Candle Blessing at the Cathedral - ukrcap...уладам, батькам, та гостям. Лунали привіти - віншування від протоієрея Тараса

VOL. 78 - No. 02 ENGLISH VERSIONFEBRUARY 05, 2017

Highlights inside this issue:

Saint Basil Academy in Jenkintown: Exciting First Semester - Pg. 9National Catholic Schools Week - Pg. 11

Official Publication of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Candle Blessing at the CathedralRev. Roman Pitula and Rev. Roman Sverdan blessed candles at the Cathedral on the feast of the

Encounter (Presentation) of Our Lord in the Temple on February 02, 2017.

Watch a video on our YouTube Channel.https://www.youtube.com/user/thewayukrainian

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 2

Bethlehem Peace Light ceremony held in Whippany, N.J.

WHIPPANY, N.J. – The Bethlehem Peace Light was shared during a ceremony at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany, N.J., on Saturday, December 3.

In attendance were members of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, including senior members who organized the ceremony, as well as Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian scouts, members of the Ukrainian American Youth Association, parishioners and school children.

The ceremonies at St. John’s Church, organized by the Bystrytsia group of the Plast scout sorority “Ti, Shcho Hrebli Rvut,” were led by Larissa Wowk, and a talk geared toward the children in attendance was given by Lada Bidiak. Plast scouts, directed by Kalyna Boychuk, sang the beautiful Bethlehem Peace Light song written by a Plast member in Ukraine. Sorority member Marta Borowyk was responsible for coordinating distribution of the light to Plast

(continued on next page)

Father Stepan Bilyk, pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany N.J., addresses the

gathering.

Plast scouts sing the Bethlehem Peace Light song.

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 3

(continued from previous page)

branches throughout the country.

The Rev. Stepan Bilyk, pastor, addressed the gathering, as did the chair/chief corporate officer of Plast U.S.A., George Huk.

All present at the ceremony had the opportunity to light their lanterns and candles from the Bethlehem Peace Light.

The light had arrived in the U.S. one week earlier, landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where a special ceremony was held at Our Lady of the Skies Chapel. The light came from Vienna, brought there by Austrian scouts who light a lantern from the everlasting flame that burns in Bethlehem. Scouts worldwide, including Plast members in Ukraine, participate in distributing the light and sharing its message of hope, peace and love.

Here in the U.S., among those charged with distributing the Bethlehem Peace Light are members of “Ti, Shcho Hrebli Rvut,” who do so under the auspices of the National Board of Directors of Plast U.S.A. Members of the Plast sorority brought the flame from JFK Airport to Whippany.

Article by: Roma Hadzewycz

Photo credit: Irenaeus Yurchuk

Bethlehem Peace Light ceremony held in Whippany, N.J.

Members of the Plast sorority “Ti, Shcho Hrebli Rvut.”

Plast cub scouts with the lantern holding the Bethlehem Peace Light.

Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian scouts, joined by several Ukrainian scouts, at the

conclusion of the ceremony.

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 4

Plast “Svichka”at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center Philadelphia

(Read entire article in Ukrainian on next

page)

On Saturday, January 14th, His Grace, Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka, spiritual Head of Ukrainian Catholics in America, greeted and blessed the members of Plast from various nations throughout the world gathered together at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown, Pa. for the “Svichka” Candle Ceremony, lit from the Bethlehem Flame transported by air from Austria. Members of Plast came not only from the United States and Canada, but from Eastern Europe, in particular Ukraine. Christmas at a Kozak village (stanitsa) was depicted. On a traditional Christmas table were placed an icon, wheat, kolach (Christmas bread) and prosphora. Those attending had sung “God Eternal – Бог Предвічний” and the Plast Hymn, along with various other Ukrainian Christmas carols (Коляди).

(Photo:) Bohdan Kolos, Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka and Marta Kuzmowycz

пл. сен. Богдан Колос, Митрополит-Архиєпископ Стефан Сорока, i пл. сен. Мартa Кузьмович (фото:

Пласт станиця Філядельфія Facebook)

(фото: Борис Павлюк)

(фото: Борис Павлюк)

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 5


Пластова Свічечка Станиці Філядельфії

Традиційна Пластова Свічечка Станиці Філядельфії відбулася в суботу, 14-го січня в приміщенні Українського Освітньо-Культурного Центру у Дженкінтавн, біля Філядельфії, Па. Від багатьох років, пластуни зєднюються з пластунами цілого світу, щоби відзначити Різдво Христове символічною свічечкою. Ще додатково, пластуни діляться Вифлеємським Вогнем Миру, який прилітає спеціяльним способом Австрійською авіялінією із Вифлеєму. Скавти та пластуни у різних країнах Европи (зокрема в Україні), Канади, та США поширюють цей вогонь по своїх осередках, як знак любови, миру, злагоди, та душевного спокою. Жіночий Курінь УПС, Спартанки, що року підготовляє традиційний різдвяний стіл на якому міститься ікона, пшениця, калач, і просфора. Це символічно впроваджує присутніх у святочний настрій. Назначена бунчужна свята, ст. пл. Ліда Кернз, відкрила Свічечку збіркою, колядою “Бог Предвічний“, та

пластовим гимном. Присутні були: духовенство, пластуни, численні батьки, та запрошені представники організацій. Писар, ст. пл. Маркіян Бойко прочитав наказ в якому, в першій мірі, привітав Вискоко-п р е о с в я щ е н н о г о Митрополита Кир Стефана Сороку, Протоієрея Тараса Науменка з Української Православної Катедри св. Володимира, голову Головної Пластової Булави (ГПБ), пл. сен. Марту Кузьмович, голову Крайової Пластової Старшини Канади, пл. сен. Богдана Колоса, представника Крайової Пластової Старшини США- Крайового Коменданта Юнацтва, ст. пл. Андрія Зварича та членів Крайового Проводи та Ради США. Привітано директорку Нашої Української Рідної Школи, паню Ольгу Костів, та голову Українського Освітньо-Культурного Центру, пл. сен. Андрею Жаровську. У пластовій частині, з тривоженням, 8 новачок та 8 новаків одержали свої жовті хустки. Шість юначок та 12 юнаків стали прихильниками куреня.

Відзначено юнаків та юначок, що успішно відбули Орликіяду, здобувши 2-гі місця за виготовлення експонатів, як теж батьків за влучну допомогу. В урочистій точці свята, Голова ГПБ надала пл. сен. дов. Туні Білик-Шатинській, найвищий ступінь сеніорату, керівництва, за її віддану пластову працю. Надано признання довголітньому голові Пласт-Прияту, п. Василеві Кузьови за його невпинну працю протягом багатьох літ у Філядельфійській станиці. Святочне слово до молоді та батьків виголосив станичний, пл. сен. Марко Чума. Він пояснив значіння Пластової Свічечки та злуку з усіма пластунами в одну велику родину. П р о д о в ж у в а н о традиційну Свічечку, духовним батьківським привітом та б л а г о с л о в е н н я м п р о с ф о р и Вискокопреосвященним Миутрополитом Кир Стефаном Сорокою. Відтак «Спартанки» винесли посвячену просфору всім пластунам, батькам,

та гостям, при співі традиційних колядок. Для завершення свята, передано полумя Вифлеємського Вогню до запалення всім пластовим уладам, батькам, та гостям. Лунали привіти - віншування від протоієрея Тараса Науменка, поодиноких куренів, пластового проводу, ланки батьків та дорогих запрошених гостей. Мелодійна колядка дуету сестер Турчин заохотила всіх долучитись до дальшого співу різдвяних колядок при численних горіючих свічечках, символічної злуки з Н о в о н а р о д ж е н и м Ісусом та всіма пластунами світу. На заклик бунчужної закрито свято Свічечки, Новацьким Гимном »Ми Діти Українські» та молитвою-колядкою «Слава Богу Заспіваймо, Честь Сину, Божому, і Пану Нашому, Поклін Віддаймо».

Оксана Бачинська-Тарасюк

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 6

Myasopusna 2017 - Nanticoke, PA

Transfiguration of our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church announces its 11th annual Myasopusna Celebration, a pre-lenten event, to be held on Meatfare (Myasopusna) Sunday, February 19, 2017. A dinner of holubtsi (stuffed cabbage), kobasa, roast pork, varenyky (Transfiguration pierogies), kapusta, blackbread, and dessert will be served at the church’s banquet hall at 240 Center Street, Hanover Section of Nanticoke, from 12:30 to 2:00pm, with borscht also for sale, as well as Ukrainian and other beverages. Dinner is followed by entertainment until 4:00pm from the Holy Year Choir, Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, and Saint Mary’s Traditional Ukrainian Dancers. Doors will open at noon, with Ukrainian crafts on display and for sale throughout the event. Dinner tickets are $15 and are available at 570-735-4654.

To Die for Christ means to Live Forever

St. Josaphat Eparchy 2017 Lock-in Retreat

For Teenagers and Young Adults Saturday, March 18 to Sunday, March 19 (1:00pm to 1:00pm) St. Anne’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 4310 Kirk Road, Austintown OH $25.00 admission: includes presentations, book, meals, T-shirt & fun Special Exhibit: Icon Display of 20th Century Martyrs of Ukraine Contact Deacon Myron Spak @ 412-303-9086 / [email protected] RSVP by Sunday, March 5

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 7

We are now in need of significant financial help to address the elevator expense. We cannot afford to move forward without your financial help. Please help in whatever way you can by sending an offering to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy, 827 N Franklin Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123.

My heartfelt thanks to you for your understanding and for your anticipated generous assistance. God bless you richly in ways only He can!

+ Stefan SorokaMetropolitan-Archbishop

‘CONFRONT THE DEFICIT’ PROGRAM UPDATE

Confront the Deficit Update for December 2016/January 2017

Gift Amount

$1 - 49Nicholas Pcsolar

$50 - 99Dr. & Mrs. Wagdi CrediTeresa M SiwakEugene L. BrenyczRev. Msgr. Myron Grabowsky

$100 - 199Russell M. SamiloLubow Lesyk Gary J LepplaVery Rev. Archimandrite Joseph Lee

$200 - 499Rev. Deacon Michael P WaakHalyna & Lubomir PyrihNicholas F. Hiriak

$500 - 999Assumption of the BVM - Bayonne, NJMichael A. SuperataSt. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church - Trenton, NJ

$1000 - 4999Very Rev. Archpriest David F. ClooneyAndrew & Christine Fylypovych

$10,000Assumption of the BVM -Perth Amboy, NJ

Framing walls for new rooms at the old school building (Photo: Ken Hutchins)

Putting up drywall. (Photo: Ken Hutchins)

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 8

Swarthmore, PA"Regular Bi-Weekly

Pierogie Sales Are Back!

Orders Now Being Accepted!

The word is out! Freshly-made Potato/Cheese filled Pierogies are back at Holy Myrrh-Bearers Parish and you can get them for only $8.00 per dozen. Please place your order by calling our “Pierogie Hotline” at (267) 623-8602 or send us an email at [email protected]. Please leave your name, phone #, and # of dozen requested. All pickups are made in the Parish Hall located at 900 Fairview Road in Swarthmore/Ridley Township. Pickups at other times arranged based on prior request.

THE PROVIDENCE ASSOCIATION Your Ukrainian Catholic

Fraternal Life Insurance and Benefit Society

ATTENTION! Parishes, Charities, Societies Non-profits & Foundations

1912 Deposit Agreement Accounts Fraternity Paying 2017

3.00% Interest Rate Guaranteed minimum rate of 3.00% for life of contract

Rates will increase automatically when economic circumstances warrant Principal and interest growth guaranteed

Providence Association Phone: (877) 857-2284 E-mail: [email protected]

www.provassn.com

Great Fast Vespers - Philadelphia Deanery

The Clergy of the Philadelphia Protopresbyterate (Deanery) will again celebrate Vespers in various parishes in the area every Sunday of the Great Fast. Each Sunday, besides Vespers, priests will be available to hear Confessions beginning at

4:00PM.

March 5th Wilmington, St. Nicholas

March 12th Philadelphia, St. Nicholas

March 19th Fox Chase, Holy Trinity Chapel, Sisters of St. Basil the Great

March 26th Philadelphia, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

April 2nd Jenkintown, St. Michael


FEBRUARY 05, 2017 9

Saint Basil Academy in Jenkintown: Exciting First Semester

Saint Basil Academy, an all-girls private high school in Jenkintown, PA, directed by the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, has been brimming with activity during this past semester. Not only do the students seek opportunities that enhance their pursuit of knowledge, but challenge themselves with many diverse activities. Most recently, an ensemble of students, which included both volunteers from the SBA Choir and students from the general student body, performed two Ukrainian Christmas carols at the annual Festival of Christmas Carols, held at the beautiful Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception mid-January. They were joined for one song by a bandura ensemble led by Halyna Bodnar. Two of Saint Basil Academy’s music scholarship recipients, Julia Mayro and Music Academy participant Molly McAndrew have recently been accepted into this year’s All Catholic Band through competitive auditions. Both students are active in the SBA Band and Chamber Music Ensemble.

More than half of our Saint Basil Academy students play on athletic teams – many of which are highly competitive. The superb basketball team boasts member Natalie Kucowski, who recently scored not only her 1000th point of her high school career, but also her 1000th rebound. Natalie has signed with Lafayette College, where she has been awarded a full four-year athletic scholarship. Students who have strong interests in history and politics attended lectures at Philadelphia’s Union League as part of the Liberty Series. The Liberty Series is sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Foundation and the Foundation of the Union League. They heard lectures on socialism versus capitalism, the Second Amendment and American Enlightenment. Students of the Ukrainian language heard a lecture by Eugene Luciw, Esq. on the current issues facing Ukraine, and the possible ramifications on the Western world. Their day started with an experience of Ukrainian community life by attending the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center

Christmas Bazaar, and tasting Ukrainian cuisine at Passage Restaurant. The day culminated with a beautiful Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language, celebrated by Msgr. Peter Waslo and with the Sisters at the Holy Trinity Chapel of the Sisters of St. Basil. These experiences were funded in part by the Ukrainian Community Foundation of Philadelphia. As a single-gender school, Saint Basil

Academy provides a strong foundation for young women to develop leadership skills. The Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Award recognizes one sophomore from the school each year with an opportunity to attend leadership seminars on the state level and beyond. This year’s recognition is awarded to Teresa White.

Natalie Kucowski, St. Basil Academy Basketball

FEBRUARY 05, 2017 10


SAINT BASIL ACADEMY will offer the Seventh Grade Practice Exam on

Saturday, March 4 at 8 AM.Register online: https://www.

stbasilacademy.org/product/7th-grade-practice-exam-registration/

To schedule a Shadow Day Visit or for more information, please contact

Mrs. Kimberley Clearkin, Director of Admissions; (215) 649-9083; [email protected]

Come and see for yourself all that SBA has to offer!You belong here…

you elong here...

Register Online atwww.stbasilacademy.org/Admissions

Saint Basil Academy Seventh Grade Practice Exam

Saint Basil Academy’s “Panther Tales” plays an integral part in SBA’s fabric of school media, in addition to the school newspaper “Basilian Pillar.” The “Panther Tales” video production team employs state-of-the-art production gear, including new professional camera and lights, and editing software. They are about to occupy a new learning studio space dedicated to video production. The class is driven by a team of creative students who learn all phases of video production in a hands-on way to help add to SBA spirit. If you are a student or

parent who would like to find out more about student life at Saint Basil Academy, we invite you to contact the Admissions

Saint Basil Academy in Jenkintown: Exciting First Semester

Director, Mrs. Kimberley Clearkin, for information and to schedule time to visit the school. Contact information:

215-885-3771 ext. 125 or [email protected].

St. Basil Academy performs with a Bandura Ensemble at the 2017 Festival of Carols at the Cathedral


National Catholic Schools WeekBy Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka

National Catholic Schools Week will be observed from January 29th to February 4th atSt. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School in Minersville, PA, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School in Passaic, NJ, Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic School in Perth Amboy, NJ and St. Basil Academy in Fox Chase, PA.

This year’s theme “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” celebrates who every person involved in a Catholic School is called to be. Jesus, the Good Shepherd “came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). We are invited to an abundant life in Jesus Christ. When we fully live and breathe this faith, we live in His abundance. It cannot help but raise the standard of all of life

around us.

Our heartfelt gratitude is offered to all who are part of the family of our four schools. We acknowledge and thank the clergy, religious Sisters, the administrators, teachers, and all of the support staff for their sharing of this giftedness in their skills through their person. This enables each school to reflect abundant life in Jesus Christ.

Special thanks to the parents who seek the best for their children and offer their love and support for the school staff and students. You do it because of your living out your inspired desire for abundant life. We admire your tremendous personal and financial sacrifices to ensure a high standard of education and religious formation for your children.

Uppermost are our admiration and best wishes for every student in each school family. The highest ideals of a Catholic school can only encourage each student to strive to be their best in the pursuit of the abundant life offered

to all by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray for each student as each grows in the skills and understanding of achieving the best in your Catholic School family. May all grow in closeness with Jesus as we strive to be fully who we are called to be as a faithful student of a valued Ukrainian Catholic school.

We are particularly grateful for the meaningful example of excellence each school provides for the Church and for the community of which they are a part. The striving for high standards in Catholic education positively encourages others to excel in who they are and in how they live within the community. A Catholic School which raises its standard is fulfilling its mission of inspiring others to excellence, and thereby living the abundant life in Jesus Christ.

Especially helpful are the individual organizations and businesses who offer financial help to our Ukrainian Catholic schools. Donations by persons and groups who desire to support the high

standard of education and religious formation in our schools are enablers. Such valued donors truly breathe Jesus Christ’s call to abundant life. Can there be a better way to share one’s wealth and blessings than with children growing in knowledge and faith? Choose to financially help our Ukrainian Catholic schools to fulfill their sacred mission to teach and prepare our children with high standards and ideals.

All involved in our Ukrainian Catholic schools will be especially remembered in prayers offered throughout National Catholic Schools Week. May your hearts be filled with gratitude as you reflect on your achievement at raising the standard of education. May all of us continue to be inspired to be our best providing the optimum example to those whom we serve and to those among whom we attempt to raise the standard of education.

God bless you richly in ways only He can!


Cathedral Choir presents Christmas caroling donation check to Fr. Roman Pitula, Immaculate Conception Cathedral Rector. The choir collected $1,210 in donations for the Cathedral.

Caroling Donation

PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SONSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017

As we prepare to enter into the holy season of the Great Fast (Lent), our Church places before us the Gospel of the Prodigal Son. It is a parable about a man who had two sons. The elder son was very conscientious working daily in the fields, fulfilling his father every request. The younger son was not depicted as such, but rather as one who would be willing to leave home and all responsibilities to his

brother. He wanted to enjoy life and by himself. It appeared to be a permanent move: “the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country. (Lk. 15:13). This he did after asking for and receiving his share of the inheritance (even prior to the father’s death).

The younger son living alone begins to live a life without proper thought and wisdom: “He squandered his

inheritance on a life of dissipation (loose living).” (15:13) Having foolishly, but freely spent it all, something then occurs that makes his situation even more cumbersome. There comes a famine and he but longs to eat the pods, the food given to the swine to eat. There he was hungry and in dire need, in a situation even worse than that of the father’s hired hands. The younger son recognizes the situation for what it is and decides

to humble himself, to return home to his father, admitting his foolish sinfulness: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, I no longer deserve to be called your son.” This he rehearsed to say and said upon his return home. He was willing to be treated as one of the father’s hired workers.

When the prodigal young son was yet a distance,



the father catches sight of him, runs out to meet him, embraces him with compassion and kisses him, welcomes him home. Upon return, the father orders the servant to bring the prodigal son a fine robe, a ringer for his finger and sandals for the feet. A fattened calf is slaughter and the celebration begins. There is great rejoicing for the father receives back his son who was lost, but is now found – he is spiritually no longer dead, but alive with new life.

The older son who had been laboring in the field, returns from daily work, he notices the sound of music with dancing and becomes angry when told the father celebrates the safe return home of the prodigal. The older son would not enter into the celebration. The father goes out to plead for the older son to join in the celebration. The older son is obstinant and refuses. The older son then reminds the father that he, not the younger son, served him (the father) constantly (for years) and without ever disobeying a command.

PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SONSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017

And for all this, the older son bemoans that he never was given such a celebration with his friends. The father acknowledges the steadfastness of the older son and his constant presence with him. The father reminds the older one that everything the father has is (belongs to) him (the elder, industrious and faithful one).

The father also reminds the older son that the younger, the prodigal, is not only his son, but also a brother to the elder one. The father tells him that it is a time to celebrate and rejoice over the coming to life again of his prodigal son. The younger son returns both physically and spiritually found and no longer lost the parable ends without knowing if in fact the older son relents and enters into the celebration.

This is truly one of the most powerful passages of Sacred Scripture. It reminds us of the greatest gift given by the Heavenly Father, the loving father of both sons in this Gospel story – namely, free will.

The Father loves us so much that He does not coerce us to follow His Holy Will – to do good, make the right decision and live accordingly. Both sons were allowed to exercise this gift of free will – the younger prodigal to leave home and squander and the older one to not join into the celebration of the prodigal’s return. In this parable, the Father alone is perfect giving all an example to go and do likewise. All are given the opportunity to humble oneself and with compassion once again serve God and neighbor

(brother or sister in Christ).

Let us recognize that God loves each and every one of us. His is a constant, unfailing love ready to go into action to forgive, to save. And such is the awesome mystery of God’s Word which we are called to live daily here on earth in the hope of one day being deemed worthy of eternal life, entering into the Kingdom of God (heaven). Rev. D. George Worschak



IS GOD CALLING YOU TO CONSIDER RELIGIOUS LIFE?

I invite women and men who have given thought to considering religious life to meet with me, so as to help me understand thoughts and hopes cherished by candidates. What are the perceptions of religious or monastic life today? What are women and men considering religious life today anticipating from choosing consecrated life and ministry? Are there challenges faced by potential candidates which we as a Church do not fully understand? It would assist me to consider what I as Archbishop may facilitate to assist men and women to choose religious life. I propose to meet as a group at a place, time and day most convenient to those who respond, or individually, if preferred.

If you would like to participate, kindly send an email to my attention at [email protected]. Please provide your name, address, phone number, and indicate a preferred time to meet; that is, weekday or weekend, and time of day. Your interest and information will remain completely confidential with me. I will then suggest a time and place to meet most convenient to respondents.

Thank you for your anticipated assistance in helping me to understand and nurture God’s call to religious life today.

Archbishop Stefan Soroka



His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the families of heroes Heavenly Hundred in Kiev

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

All the priests who were on the Maidan, were on the ATO. More than 400 rotations our chaplains served, getting both physical and mental wounds. Then chaplains need rehabilitation. For under fire when the priest carrying in his arms a dead body, it is difficult for him to return to the normal life of the parish and family.

The Head and Father of the Greek-Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said on January 23th during a

meeting with families of Heavenly Hundred heroes in Kiev.

He noted that the Heads of Churches of Ukraine are at the forefront of the information war, "Every time we break through the information blockade, we become the voice of the whole society." And then he turned to relatives of fallen heroes, "Each of us has the pain, the tragedy of a mother who lost a son, or the pain of a child who lost his father, this cannot be measured. And we can be together with you to place your shoulder so that you do

not feel abandoned. "

At the end of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav recalled that the Secretary of State of the Vatican during his visit to Ukraine prayed in the chapel of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes in Kiev.

UGCC Information Department

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/his_beatituse_sv iatos lav_met_with_the_families_of_heroes_heavenly_hundred_in_kiev_78553.html

Pope: humility and trust in God are essential Christian virtues

01/29/2017 Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday dedicated his catechesis to the Gospel reading of the day reflecting on the Beatitudes recounted in the Sermon on the Mount.

He was addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus prayer.

The Gospel of Matthew, Francis said, is the keystone of the New Testament. It tells of how Jesus manifested God’s will to show man the path to happiness.

He said this message was already contained in the words of the prophets who highlighted God’s liberating closeness to the poor and the oppressed.

But Jesus, he said, points

to a different path which exhorts us all to trust in God as Christian happiness is to be found in the promise of salvation. Focusing on the first Beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, Pope Francis said he who is poor in spirit does not rebel, but knows how to be humble, obedient, and available to the grace of God.

And he pointed out that the happiness of the poor in spirit has two dimensions: first of all in respect to material goods that should be used with moderation:

Being weighed down by the need for voracious consumption that leads one to believe “the more I have, the more I want” is something, the Pope



said, that kills the soul. The man or woman who has this attitude, he explained, will never be happy.

Poverty of spirit, he continued, is revealed in the way a Christian praises and acknowledges the love with which the Lord created us and the world. In the way he puts his trust in God.

“He who is poor in spirit

is the Christian who does not trust in material riches, who is not obstinate in conveying his own opinions, but listens with respect and willingly defers to the decisions of others” he said.

"If there were more people who are poor in spirit in our communities there would be fewer divisions, disagreements and controversies! Humility, like charity,

Pope: humility and trust in God are essential Christian virtues

it is an essential virtue for living together in Christian communities”.

Poverty, in the evangelical sense, the Pope said, is the path to the Kingdom of Heaven, a path that favors sharing rather than possession.

“You can walk the path of love - the Pope concluded - only if you have an open heart” following the example

of Our Lady, the prime model of the poor in spirit, and totally docile to the will of the Lord.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/29/pope_humi l i t y_and_t r u s t _ i n _ g o d _ a r e _e s sen t i a l _ ch r i s t i an_virt/1289069

Pope at Vespers urges Christians to pray, proclaim and serve together

25/01/2017

(Vatican Radio) Authentic reconciliation between Christians will only be achieved when we can acknowledge each other’s gifts and learn from one another with humility. That was Pope Francis’ message to representatives of all the different Christian Churches gathered in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on Wednesday afternoon. The Pope was leading Vespers for the solemnity of the Conversion of St Paul and the close of the annual week of prayer for Christian unity.

In his homily Pope Francis reflected on the theme for this year’s week of prayer, which is ‘Reconciliation: the love of Christ compels us’. Reconciliation, he said, is a gift from Christ. Prior to any human effort by believers who strive to overcome their divisions, he said, reconciliation is God’s gift given freely to each one of us.

“How do we proclaim this Gospel of reconciliation today after centuries of division?”, the Pope asked. St Paul himself makes clear that reconciliation requires sacrifice and a revolution

of our way of living, he said. Just as Jesus laid down his life for us, so we are called to lay down our lives, by living no longer for ourselves and our own interests, but living instead for Christ and in Christ.

Leave behind isolation and self-absorption

For Christians of every confession, the Pope said, this is an invitation not to be caught up with programs and plans, not to be obsessed with contemporary fashions, but to be focused on the Cross where we

can “discover our program of life”. The Cross invites us to leave behind all isolation and self-absorption which prevents us from seeing how the Holy Spirit is at work outside our familiar surroundings.

Joint Reformation commemora t i on s "a remarkable achievement"

While looking back can be helpful and necessary to purify our memory, the Pope said, being fixated on the past and the memory of wrongs



done can paralyze us and prevent us from living in the present. Pope Francis recalled in particular the fact that Catholics and Lutherans are today joining in commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, something he described

as “a remarkable achievement”.

Pray, proclaim and serve together

Greeting especially Metropolitan Gennadios, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Archbishop David

Moxon, representing the Anglican Communion, Pope Francis urged all those present to take advantage of every occasion to pray together, to proclaim together and to love and serve together, especially those who are the poorest and most

neglected in our midst.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/25/pope_urges_christians_to_pray,_proclaim_and_serve_together/1288150

Pope at Vespers urges Christians to pray, proclaim and serve together


Pope: Fear of everything, the sin that paralyzes Christians

27/01/2017

(Vatican Radio) God frees us from the sin that paralyzes us as Christians: faintheartedness, being afraid of everything, which keeps us from having memory, hope, courage, and patience. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday.

Remembering God’s work of salvation in my lifePope Francis said the day’s Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to live the Christian life with three points of reference: the past, the present, and the future. First, it invites us to remember, because “the Christian life does not

begin today: it continues today.” Remembering is “to recall everything”: the good things, and those that are less good, and putting my own story “before the sight of God”: without covering up or hiding it:

“‘Brothers, call to mind those first days’: the days of enthusiasm, of going forward in the faith, when you began to live the faith, the anguished trials… You don’t understand the Christian life, even the spiritual life of each day, without memory. Not only do you not understand: You can’t live in a Christian way without memory. The memory of the salvation of God in my life, the memory of my troubles in my life; but how has the Lord saved me from

these troubles? Memory is a grace: a grace to ask for. ‘Lord, may I not forget your step in my life, may I not forget the good moments, also the ugly; the joys and the crosses.’ The Christian is a man of memory.”

Living in the hope of encountering JesusThe author of the Letter then makes us understand that “we are on the journey in expectation of something,” in expectation of “arriving at a point: an encounter; encountering the Lord.” “And he exhorts us to live by faith”:

“Hope: Looking to the future. Just as one cannot live a Christian life without memory of the steps taken, one cannot live a Christian

life without looking to the future with hope… of the encounter with the Lord. And he uses a beautiful phrase: ‘just a brief moment…’ Eh, life is a breath, eh? It passes. When one is young, he thinks he has so much time before him, but then life teaches us that those words that we all say: ‘But how time passes! I knew this person as a child, now they’re getting married! How time passes!’ It comes soon. But the hope of encountering it is a life in tension, between memory and hope, the past and the future.”

Living in the present with courage and patience




Finally, the Letter invites us to live in the present, “often times painful and sad,” with “courage and patience”: that is, with frankness, without shame, and enduring the events of life. We are sinners, the Pope explained – all of us. “He who is first, and he who is later… if you want, we can make the list later, but we are all sinners. All of us. But we go forward with courage and patience. We don’t remain there, stopped, because this would not make us grow.”

The sin that

paralyzes Christians: FaintheartednessFinally, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews urges us not to commit the sin that takes away memory, hope, courage, and patience: f a i n t h e a r t e d n e s s (It.: pusillanimitа, “pusillanimity”). “It is a sin that doesn’t allow us to go forward, through fear.” Jesus, though, says, “Don’t be afraid.” The fainthearted are those “who always go backward, who guard themselves too much, who are afraid of everything”: “‘Not taking risks, please,

no… prudence…’ All the commandments, all of them… Yes, it’s true, but this paralyzes you too, it makes you forget so many graces received, it takes away memory, it takes away hope, because it doesn’t allow you to go forward. And the present (time) of a Christian, of such a Christian, is how when one goes along the street and an unexpected rain comes, and the garment is not so good and the fabric shrinks… Confined souls… This is faintheartedness: this is the sin against memory, courage, patience,

and hope. May the Lord make us grow in memory, make us grow in hope, give us courage and patience each and free us from that which is faintheartedness, being afraid of everything… Confined souls in order to save ourselves. And Jesus says: ‘He who wills to save his life will lose it.’”

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/27/p o p e _ f e a r _ o f _e v e r y t h i n g , _ t h e _s i n_ t ha t_pa ra l y ze s_christians/1288641

Pope: Fear of everything, the sin that paralyzes Christians(continued from previous page)

His Beatitude Sviatoslav on the Feast of the Epiphany: "To realize our own dignity – is already a revolution"

Friday, 20 January 2017 Today we live in a world of falsehoods and fakes. We ourselves often hide our own personality because we see that have nothing to show off. We are afraid to stand the moment of truth about ourselves. But today Christ is inviting us to wash with this Jordan water and overcome evil.

This was said by the Father and Head of the

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his homily to the faithful in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Feast of the Epiphany.

The Feast of Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the greatest Christian holy days. As the Primate said, this holiday is connected with the historic event, which has an extremely

deep meaning for us. It's meaningful for us, those who are living at this non-simple, special moment in the history of Ukraine.

We are reading about this event in the Gospel: Jesus is coming from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. "John, doing this baptism in the Jordan," told the preacher, "seems to give the people hope for salvation, purification;

hope that once the biggest hidden thing about everyone will not be sin and evil but something much better. For the Lord didn't create a man for sin and evil but made him in His own image, to belong to Him and participate in God's life. And now to the Jordan River comes Christ. He comes to reveal His mystery. When John saw the Savior,



he understood that this is the most honest and pure person, who does not need washing to become holy and clean. But Jesus insists: yes, we ought to fulfill all righteousness, because He wants to reveal to John and others Who He is, the hidden mystery of His Divine Person."

His Beatitude Sviatoslav explained that today we are celebrating our adoption. "Jesus Christ is revealed and announced by His Divine Father by the power of the Holy Spirit as His only Son, eternally begotten of the Father, according to His Divine nature. But today He enters the Jordan waves to give everyone a chance to become God's sons and daughters. He wants to share with us that Who He is, make us partakers of His truth. Therefore, water today is like an instrument of God's adoption".

"Christ, entering the Jordan waves, blessing the water, touching the Universe by His presence, reveals to us the mystery of Baptism", said the Head of the Church.

Each of us, assures

the theologian, at the moment of baptizing becomes a God's child. "And this becomes our biggest secret. Each of us must reveal in himself that we are free, not slaves. We are not instruments of some policy or other earthly powers. The deepest truth about each of us is that we are sons and daughters of the Almighty, whom we became at the moment of baptizing, receiving the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Chrismation".

"And this water, which we are blessing today," continued His Beatitude Sviatoslav, "is a water of revival, a water of purification. Christ accepts Baptism for the sake of us, to make us partakers of His inheritance as God's Son, so that each of us could recognize God, be able to enter into God's presence. So today we in a sense reveal the deepest truth about ourselves. We find our true dignity and identity in the Sacrament of Baptism."

According to his words, today we will solemnly go to the Ukrainian

Jordan - the Dnieper to baptize waters. "We want to commune today with this Jordan water so that in our life we could fulfill all righteousness. We ask today that Christ may renew in us that baptizing with water and the Holy Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit and fire, which we received when we became Christians. To realize our own dignity is already a revolution. We need revival, purification so much in our Ukraine, but we understand, that the moment of truth is to be set not by a man but by God," emphasized the Head of the Church."We ask that by means of this Jordan water, which we commune, which we take to our homes, which we sprinkle on ourselves, the Lord our God may send His blessing on Ukraine, may reveal our truth, in which we are living and for which

we are fighting and dying. May He reveal our dignity, our power, which is in God. May our Ukrainian Jordan carry this consecrated water to all the corners of our land. May this water drive out of Ukraine all the enemies and foes, may it show the truth, may it bring us victory of truth and good," wished the spiritual leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

After the Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav blessed the water in the Dnieper.

The UGCC Department of Information

http://news.ugcc.ua/en/news/ the_head_of_ugcc_on_the_feast_o f _ t h e _ e p i p h a n y _to_real ize_our_own_dignity__is_already_a_revolution_78550.html

His Beatitude Sviatoslav on the Feast of the Epiphany: "To realize our own dignity – is already a revolution"


UGCC Patriarch led interfaith prayer for Christian Unity

25 January 2017

Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Sviatoslav led an interfaith Prayer for Christian Unity, held on January 23, 2017 at the Church of St. Basil the Great in Kyiv, within the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

In remarks to the faithful, the Primate thanked God and all the participants for a joint prayer for unity among Christians. “Lord God sends us a very interesting prophetic sign,” said the patriarch, “because our prayer brings together representatives of all the Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. Our task today is to witness Christ, the only cornerstone on which the personal life, life of the church and our society should be built.”

Attending the ecumenical prayer, in particular, were: Bishop Vitaliy (Skomarovsky), Secretary General of the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine, Bishop Marcos (Oganesyan), head of the Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, representative of the Lutheran Church in Ukraine.

According to Fr. Ihor Shaban, head of the UGCC Commission for Promoting Christian unity, the main theme of reflections and a slogan of this ecumenical week were the words of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 5, 14-20) – “The love of Christ urges us toward reconciliation.”

Father Igor said that Ukraine, like the rest of Europe, marks 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In view of this, representative of the Protestant community Anatoliy Kozachok, Bishop of Kyiv region of the Union of Evangelical Christians., was invited to preach at this year’s

prayer.

This topic has been prepared by Christians in Germany, who made a special focus on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and tried to emphasize, on the one hand, the importance of God’s love and grace for Christians, and on the other – to draw attention to the pain caused by deep wounds of separation between the Churches. In their opinion, the world needs ministers of reconciliation to break barriers, erect bridges, bring peace and open the door to a new life in the name of the one who has reconciled us to God, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a guide on the

road to reconciliation in His name. It has been reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.

h t t p : / / r i s u . o r g . u a /en/ i ndex/a l l _news/c o n f e s s i o n a l /i n t e r c h u r c h _relations/65860/



Message for World Day of Communications: Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time

24/01/2017

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has released Pope Francis’ Message for the 51st World Day of Social Communications. The theme of this year’s message is "Fear not, for I am with you": Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time. The World Day of Social Communications is celebrated in almost all countries on the Sunday before Pentecost. The message is being issued on January 24th , the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.

Find the full text of the message below «Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5):

Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time

Access to the media – thanks to technological progress – makes it possible for countless people to share news instantly and spread it widely. That news may be good or bad, true or false. The early Christians compared the human mind to a constantly grinding millstone; it is up to the miller to determine what it will grind: good wheat or worthless weeds. Our minds are always “grinding”, but it is up to us to choose what to feed them (cf. SAINT JOHN CASSIAN, Epistle to Leontius).

I wish to address this message to all those who, whether in their professional work or personal relationships, are like that mill, daily “grinding out” information with the aim of providing rich fare for those with whom they communicate.

I would like to encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter, helping all of us to view the world around us with realism and trust.

I am convinced that we have to break the vicious circle of anxiety and stem the spiral of fear resulting from a constant focus on “bad news” (wars, terrorism, scandals and all sorts of human failure). This has nothing to do with spreading misinformation that would ignore the tragedy of human suffering, nor is it about a naive optimism blind to the scandal of evil. Rather, I propose that all of us work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent and resignation that can at times generate apathy, fear or the idea that evil has no limits. Moreover, in a communications industry which thinks that good news does not sell, and where the tragedy of human suffering and the mystery of evil easily turn into entertainment, there

is always the temptation that our consciences can be dulled or slip into pessimism.

I would like, then, to contribute to the search for an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamourize evil but instead to concentrate on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients. I ask everyone to offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart “good news”.

Good news

Life is not simply a bare succession of events, but a history, a story waiting to be told through the choice of an interpretative lens that can select and gather the most relevant data. In and of itself, reality has no one clear meaning. Everything depends on the way we look at things, on the lens we use to view them. If we change that lens, reality itself appears different. So how can we begin to “read” reality through the right lens?

For us Christians, that

lens can only be the good news, beginning with the Good News par excellence: “the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God” (Mk 1:1). With these words, Saint Mark opens his Gospel not by relating “good news” about Jesus, but rather the good news that is Jesus himself. Indeed, reading the pages of his Gospel, we learn that its title corresponds to its content and, above all else, this content is the very person of Jesus.

This good news – Jesus himself – is not good because it has nothing to do with suffering, but rather because suffering itself becomes part of a bigger picture. It is seen as an integral part of Jesus’ love for the Father and for all mankind. In Christ, God has shown his solidarity with every human situation. He has told us that we are not alone, for we have a Father who is constantly mindful of his children. “Fear not, for I am with you” (Is 43:5): these are the comforting words of a God who is immersed in

the history of his people. In his beloved Son, this divine promise – “I am with you” – embraces all our weakness, even to dying our death. In Christ, even darkness and death become a point of encounter with Light and Life. Hope is born, a hope accessible to everyone, at the very crossroads where life meets the bitterness of failure. That hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5) and makes new life blossom, like a shoot that springs up from the fallen seed. Seen in this light, every new tragedy that occurs in the world’s history can also become a setting for good news, inasmuch as love can find a way to draw near and to raise up sympathetic hearts, resolute faces and hands ready to build anew.

Confidence in the seed of the Kingdom

To introduce his disciples and the crowds to this Gospel mindset and to give them the right “lens” needed to see and embrace the love that dies and rises, Jesus uses parables. He frequently compares the Kingdom of God to a seed that releases its potential for life precisely when it falls

to the earth and dies (cf. Mk 4:1-34). This use of images and metaphors to convey the quiet power of the Kingdom does not detract from its importance and urgency; rather, it is a merciful way of making space for the listener to freely accept and appropriate that power. It is also a most effective way to express the immense dignity of the Paschal mystery, leaving it to images, rather than concepts, to communicate the paradoxical beauty of new life in Christ. In that life, hardship and the cross do not obstruct, but bring about God’s salvation; weakness proves stronger than any human power; and failure can be the prelude to the fulfilment of all things in love. This is how hope in the Kingdom of God matures and deepens: it is “as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow” (Mk 4:26-27).

The Kingdom of God is already present in our midst, like a seed that is easily overlooked, yet silently takes root. Those to whom the Holy Spirit grants keen vision can see it blossoming. They do not let themselves be robbed of the joy of the Kingdom

by the weeds that spring up all about.

The horizons of the Spirit

Our hope based on the good news which is Jesus himself makes us lift up our eyes to contemplate the Lord in the liturgical celebration of the Ascension. Even though the Lord may now appear more distant, the horizons of hope expand all the more. In Christ, who brings our human nature to heaven, every man and woman can now freely “enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Heb 10:19-20). By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8).

Confidence in the seed of God’s Kingdom and in the mystery of Easter should also shape the way we communicate. This confidence enables us to carry out our work – in all the different ways that communication takes place nowadays – with the conviction that it is possible to recognize and highlight the good news present in every story and

in the face of each person.

Those who, in faith, entrust themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit come to realize how God is present and at work in every moment of our lives and history, patiently bringing to pass a history of salvation. Hope is the thread with which this sacred history is woven, and its weaver is none other than the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Hope is the humblest of virtues, for it remains hidden in the recesses of life; yet it is like the yeast that leavens all the dough. We nurture it by reading ever anew the Gospel, “reprinted” in so many editions in the lives of the saints who became icons of God’s love in this world. Today too, the Spirit continues to sow in us a desire for the Kingdom, thanks to all those who, drawing inspiration from the Good News amid the dramatic events of our time, shine like beacons in the darkness of this world, shedding light along the way and opening ever new paths of confidence and hope.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2017

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/24/message_for_world_day_of_communicat ions_is_released/1287875

Message for World Day of Communications: Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time



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Photo: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United

States in Washington, DC. - EPA

Pope Francis sends good wishes to US President Donald Trump

20/01/2017

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his good wishes to United States President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated in a ceremony at the US Capitol Building on Friday.

“At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding far-sighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation’s commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide,” – the Message reads – “Under your leadership, may America’s stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door.” http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/20/pope_francis_sends_good_wishes_to_us_president_donald_trump/1287205

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