Taras Shevchenko Concert in Perth Amboy, NJ.

What an incredible day it was on March 9, 2025, as our community gathered at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption of the BVM for an afternoon filled with music, poetry, culture, and solidarity.
Our parish choir, “Boyan,” under the direction of Mrs. Alla Korostil, presented a beautiful concert of poetry and songs to commemorate the life of Ukraine’s most well-known poet, Taras Shevchenko. With the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, Shevchenko’s words have become a symbol of the struggle of many generations of Ukrainians for freedom and independence.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the performers who shared their passion and talent in honoring the great Ukrainian poet, artist, and symbol of Ukrainian independence.
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Celebrating Family Life During the Jubilee Year of Hope.

On Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption in Perth Amboy, NJ, we celebrated a day dedicated to the precious institution called “family.” Family Day was a demonstration of our unity and love for God and each other. The day began at 6:15 with a Moleben to St. Joseph, who is widely recognized as the patron saint of families, fathers, and workers, and is considered a powerful intercessor for those seeking guidance and protection for their families.
After the Moleben and Candlelight Ceremony, all Family Day participants had the opportunity to enjoy Fr. Ivan’s talk on “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as a Model for All Christian Families” and a delicious meal of pizza and fruits, lovingly prepared by parents.
After the meal, various educational and recreational activities were organized by the Sisters Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. Our sisters—Mother Veronica, Sr. Svitanku, and Sr. Trijtsi—gathered the youth, teenagers, and their parents in the church hall for a tournament with various games. Competitions, games, and entertainment filled the space with joyful laughter and activity. At the end, the children and adults sang the song “We Are Family.”
We hope that all those who participated in Family Day felt the warmth of our church community and the uniting power of family under God’s blessing.
We sincerely thank the Sisters, Fr. Ivan, and everyone who helped organize this event, as well as all the participants whose presence and involvement made this day unforgettable.
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Mission of Hope

Thank you very much to the Fratelli Quartet for a beautiful and prayerful Stations of the Cross and a spiritual music concert at Assumption Catholic Parish in Perth Amboy, NJ.
During the Jubilee Year of Hope, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, head of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, invited the quartet to visit various parishes and, through the celebration of a Lenten services, reflect upon and share the reason for our hope (1 Pt 3:15).
Today, the atmosphere of prayer at our Assumption church was filled with deep reflections of Jesus’ suffering on the way to Golgotha. The beautiful singing of the Fratelli Quartet created a special spiritual ambiance that brought many to tears and touched the hearts of present.
Each station of the cross was accompanied by reflections that encouraged parishioners to examine their own lives through the lens of the Savior’s redemptive sacrifice. The prayerful spirit was further elevated by the passionate hymns performed by the future priests.
While reflecting on the sufferings of Jesus Christ and His Mother, the Virgin Mary, the quartet also remembered all those who have perished in the Russian-Ukrainian war. The opportunity for the Lenten confession was also available by a visiting priest. 
This event was a true blessing for everyone in attendance, inspiring sincere prayer and strengthening faith. Thank you to all who joined us.
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All Saints’ Day

All Saints’ Day, is a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known and unknown. Today our parish was also visited by saints: Volodymyr and Olha, Josaphat Kuntsevych, Faustina, Patrick, John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and Joan of Arc. The youngest children learned about each of them, had the opportunity to talk to them and take pictures. The games around the convent  were no less exciting – fishing, mini basketball, throwing balls… We are grateful to the group of youth  for their generous help and support of the holiday atmosphere!

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Ladies’ Prayer Night with Our Blessed Mother.

A gathering of parish women, led by the members of St. Ann Society,  joined in prayer and fellowship as they honored the Blessed Mother of God at the 9th annual Women’s Evening of Prayer. A Moleben to the Holy Theotokos is celebrated each Tuesday in May at Assumption parish, but this week was special. Invitations were sent to neighboring parishes in anticipation of an even larger manifestation of love for the Queen of Heaven.

Parish Sisters Veronica, Svitanku, and Trijtsi who belong to the order of Sisters Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matera led the singing of the Moleben which was celebrated in both Ukrainian and English. The homily was delivered by the Reverend Archpriest Daniel Troyan, pastor of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church in Swarthmore, PA. Father’s theme was Mary, Mother of Jesus – The Love story of God.

Refreshments and fellowship followed in the church hall. There was a heartfelt atmosphere of love and gratitude to the Lord for the gift of His Heavenly Mother who watches over us all.

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Easter 2024

St. Paul wrote, “If Christ has not risen, our faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14).
 But Christ has risen, and your presence my dear parishioners and guests at the Assumption Church was both affirms and celebrates that most amazing and enduring of all realities!
I want to thank all those who made the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter so prayerful and beautiful this year. I thank all of our volunteers who baked delicious paskas bread and who decorated the church, it looks so beautiful. I want to thank our liturgical ministers: our altar servers, cantors, ushers, a sound system person, our dedicated religious Sisters, Deacon Paul, Kenny and Holy Name Society men for offering their time for the Lord.  In a special way I want to thank students of Assumption School for beautifully praying a Good Friday Vespers service and our choir “ Boyan” under the direction of Alla Korostil who provided such beautiful liturgical responses for the Holy Week Services, Saturday Matins and the Easter Sunday liturgy. We are so blessed to have such dedicated people involved to make our celebrations so beautiful, inspiring and uplifting. A big thank you goes to Fr. Mykola Dziurakh,  a visiting priest from Philadelphia for offering confession and a service to our parish.
We were blessed to have many people come to Sunday Easter Liturgies at 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. The crowds this year were exceptional, almost a thousand of faithful participated at all Liturgies!
For those who simply were here at Easter time visiting with us, please know that you always have a spiritual home and that EVERY Sunday is a mini-Easter and should be celebrated as such. When  we celebrate the Sunday Eucharist, we are marking the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Prayer Service for Peace and Justice

This Thursday evening, hundreds of people attended a Prayer Service for Peace in Ukraine at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia that was  led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the bishops of the Permanent Synod. The American Ukrainian community in Perth Amboy, NJ has always been active, especially on appeals for peace and solidarity, support for the homeless, an emergency medical donation appeal and prayer for those suffering around the world. On this special day, many parishioners on their own and Assumption Catholic School students, teachers, parish sisters and administration traveled by bus to Philadelphia to pray for the end of war and to show support for people of Ukraine,  who are suffering after Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. For the past two-year, Assumption Catholic School have opened its doors to more than twenty Ukrainian refugee students as millions flee the war-torn country. The school is providing discounted tuition, language instruction and a sense of stability for the children.

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Gift Auction Success

The ladies of St. Ann Society are grateful to all parishioners and friends  who attended the “Around the World” TrickyTray/ Gift Auction last Sunday. The event began with our honored guest, Most Reverend Bishop Venedykt of Chicago, who walked among workers and attendees while offering his blessing and distributing prayer cards. Parish support, beginning with Fr. Ivan and Sisters Veronica, Triijtsi, and Svitanku combined with the FSA and the Holy Name Society made for a very successful fundraiser. The young adult group who delivered the prizes and verified the winning tickets was a welcome  addition to the list of those who contributed to a wonderful afternoon. To all those who attended, donated prizes, or helped in any way, the ladies of St. Ann Society offer their heartfelt thanks.

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Parish Youth – How it all began…

The church, varenyky, and history were the topic of our meeting with teenagers yesterday.
Father Ivan began with the story that our parish was built with varenyky, made and sold by our parishioners over 60 years ago.
And then our teenagers tried their hand at it, all dressed in vyshyvankas, working together to make beautifully crafted varenyky, even though many of them were born in America.
While the varenyky were cooking, everyone plunged into the ancient history of our Church: from the Apostle Andrew in Kyiv and the baptism of Ukraine-Rus’ right up to the present day and the Church of the Assumption in Perth Amboy. It was mentioned that the Church is a great gift for everyone and a great responsibility to preserve this gift.
After a meal of Ukrainian varenyky with sour cream, our meeting ended with a fun game.
May God protect our Ukraine and grant it peace!

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