News

Be part of this discussion group in Our Parish every Friday during Lent and make the journey to strengthen your faith and relationship with Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

To commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of Ukraine’s greatest poet, Taras Shevchenko, the ACS students took part in Taras Shevchenko Essay Contest. They had to write an essay on the theme “Why even today, Taras Shevchenko is still considered Ukraine's Greatest Hero”. This morning, at the Children’s Liturgy, Fr. Ivan Turyk announced winners : First prize and $200 went to Cassandra Rizkallah and the Second Prize – $100 was given to Steven Marcucci. The Third Prize and $50 went to Yuri Deyneka, parishioner of the Assumption Parish. Congratulations to Our Essay Contest Winners!

On Sunday, March 2, 2014  parishioners of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whipanny, NJ  gathered together along with the clergy from the New Jersey Deanery to take part in the solemn service of Forgiveness Vespers. The main celebrant for the evening service was Rev. Joseph Szupa, Dean of Clergy for New Jersey. Con-celebrants were Right Reverend Mitred Protopresbyter Roman Mirchuk,  Rev. Andriy Dudkevych,  Rev. Vasyl Putera, Rev. Vasyl Vladyka, Rev. Orest Kunderevych, Rev. Ivan Turyk  and altar servers. The main homilist was Rev. Taras Svirchuk, C.Ss.R, an assistant pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church  in Newark, NJ.

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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish and choir “ Boyan” in Perth Amboy, NJ. Invites all  to celebrate:
TARAS SHEVCHENKO 200th ANNIVERSARY
Sunday,  March 9, 2014 at 12 noon
In the Program:
10:00 a.m.  – Divine Liturgy in Church
12:00 noon – Concert marking  Taras Shevchenko's 200th anniversary of birth with the production of the part of poet's drama play "Naymychka" (The Servant Girl). The  choir “ Boyan”  will present a  moving concert of songs, poems and recitations.
Free admission.…

The St. Ann's Society sponsored Gift Auction will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at Assumption Catholic School Auditorium, 380 Meredith St., Perth Amboy, NJ. Doors open at 12:00 p.m. and auction starts at 2:00 p.m. Admission is $6. Cake and coffee are included. Great prizes will feature Sony Blue Ray DVD player, Theme Basckets, Raffles and more. The kitchen will be open for lunch, featuring cabbage & noodles, hotdogs, kielbasa & sauerkraut. No outside food please. Tickets are available in advance from St. Ann’s members or at the door. For more information call the rectory, 732-826- 0767.

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To commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of Ukraine’s greatest poet, Taras Shevchenko, the Assumption Catholic Church in Perth Amboy, NJ announces its 2014 Taras Shevchenko Essay Contest for all parish children and Assumption Catholic School students in grades 3-8. The contest’s theme, “ Why even today, Taras Shevchenko is still considered Ukraine's Greatest Hero” aims to promote learning and awareness of Shevchenko’s legacy by those less or not at all familiar with his life’s work. We encourage ACS students and parish children to submit their own written essay.

Essay Requirements: 1) English or Ukrainian; 2) up to two pages in length- 500-word limit; 3) typed in 12 pt. font or in neat hand writing.

Submission: The essay must be send to the church or school email: assumptionchurch@verizon.net or ACSschooloffice@gmail.com. The hard copy can also be given either to Fr. Ivan or the school’s principal Mr. S.

Deadline: The essay has to be send by Friday, February 28, 2014

Awards: Winners will receive a monetary gift: First prize – $200, Second prize – $100, Third prize – $50…

“No one knew how many innocents entered the grave – old, young, children, and those not yet born, in the bosoms of their mothers.” These words were among many by which the parish of the Ukrainian Assumption Church in Perth Amboy, NJ solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Holodomor (Terror-Famine) in Ukraine on Sunday, November 23rd, 2013.   Led by the church Choir “Boyan”, directed by Alla Korostil, the requiem-concert included poetry readings and the performance of several musical pieces by the choir.

Following a “panakhyda” for the 10 million victims of the Holodomor which concluded the morning’s Divine Liturgy, parish faithful assembled in the church hall to take part in the commemoration.  The requiem-concert was opened by the words: “7,441 years from the beginning of the world, 1,933 years after the Birth of Christ, the Great Famine happened in Ukraine. There was no war, no drought, no flood, or pestilence at the time. There was only the evil will of one group of people against another.”

Participants recited a number of poems on the topic of the Hoodomor, including works of Ukrainian poets Lesia Lubarska  and Bohdan Dydyk. This was followed by the Choir “Boyan” performing the well-known song “Oj u luzi chervona kalyna” (In the meadow the red kalyna is bowed), “Bozhe velykyj jedynyj” (Great and only God), and the Ukrainian national anthem, “Shche ne vmaerla Ukraiina” (Ukraine lives on). The program was concluded by a performance of the song “Svicha” (Candle) by choir member Iryna Stems’ka. A slide show of historical photos taken in Ukraine during the Holodomor was shown in the background throughout the performances.   

Few in the audience were left untouched by the emotion of the event, including many of the performers.  The commemorative concert was organized by Mrs. Korostil with the support of Pastor Rev. Ivan Turyk. The historical slide show for the event was coordinated by Andrij Wowk.  

Українці в  Перт Амбой Н. Джерсі згадали всі жахи Голодомору.

У Неділю 24 Листопада 2013 року  о 9:00 год. рано, за посередництвом пароха отця Івана Турика, та диригентки пані Алли Коростіль, в Українській Католицькій Церкві Успіння Пресвятої  Богородиці, українці вшанували пам’ять жертв Голодомору. Комуністичний геноцид  був частиною геніального плану Сталіна, щоб знищити його розум (інтелігенцію), душу (Церкву та її духовенство) та дух (сільське господарство та села, що уособлювали в собі національність, культуру та традиції) Української нації.  Усі присутні на Літургії а після того на реквіємі-концерті, відчули біль особливо гостро у цю 80 річницю, адже жахливою смертю загинули мільйони наших братів і сестер, яких сталінський режим позбавив права на життя, а відтак комуністична влада впродовж десятиліть системно позбавляла права на пам'ять.  Ми не забули вас наші брати і сестри. Після Служби Божої та Панахиди, наш церковний хор “Боян” під керівництвом пані Алли Коростіл підготував концерт-реквієм вшанування 80-ліття сумної трагедії нашої неньки-України, де від голоду померло близько 10 мільйонів людей.

Року 7441-го від створення світу,року 1933 – го від Різдва Христового був в Україні великий Голод. Не було тоді ні війни, ні суші, ні потопу,ані моровиці.  А була тільки зла воля одних людей проти інших. І ніхто не знав скільки невинного люду зійшло в могилу- старих,молодих,і дітей, і ще ненароджених- у лонах матерів. Ці слова ввійдуть у Книгу Буття українського народу, якщо таку книгу буде колись написано. Цими словами розпочався концерт-реквієм. Учасники хору дикламували вірші, серед  яких поезії поетеси з України Лесі Любарської  та Богдана Дидик. З великим піднесенням прозвучали пісні-гімни у виконанні церковного хору: “Ой у лузі червона калина”,”Боже Великий Єдиний”, “Ще не вмерла Україна”  а також “Свіча” у виконанні Ірини Стремської.  В залі не було жодної байдужої людини. Підтвердженням були сльози скорботи і печалі у всіх присутніх.  Щиро дякуємо організаторам цього заходу.…

On Sunday, December 1, 2013.about 65 parishioners gathered for a festive and incisive catechetical program to ready the parish for the great celebration of the Nativity of Christ In the church hall which was decorated with the nativity Icon and tables decorated with poinsettias, the parishioners enjoyed a wonderful lunch as they conversed about their preparations for the holiday as well as their Thanksgiving celebration.

The program then began when our pastor Father Ivan Turyk asked the participants to recall the following: As you enter the church of Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church in Perth Amboy, N.J. you see in the Nave of the Church surrounding the altar in a half circle on the left the various prophets from the Old Testament. On the opposite side of the half circle on the right, are pictured the saints of the New Testament. The center of these half circles is God the Father, then streaming from Him, a dove, the Holy Spirit, radiating to the Blessed Mother and then Christ and His apostles.

Once the participants of this Generations of Faith program titled “God is with Us” were immersed in the setting, Mrs. Helen Cheloc began the presentation in English with translations by Mrs. Alla Korostil in Ukrainian. The presentation centered on how the world was changed on that first Holy Night; and yet, the foundations for that change were set for thousands of years prior to that event. The theme of trust, humility and love were explored as they related to the world changing event 2013 years ago. The large Nativity Icon was featured and the writings of it were incorporated into the program.

As has been the custom of the previous GOF gatherings, parishioners had questions at their tables to discuss. The following five questions were decided upon by the GOF committee.
1.    How do you keep the true meaning of Christmas alive in your home and how does it compare with the ways in which society tries to commercialize and secularize the meaning of Christmas?
2.    What can we as Catholics do to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive?
3.    Has saying “yes” to Christ transformed your life?
4.    What role does the Christmas Eve Supper and caroling play in your family? Why are the traditions still kept in your family?
5.    If you were with the Magi what would you bring to the baby Jesus on that first Christmas night?

After table discussions, a spokesperson from every table presented a short synopsis of their discussion with translations presented so everyone could benefit from the insights. The group was ready for two of the youngest parishioners that Sister Yosaphata prepared to explain the nativity story by putting together a crèche while the story of the First Christmas was read.  The concluding remarks were summarized with good recommendations by the participants. A young lady recently from Ukraine shared with the participants the need for extra prayer and fasting as well more acts of charity during this Advent season, while a Senior citizen that has been a parishioner for over 65 years stated that the elderly, the shut in, the neglected and the military should be remembered especially during this season. The program was ended with the singing by everyone of the verse from the Nativity vespers “God is with us”- Z Namu Boh.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his pastoral letter “The Vibrant Parish” reflects on the importance of the Word of God by saying “Permanent and continuous formation for various age groups-children, youth, adults and the elderly is an essential component of the vibrant parish”. The Generation of Faith presentations at Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church address all age groups that are represented and it provides an opportunity for a deeper knowledge of the faith.

Likewise, in accordance with the same pastoral letter encouraging serving one’s neighbor, the Parish raised over $1,600.00, for the victims of the hurricane in the Philippines, and the women’s group of the Parish, St. Ann’s Society have donated $500.00 to the building of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Spain. Both of these causes are continents apart from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, but the parishioners are trying to adhere to the teaching of the pastoral letter “This service to our neighbor flows from our rootedness in Christ”.

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