News

On Saturday evenings, August 30 and September 6, 2008, the 5 PM Divine Liturgy will be held one half hour early, at 4:30 PM.…

Bishop Walter Paska, retired auxiliary bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, fell asleep in the Lord on August 16, 2008. Bishop Paska was born in Elizabeth, NJ on November 29, 1923. He studied at St. Basil College in Stamford, CT, St. Charles Seminary in Catonsville, MD, Fordham University in New York, and Catholic University in Washington, DC. Bishop Paska was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 1947 in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1952, he obtained a master’s degree in Medieval English Literature from Fordham University. He is a former teacher at St. Basil Prep School and St. Basil College, both in Stamford, CT. In 1975, he earned a Doctorate in Canon Law from Catholic University. He had served as a Professor of Canon Law at Catholic University and as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Redaction of the Code of Oriental Law from 1975-1978. From 1979 to 1984, Bishop Paska was the rector of St. Josaphat Seminary in Washington, DC.

He has held various pastoral assignments including Hempstead, NY, Brooklyn, NY; Chester, PA; Elizabeth, NJ; and Stamford, CT. When he was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop on March 19, 1992, he served as pastor in Cherry Hill, NJ and Williamstown, NJ. Later he served as rector of Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Philadelphia, PA.

Bishop Paska has served in various administrative roles. He was the first chancellor and vicar general of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago from 1969 to 1971. He has served as vocations director of the archeparchy and as judicial vicar of the archeparchy from 1975 until 2006.   

In 1963, Bishop Paska was named Prelate of Honor by Pope Paul VI and given the ecclesiastical title of Monsignor.  Most recently, he served as Defender of the Bond of the Metropolitan Tribunal and was working on a translation of Ukrainian Church history.

Vichnaya pahmyat!

Photo – Then-Msgr. Paska visiting our parish school ca. 1972

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The response for Family Pages in our Centennial Jubilee Book has been excellent.

However, time is rapidly running out to have your family represented.  Call the rectory right away at 732-826-0767 and someone on the book committee will call you back and assist you in the process.

Sorry, the final date for Family Page submissions will have to be Sunday, August 31.

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The annual Dormition Pilgrimage in Sloatsburg, NY will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 9-10, 2008.

Run annually by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (SSMI), the pilgrimage usually attracts some 4,000 pilgrims. This is the largest annual religious gathering of Ukrainian Catholics in the US. On the main day, Sunday August 10, a Pontifical Divine Liturgy will be concelebrated by our bishops at 10 AM.

There is also an annual supervised youth camp out on Saturday evening, August 9.

Information and schedules in English and Ukrainian are available on the SSMI website: www.ssmi-us.org

Sloatsburg is just over an hour from the Perth Amboy area. Plan to attend, they have wonderful facilities and it's a nice family day out.…

About 150 parishioners and guests attended our parish jubilee-year picnic on Saturday June 14.

The food was great, the company was fine, the rain held off just long enough, and no one went home hungry.

A special thanks goes out to the Holy Name Society (Charles Boyko and Peter Baralecki – co-chairmen)  and St. Anne's Society; and to John Grausam for arranging for the tents!

Our traditional Memorial Day morning ceremony was held at the parish cemetery on Florida Grove Road in Hopelawn, NJ – as it has been for many decades. The American-Ukrainian Veterans began by laying wreaths near the monument listing those twelve parishioners who died in action. Following was a religious service and a three-gun salute and taps led by parishioner and US Army Sergeant First Class – John Grausam. Some 350 American flags had been caringly placed on veteran's graves the day before by the Holy Name Society.

It is a testament to the patriotism of those in our parish that so many have served their country in the US military.

To our dear veterans who have passed away, especially those who died in action, we say, "Vichnaya Pahmyat – Eternal Memory."

Make sure your family is included in the parish 100-year Jubilee History Book by buying a Family Page! You get a full page to put family photos and what family genealogical information you wish to include. Extra pages are available for different branches or generations of your family.

See Family Page Procedures and the other helpful documents below. Representatives of the book committee are available to assist you after Liturgies and to accept forms and payment.

Don't miss out on this truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Documents
Family Page Procedures (PDF)
Jubilee Book Family Pages Order Form (PDF)
Family page example (PDF)
Family Page Questionnaire (PDF) …

Seventeen children of the school and parish had First Confession and received First Solemn Holy Communion on May 10. Our sincerest congratulations and best wishes are extended to: Kayleen, Eliah, Kyle, Gabriella, Adrian, Yancarlos, Krista, Maksym, Oleh, Eugene, Michael, Cassandra, Julian, Andrew, Samantha, Alexandra, and Jaydah.

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Our parish was treated to the rich sounds of a fine choir this past Sunday afternoon. Twenty members of the Ekumen Chorale from Pennsylvania gave a one hour plus concert of sacred choral masterworks from Ukraine and Russia. Featured were baroque and romantic pieces by Ukrainian composers such as Bortnyansky as well as choral pieces by the famous composers Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.

An unusual arrangement was found in the Lenten piece in which the choir and a single bell droned a note behind a bass solo. The rousing renditions of Mnohaya Lita at the end were

  special and earned the chorale two standing ovations.

The Ekumen Chorale authentically performs sacred works by Eastern European composers in their original language. Before it is performed, each piece is introduced to offer background on both the composer and the era in which the music was composed.

Thank you to Director Patrick Marcinko, and to the Ekumen Chorale that he founded, for keeping this rare and beautiful sacred music alive!…

A “Spring Dance” sponsored by the church will be held on Saturday, May 10 at 7 PM in the school auditorium. There will be a full buffet dinner and the band “Halychany” will play. Tickets are $40 and are available by calling the rectory at 732-826-0767.…