News

St. Ann’s Society sponsored a Gift Auction, an annual tradition for them. More than two-hundred-fifty patrons attended and played for more than four hundred prizes.  After a tasty lunch of hot dogs, cabbage and noodles, or sausage and peppers that guests were able to purchase, everyone settled in to listen to the calling of winning numbers at 2:00 PM.  Squeals of delight as longed for prizes were won echoed throughout the afternoon.  Platefuls of home-made cake and gallons of coffee were enjoyed.  A good time was had by all and the ladies of St. Ann’s went home tired but proud of another successful event.

This year our parish will offer a spiritually enriching experience during Lent called the Parish Lenten Mission. A Parish Lenten Mission might be described as "a retreat that comes to you." To make a retreat, one must leave home and daily routine in order to give some days to silence, prayer and reflection in order to experience a renewal and growth in faith. Most people are not able to that very easily. A Lenten Mission is an opportunity for renewal and growth in our faith that is available at the local parish and can be fit into the demands of daily life. Part of the attraction of a Lenten Mission is that it is preached by someone coming into the parish for that purpose. Not only is the preacher a "new voice," but it is someone who has a particularly deep knowledge and experience of the spiritual life. Our Lenten Mission is scheduled for March 15, 16 and 17, 2013 and will feature Fr. John Zeyack a former pastor of St. Thomas Church, Rahway, NJ. The Lenten Mission will take place over the course of three days and is a spiritual growth event you will not want to miss.
During three days, Fr. John will talk to the parish on following topics:
1. In English, Friday, March 15 after 6:30 pm. Presenctified Liturgy
Topic: Who is the living and true God whom we gather to worship?
2. In English and Ukrainian on Saturday, March 16 at 9:00 a.m. Sorokousty Liturgy and in English at 5:00 p.m. Liturgy
Topic: The parish – a place to encounter the living Christ!
3. In Ukrainian, Sunday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. Liturgy and in English at 11:30 a.m. Liturgy
Topic: How do we respond to the call to holiness by living out our faith?
Confessions will be heard before a during services. Families are encouraged to come together. If you can make all three days, great! If not, come when you can for this time of felowship and renewal during Lent!…

Ukrainian Catholic mission in Lancaster, PA, was opened with the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 1:30PM.  The Liturgy was held at St. John Neumann Roman Catholic Church, 601 East Delp Road, Lancaster, PA.

The next Divine Liturgy will be on Sunday, March 10 at 1:30PM! Наступна Служба Божа буде у неділю, 10 березня, о 1:30 пополудні! Приходьте!

Divine Liturgies are celebrated by Father Andriy Rabiy, pastor of Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary church in Reading. The services are bilingual, in Ukrainian and English. Служби Божі відправляються отцем Андрієм Рабій, настоятелем церкви Різдва Пресвятої Богородиці у Редінґ. Відправи правляться двомовно, по-українськи та по-англійськи.

Please contact Fr. Andriy if you have any questions or need information by phone at 610.376.0586 or email nativitybvmucc@mail.com
 
Please visit the Lancaster Mission Parish Facebook page for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/ukrainianmissionlancasterpa…

Dear Reverend Clergy, Religious, Seminarians and Faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in USA,

We, the Bishops of the four eparchies of our Ukrainian Catholic Church, desire to foster the common spiritual bond and unity we enjoy amidst ourselves, with the entire Ukrainian Catholic Church worldwide and also ecumenically with our brothers and sisters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  We recall the decision of the Synod of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops made in 1997 which established the official text for “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” for use throughout the Ukrainian Catholic Church worldwide.  It reads as follows:

“Отче наш, що єси на небесах, нехай святиться ім’я твоє, нехай прийде царство твоє, нехай буде воля твоя, як на небі, так і на землі.  Хліб наш насущний дай нам сьогодні, і прости нам провини наші, як і ми прощаємо винуватцям нашим; і не введи нас у спокусу, але визволи нас від лукавого”.

“Богородице Діво, радуйся, благодатна Маріє, Господь з тобою.  Благословенна ти між жінками і благословенний плід лона твого, бо ти породила Христа Спаса, Ізбавителя душ наших”.

All of our parishes are instructed to fully adhere to the use of the official text in all Ukrainian liturgical services and when the faithful gather in common prayers.  Choir Directors and choir members of Ukrainian choirs praying the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” are also asked to refrain from using other translations and to use only the official text.  Please participate in fostering spiritual unity as Ukrainians.  Facilitating full participation in prayers common to all Ukrainians is needed and involves all of us.

We thank you for your anticipated cooperation in fostering a strong spiritual bond amidst Ukrainians in USA and beyond.  We pray for all that we may enthusiastically seek and foster unity as Ukrainians.

God bless you!

+Stefan Soroka(author)
Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia

+Richard Seminack
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago

+Paul Chomnycky, OSBM
Eparch of Stamford

+John Bura
Apostolic Administrator
of St. Josaphat in Parma…

Metropolitan Stefan Soroka

Our hearts and minds are filled with emotions surrounding the tragic events at the Sandy Hook Elementary School where twenty children and six staff lost their lives.  We, like that community, are in shock at how such an awful thing could occur.  It is heartwarming to see many turn to prayer in their desire to seek comfort for those who were painfully struck by loss.  The media have consistently shown how many people have turned to God in prayer, and have gathered in their various Churches in the community to offer mutual support.
 
We will shortly proclaim that God is with us at Christmas!  God is with us through the immense care and concern being shown to the many people who are hurting.  God is with us through the heartfelt prayers offered for the families.  God is with us through the testimony of admiration and appreciation being shown for the teachers and staff who showed such bravery in a very difficult time.  God is with us through the many professional people who have been involved throughout the time of dealing with the tragedy, and who will continue to journey with the families and with the community.  God is with us in the sharing of grief and anguish on a national scale.

God is with us through the inspiring example given to us by people such as the school principal who lost her life.  She offered daily reminders to the children of her school to express kindness to others.  This speaks loudly of who she was.  Her words of advice are a living testimony of her and a call for our understanding and goodness to be celebrated with others daily.  Reporters shared how many people spoke of going home and giving extra special hugs to their children and to their loved ones upon hearing of the tragedy.  They spoke of their intentions to express their love for their children and for others who serve with dedication in the schools and in the community.  So many signs of “hug a teacher today”.

God is with us, my brothers and sisters in Christ.  God is speaking to us through the vivid expression of feelings, the heartfelt expression of gratitude, and the wisdom of advising everyone to cherish every minute of life with loved ones and with others God grants us to journey with throughout life.  The best testimony you and I can give to the lives so tragically lost is to live fully, expressing kindness, gratitude, and love.  It conquers evil.  It overcomes anger.  It helps to prevent more such sadness in life.  God helps us to deal with such tragedies and to do our part in helping to prevent other such tragedies.  God is with us to listen to our grief.  He enables us to offer mutual support and love.  He encourages us to choose to live more fully with others He gives us to love and to care for in life.

The media reports shared how the people of Sandy Hook are committed to not let the tragedy take away from their celebration of Jesus’ birth.  It has become an even more special invitation to be with Jesus and to be with others whom they love, to celebrate Christmas together.  They are showing us how to turn a tragedy into an opportunity to listen to the whispers of God to them, to you and to me.  They are choosing to listen and to realize God’s presence.  God is with us! Let us join with them in holy prayer.  Let us also choose to celebrate at the banquet of life – the abundant life in Jesus Christ in our celebration of Christmas.

Choose to live life fully in celebrating Christmas in your holy Church.  Choose to express your appreciation for the gift of life, the gift of love shared by God with you and with me in Jesus, and the gift of life and love shared with our loved ones.  A Blessed Christmas!…

By Andrij Wowk

Hierarchs, clergy, students and members of the parish community gathered at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Perth Amboy, NJ on Sunday, December 3 to celebrate a unique milestone: Sr. Yosaphata Litvenczuk, M.S.M.G’s 50th anniversary of religious life and work as an educator and administrator.

A half-century’s worth of memories and accomplishments by Sr. Yosaphata were remembered and shared during the event, which included a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Archbishop-Metropolitan Stefan Soroka, followed by a banquet in the school auditorium attended by some 300 guests.

In addition to Metropolitan Soroka other honored guests included the Most Rev. Stephen Sulyk, Archbishop-Metropolitan Emeritus and former pastor of the parish, former pastor Fr. Roman Dubitsky, and Sr. Yosaphata’s nephew, Fr. Silivio Litvenczuk from Brazil.

Sr. Yosaphata arrived in the United States in 1952 as an orphan from her native Brazil and became a novitiate of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God, based in Stamford, CT. She attended Mother of God Academy and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Charter Oak State College before beginning her spiritual ministry on January 1, 1963, when she took her final vows as a Missionary Sister of the Mother of God.

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On Sunday, November 18th, 2012, the Assumption Catholic Church commemorated the Holodomor, the famine-genocide in Eastern Ukraine orchestrated by Josef Stalin during the years 1932-33. The morning Divine Liturgy was followed by a Panachyda, at which the pastor Rev. Ivan Turyk prayed for the victims of this horrible event.