News

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.

New Year's Eve Dance "Zabava" Sponsored by Our Parish will be held at the school auditorium 380 Meredith St, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 on Monday, December 31, 2012 8:00 p.m.

Music by “ANNA-MARIA ENTERTAINMENT” Delicious, Bountiful Buffet Dinner served at 8:00 p.m. and available all evening.

Every year more than 300 people in attendance.

The best food and the biggest hall for dancing in NJ. Champagne toast and dessert table.

Advanced Ticket Sales – $75.00 per person After December 25 – $85.00 per person No refunds – No tickets at the door. For Tickets call 732-826-0767.

Also available at the coffee hour after Sunday Liturgy.

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TO OUR CLERGY, HIEROMONKS AND BROTHERS, RELIGIOUS SISTERS, SEMINARIANS
AND BELOVED FAITHFUL.
 
Praise Be Jesus Christ!
 

When a child is to be born, family and friends throw a baby shower. The shower helps the new mother with baby clothes and other necessary items. I wonder if Mary's' relatives were able to provide her with some of the necessary baby items as she and Joseph began their journey to Bethlehem.
 
Distinguished persons in the East were greeted with gifts. Three wise men travel to Bethlehem bearing gifts. They are highly respected men, educated, students of philosophy, nature, astrology. Some even call them kings. They had heard of Israel's expectation of a Messiah. They studied the stars and the prophesies. The expectation was well known by surrounding neighbors: Persia, Chaldea, Mesopotamia and Arabia.
 
An unusual and bright star appears in the heavens. The three wise men travel west to Judea. No obstacles impede their journey. They hurry to Bethlehem, and lo, in a poor stable, they find the infant Jesus. "They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh" (Mt. 2:11). Gold for the King. Incense for God. Myrrh for the Man.
 
Our journey to Christmas — the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ — begins now with St. Phillip's Fast (Pylypivka) November 15th. This is a time of penitence and lasts until the Eve of Christmas. Voluntary abstinence (meatless meals) and acts of penance (prayer, fasting, charitable works) are encouraged. Abstinence from meat, and one full meal and a snack (milk products allowed according to local custom) is permitted on Christmas Eve.
 
And as we prepare to celebrate Christmas again, we think of gifts. But what gifts will we offer Jesus? Already the psalmist King David (Ps. 71 [72]:10) and the prophet Isaiah (6:16) had foretold the gifts of the wise men. The pagan world pays homage to the Lord. What about us? What will we give Jesus? Can we do no less? You know what gift God wants most? God wants you and me.
 
Believe it or not, we also can bring gold. Who? How? Gold is brought by those who offer for the glory of God and in the service of their neighbor their resources and goods. Helping the needy is gold. Do many people offer gold to the Lord? Unfortunately more is squandered on worthless and fleeting things. Such is our attitude to the One who "became poor although He was rich, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
 
And who offers the Lord frankincense? Frankincense is offered by those who use their talents and abilities to praise God and for the benefit of their neighbor. Talents and abilities are not bought. They are more precious than silver and gold. They are God-given gifts. Using them properly pleases the Lord like fragrant incense. All of us have received certain talents. Therefore we all have the responsibility to use these talents, to bring incense to the Lord.
 
The third gift which the wise men brought to Jesus in Bethlehem was myrrh, possibly the best gift. Who offers this gift today? Myrrh, like incense, is fragrant. But myrrh is also bitter. It may well represent our afflictions, our sorrows, our anxieties. Preoccupations that laden our day. It is clear who offers myrrh to the Lord. The one who has had a bad day or suffers a tragedy, the one who is unjustly accused, the lonely and the sick, and who do not despair but place all their hope in the Lord, in His healing grace, Myrrh can be bitter, but it is sweetened by the Lord. Not all understand this. Blessed are they who understand and accept it for they offer a precious gift to Jesus. They offer Him fragrant myrrh.
 
We, your bishops, hope and pray that you may be able to renew yourself during this season of preparation for the birth of our Lord. Before we celebrate Christmas, prepare yourself and become precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Lord.  
 
+Stefan Soroka
Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia
 
+Richard Seminack
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago
 
+Paul Chomnycky, OSBM
Eparch of Stamford
 
+John Bura (author)
Apostolic Administrator
of St. Josaphat in Parma
 
November 2012…

The Ukrainian Assumption Seniors held a Mother's And Father's Day luncheon June 14th in church hall. Each member received a Mothers And Fathers day poem. A special presentation of a Fathers  day cake was made to Father Ivan by Laura Grausam granddaughter of member Barbara Grausam. The members sang happy Fathers Day to Rev Ivan Turyk our spiritual Father . An  enjoyable day was had by all members who attended.

On Saturday, June 16, we enjoyed a fun filled picnic with perfect weather, on the school grounds, with deliciously prepared and plentiful food. Thank you to the men and women of the Holy Name and St. Ann’s Societies, who sponsored the event. Special thanks to John Grausam, who was again able to procure the tent, which helped make us so comfortable.