Ukrainian Catholics: Who are we?
You Ukrainian Catholics out there, how much do you really know about your faith?
Here’s a quick trivia quiz: Who was the first Ukrainian Catholic priest in America?
What is the name of the first Ukrainian Catholic parish in America?
What is the name of the famous shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ukraine that is older than the shrine in Lourdes?
Can you name five 20th century Ukrainian martyrs for the faith who were recently beatified by Pope John Paul II?
What is the significance of the iconostas?
If you know the answers to all of the above questions, read no further.
If you’re still reading, it probably means that you don’t know as much about your faith as you thought you did. Don’t worry. Help is on the way.
Recently, the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic parish in Palatine, Ill. – “the little church with the big heart” – celebrated its 40th anniversary. Two talented parishioners, Slawomyr and Alexandra Pihut, thought it would be a good idea to honor the occasion with a publication that would enlighten parishioners as well as Roman Catholics about our faith, a kind of “all you wanted to know about Ukrainian Catholics but were afraid to ask” booklet. The result was “Who We Are: Ukrainian Catholics,” a beautifully produced 84-page booklet that answers all of the above questions and more. Packed with facts, figures and photos, this readable, colorful and inspirational compendium brings the Ukrainian Catholic Church to life in a unique, informative and inviting way.
Included are articles by Jurij Myroslaw Lewyckyj (“Our Kyivan Ukrainian Saints”), Metropolitan Stefan Soroka (“The Future of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in America”), Dr. Ihor Monczak (“Survival of the Kyivan Catholic Church in the Underground”), the Rev. Mitrat Jaroslaw Swyschuk (“Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky – Holy Man, Patriot, Ideal Human Being”), Giampaolo Mattei (“Years of Imprisonment Could Not Break Slipyj’s Indomitable Fidelity”), Dr. Myron B. Kuropas (“Ukrainian Catholics in America – First Years”), Andrij Krawchuk (“The Challenge of Christian Unity in Ukraine and Sheptytsky’s Prudent Balance of Politics and Religion”), Roman Woronowycz (“Older than Lourdes – Zarvanytsia”) Franz Grobauer (“I Met Archbishop Slipyj in Siberian Slave Camp”) Father Andriy Chirovsky (“Who We Are”), Father John Lucas (“Holy People, Holy Places, Holy Things”) and Julian Chornij (“Iconostas”).
Living in the United States, we Ukrainian Catholics sometimes forget that our major task as Christians is to promote the “good news” about Jesus Christ. Yes, our Church has a national significance for us as Ukrainians, but far more important is its value as a vehicle of spiritual renewal. Non-Ukrainians are learning about our rite and some are becoming members of our parishes. Imagine that, non-Ukrainians joining us for spiritual sustenance.
All of this was summarized by Father Chirovsky, former pastor at Immaculate Conception and main speaker at the 40th anniversary banquet, when he noted that our church “is moving from an inherited membership to an elected membership.” Wise observation. My parents, Lesia and I, our sons and their families were born into the Ukrainian Catholic Church. We inherited it. If we are to survive in America, however, it is clear that we will need to have members who choose to become parishioners. Churches in eastern Pennsylvania, founded in the 19th century in such towns as Shenandoah and Mount Carmel, for example, already have a large percentage of non-Ukrainians as parishioners. That is why “Who We Are: Ukrainian Catholics” is such a timely publication.
You can purchase a copy for the amazing sum of $10 plus $2.50 for postage and handling. Suggestion: Buy three copies. One for yourself, one for your kids and one for a Roman Catholic friend who secretly wonders if you’re really Catholic.
Send your money to: Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church, Att’n: Book Order – “Who Are We,” 745 S. Benton St., Palatine, IL 60067.
Myron Kuropas’ e-mail address is: mbkuropas@compuserve.com.
Published in The Ukrainian Weekly
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