. Josaphat Parish - Munster, IN***
St. Josaphat Parish - Warren, MI***
St. Joseph Parish - St. Joseph, MO***
St. Joseph Parish - Chicago, IL***
St. Mary's Assumption Parish - St. Louis, MO**
St. Michael Mission - Minot, ND**
St. Michael Parish - Mishawaka, IN
St. Michael Parish - Tucson, AZ*
St. Michael Parish - Chicago, IL*
St. Michael Parish - Milwaukee, WI***
St. Michael Parish - Grand Rapids, MI***
St. Michael the Archangel Parish - Dearborn, MI
St. Nicholas Cathedral - Chicago, IL
St. Paul Mission - Flagstaff, AZ
St. Peter Eastern Catholic Mission - Ukiah, CA
St. Sophia Mission - Honolulu, HI
St. Sophia Parish - The Colony, TX**
St. Stephen Mission - St. Paul, MN
St. Vladimir Parish - Flint, MI*
St. Volodymyr Mission - Santa Clara, CA**
Sts. Peter & Paul Parish - Wilton, ND**
Sts. Volodymyr & Olha Parish - Chicago, IL***
Transfiguration Parish - Denver, CO**
Zarvanycia Mission - Seattle, WA**
Friends of St. Nicholas Eparchy
TOTALS

As of 6-12-09

$ 3,240.00
$12,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,200.00
$13,860.00
$ 6,840.00
$ 2,400.00
$10,650.00
$ 7,860.00
$ 3,600.00
$ 7,680.00
$ 8,400.00
$ 9,960.00
$ 1,000.00
$13,980.00
$ 3,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 2,220.00
$ 7,980.00
$ 5,640.00
$44,040.00
$ 1,200.00
$19,920.00
$ 2,340.00
$ 1,140.00
$ 3,900.00
$ 1,500.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 6,300.00
$ 6,000.00
$ 1,260.00
$55,080.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 3,720.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,800.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 1,500.00
$60,300.00
$ 7,800.00
$ 3,300.00

$ 1,100.00
$ 590.00
$ 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
$ 872.00
$ 120.00
$ 1,895.00
$ 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
$22,955.00
$
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
$ 11,000.00

$351,610.00

$100,902.00

KEY:

Everyone knows the economic situation is having its

effect on nearly every aspect of life, taking its toll
almost every step of the way. Just a few days ago, a
rather well-to-do gentleman was relaxing at home
when the doorbell rang.
At the door was another man--younger, less well-off,
who was looking to do anything for a few extra dollars.
He seemed honest, ambitious and truly deserving of
help, so the homeowner, after thinking for a while,
said: "I guess I can use your services. I've been meaning to have my porch painted, and never got around to
it. You'll find everything you need--paint, brushes
rollers--in the garage. The side door is open."
They agreed upon a price, and with gracious expressions of thanks, the younger visitor set off toward the
garage--and the task he was given.
In the meantime, the householder went about his
chores, tending to those things important to his life,
and became so engrossed in his work that he nearly
forgot all about the stranger he had just hired. He
looked at the clock and noticed that two hours had
passed--so he went to the front door to inspect the
progress.
Much to his dismay he noticed the porch was still in
the condition it had been earlier. No new paint, no
sign, either of the young man. He felt disappointed that
he misjudged him.
With a bit of concern he headed toward the garage-only to be met by the young man exiting the side door.
He had a few smudges of grey paint on his face, and a
big smile. "I just finished the job you gave me to do.
But there's just one thing I need to tell you: that's not a
Porsche in there, it's a Ferrari."

* parish or mission has met or exceeded goal.

** parish or mission close to meeting their goal.
*** parish realizing less than 25% of their goal.

parish making progress toward goal; (mission: excluded from comparason).

Status Report
Six (6) out 44 (forty-four) parishes and missions have met or exceeded their goal. Many, thanks to the generous donors from those parishes and congratulations to their Pastors for exemplary leadership and dedication! In
particular, a word of praise needs to travel to the North Dakota parishes that have always set the bar high and
exceeded their set goals!
Ten (10) parishes and missions are closing in on their goals, and to be commended for their effort. Share 2008
will run until the end of the summer, so that parishes may have some extra time to meet their goal by September
1, 2009--the end of the summer. Thanks to the small Zarvanycia Mission in Seattle, Washington and St.
Volodymyr Mission in Santa Clara, California.
Fifteen (15) parishes (missions are excluded) have not reached even 25% of their goal. They include several
of the most prosperous parishes that would seem to have a different result in terms of their response to the campaign. Under this category are two of the larger Chicago parishes; parishes in Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin and
Texas among others.
A final Share 2008 report with individual names and amounts will appear in the October issue of New Star.
May the Lord bless you abundantly for sharing your gifts and talents!
Submitted by: Serge Michaluk
Office of Stewardship and Development
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy

New Director for Stewardship and Development Office

Bishop RICHARD (Seminack) has appointed Serge Michaluk as the Eparchial Director of Stewardship and
Development. Mr. Michaluk will succeed Mrs. Lesia Okruch and will work closely with the Bishop and his
Financial Counsel to improve the overall financial outlook of the Eparchy and develop new resources necessary to carry out the ministries, activities, and services provided throughout the Eparchy. He also will assist the
parishes of the Eparchy in promoting to their parishioners the value of stewardship as a way of life. Mr.
Michaluk will temporarily remain the acting director for the Office of Child and Youth Protection.

20

NEW STAR

July, 2009

Dress for Success

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ost people who visit a Byzantine Catholic Church, especially for the first
time, often wonder why our clergy wear such ornate garments compared to
those of the Roman Church. The response tends to be, "...because this is the
way we do it.", not realizing that there is specific meaning behind the "garments" as
well.
Some historians date these garments, or vestments as they are known, back to the
Roman Empire. At this time the common dress was a tunic which touched the ground
and had long sleeves. Clergy were set apart from the public because their tunics were
always made of pure white fabric. White, because it was a symbol of holiness and purity. "Let your priests be clothed with righteousness" (Ps 132:9), is the Lord's command.
To this day the tunic remains the one vestment that is the common dress of all our clergy.
In the Byzantine Catholic church, there are three major Orders of Clergy: Bishops,
Priests and Deacons as well as three Minor Orders: Sub-deacons, Readers and Candle
bearers. Each of these wears a tunic which we call a STICHARION--or STICHAR.
The Sticharion imay be made of a white fabric symbolizing our
baptism into the Church. In the case of the three Minor Orders
and the Deacon it is usually made of an ornate fabric such as brocade. The color of the fabric is determined by the Church calendar or feast day being celebrated. During the process of vesting,
the deacon prays, "My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He has
clothed me in the garment of salvation and with the vesture of
gladness He covered me." (Is. 61:10)
The Deacon is distinguished from the others by the ORAR or
ORARION. This is a long band of fabric that is draped over his
left shoulder. The Orarion was a part of the ancient garb that a
messenger wore. It was a visual sign of which group or family he
represented. It is used by the Deacon to facilitate the order of worship, for he is considered to be the master of ceremonies for all
Divine Services. You will notice that he holds one end to "lead the
way" to each part of the Divine Liturgy. If you follow him carefully, you will know where to focus. When he is behind the
iconostas, the focus is on the Holy Place and when he is in front
of the iconostas, the focus falls on the faithful. You may see some
deacons with the orarion trailing along the floor. The belief is that
it is collecting the prayers of the people and following the trail to
the heavens each time the deacon raises it in prayer. Just as a note;
there are two titles of honor in the deaconate; Protodeacon, conferred on a married deacon and Archdeacon, conferred on a
monastic deacon.[It is proper to stand when the deacon is before
the iconostas].
The Deacon also puts on the EPIMANIKIA also known as
CUFFS. When putting on the right cuff he prays: "Your right
hand, O Lord, is glorified in strength; Your right hand, O Lord, has shattered enemies,
and in the multitude of Your glory You have ground down the adversaries." And with
the left, he prays: "Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding and I will learn Your commandments." The cuffs symbolize the bonds of Christ and
remind him that he must not rely on his own strength, but on the help of God.
Hopefully you are sharing this article with your child or grandchild. [Or, maybe
youre reaing this to a parent or grandparent to show how well you can learn!] Draw a
line from the word in BOLD TYPE to the correct item in the drawing.
It is by doing that we can learn and by learning that we can appreciate who we are.

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
Telephone: (773) 276-5080--fax: (773) 276-6799

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Editorial board and contributors:
Fr John Lucas, Managing Editor
Fr James Karepin, OP
Fr Denny Molitvy
George Matwyshyn
Serge Michaluk
Olenka Pryma
Nazar Sloboda
Pani Barbara Wroblicky
Phyllis Muryn Zapraniuk