Category: News

Pentecost Pastoral of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops USA

Pentecost Pastoral of the Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchy of the U.S.A.

To our Clergy, Hieromonks and Brothers, Religious Sisters,
Seminarians, and Beloved Faithful

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

We greet you on the joyous feast of Pentecost, the birth of the Church, and the rebirth of nature. This year, Pentecost coincides with an apparent decline of the pandemic and a loosening of quarantine restrictions. We are enabled to celebrate the birth and renewal of the Church by again attending Divine services —if not today then, by God’s grace, tomorrow. Having conscientiously endured restrictions on interpersonal encounters and interactions we hope to be together in prayer and in the Descent of the Holy Spirit Who comes to us. Our hope is real, and it is being realized. Saying “Happy Birthday” to our Mother-Church, born out of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are also privileged to observe how life returns to our houses of worship as they refill with people, our chants, incense, and candlelight.

At Pentecost the Father, through the Son, sends to us the Holy Spirit, “the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things.” In the Feast, we all share the joy of being together. We celebrate the Spirit of communion in the Divine Trinity, in the Church, and in the human race. Our God is three Persons in One, a triune community. Each one of us is created in God’s image and likeness to live in divine-like relationship and communion. Sent by the Father, through the action of the Holy Spirit in Mary, the Mother of God, the Son assumed our life and death. In His Resurrection we overcome all obstacles to encounter, reconciliation and union with God and all of God’s children. No COVID-, no isolation, no death, is stronger than the healing and uniting Spirit of God, “who renews the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30).

Together we pray for the disease to be defeated, for recovery of those struck by sickness or crushed by the death of loved ones, and for the eternal rest of all virus victims. On the Last Day, may they be resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit to new and everlasting life (Ez 37: 1-14; 1 Cor 15).

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Parish announcements

The Holy Spirit is among us!

This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Judith Pond in memory of Anna Lipcan.

Every Sunday you can watch live on parish Facebook at 10:30 Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian languages. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelnewhaven
The Liturgy is also posted here on the parish website.

The Panachyda Service at the gravesites will take place TODAY, May 31st at 1:00 p.m. at St. Lawrence Cemetery. Please call the rectory office for appointment. For Panachyda Service at other cemeteries please call the rectory.

Pentecost
“Blessed are You, O Lord, for giving us fishermen most wise, sending down upon them the Holy Spirit. Thereby they catch the universe of mankind in the net of salvation. Glory to You, most merciful Lord.” (from the Tropar of the Feast)

On the fiftieth day after Christ’s Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles (see Acts 2:1-4). This sending of the Holy Spirit signals the fulfillment of God’s condescension to creation, a condescension that began at the creation of the world. In the Holy Spirit, God offers himself to the human race. This gift of God’s life is always a blessing for us, and thus we refer to it as grace. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the opportunity to become partakers of God’s nature, to be divinized, to enter into the communion of the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit fills creation with his grace and perfects it in accordance with God’s plan: “God’s Spirit was to spiritualize the darkness of matter, to illuminate it, and to draw it into the sphere of God’s life.”

The Holy Spirit bestows upon us a wealth of gifts. And though there is one Spirit, there are many gifts (see 1 Cor 12:4). “There its not a single gift that creation possesses that has not come from the Holy Spirit .” The Holy Spirit brings meaning and purpose to the history of humankind, directing it toward Christ, the Divine Logos. The Holy Spirit is the Source and Giver of every human life. It is the Holy Spirit who creates humankind in the image of Christ, making it a living soul, his temple and the dwelling place of the Most Holy Trinity.  (Christ Our Pascha: 255-256)

Parish Opening

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, May 31, 2020, our church in New Haven will resume public attendance at the Divine Liturgy, which will be celebrated at 9:00 (English) and 10:30 (Ukrainian). We will be adhering to the Guidelines for Opening Churches provided by our Diocese. Some of these guidelines include:

1. Please maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet between yourself and anybody else not in your immediate family.

2. We ask that all parishioners please wear a facemask during the Divine Liturgy. If you do not have a facemask, we have a limited number of facemasks that we can give you. Hand sanitizer will also be available.

3. Veneration of crosses or icons should be done without touching or kissing them.

4. There will be no missals or songbooks left in the pews. We will arrange for you to bring a missal home and you may use this each week when you come to church.

5. Collection baskets will be placed on the tables at the back of the church. Please drop your donations into one of these baskets.

6. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, please leave the church and do not congregate outside.

7. For the time being, there will be no parish coffee hour after the Divine Liturgy. This will resume at a date yet to be determined.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to attendance at the Divine Liturgy and I would also like to thank each and every parishioner who helped to support our parish by mailing in their donations during this difficult time.

Very truly yours in Christ,

Fr. Iura Godenciuc

Parish announcements

Christ is risen!

This week vigil light is offered to God by Emilia Iwaniw in memory of Orest Dubno.

Every Sunday you can watch live on parish Facebook at 10:00 Divine Liturgy in both languages Ukrainian and English. The Liturgy is posted HERE on the parish website. On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelnewhaven

The Panachyda Service at the gravesites will take place on Saturday, May 30th at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery and May 31st at 1:00 p.m. at St. Lawrence Cemetery. Please call the rectory office for appointment. For Panachyda Service at other cemeteries please call the rectory.

Thank you to all of our parishioners who continue to mail in their donations to St. Michael’s Church. Your support and generosity during this difficult time is enabling our church to meet its obligations, our mission and our budget.

Mary Ann Yursha fell asleep in the Lord

We are sad to announce that Mary Ann (Herceg) Yursha, 82, of Wallingford, died Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

Due to the COVID 19 health crisis, Mary Ann’s family will have a private family service at The Wallingford Funeral Home. Interment in the State Veterans’ Cemetery in Middletown will be private.

Mary Ann’s obituary may be read here.

In Christian Charity, please offer a prayer for the peaceful repose of the soul of Mary Ann, and for the consolation of her children Ann E. and Paul Lehr, Mary L. Johnston and Hans Hanson, and Juliann M. and Neil Bukowski as well her grandchildren.

May the Holy Theotokos and Saint Michael the Archangel assist Mary Ann.

Eternal Memory.

Parish announcements

Christ is risen!

This week vigil light is offered to God’s Glory by Halya Lodynsky in memory of Stefan Jurczak.

Asleep in the Lord —Olga Mackew fell asleep in the Lord. Please remember her in your prayers. Eternal Memory!

Every Sunday you can watch the Divine Liturgy (in Ukrainian and English) live on parish Facebook page  and the parish website at 10:00 a.m. The address: https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelnewhaven  AND https://stmichaelukrainian.org

The flower of the month for May is the Lily of the Valley.  Lillies of the Valley suggest humility and happiness.

Olga (Alice) Mackew, 108, asleep in the Lord

We are sad to announce the falling asleep in the Lord of Olga (Alice) Mackew, 108, yesterday morning at Mary Wade Home.

The funeral arrangements are pending.

In your charity, please pray for the intercession of Mary, the Great Mother of God for the eternal rest of Olga and the consolation of her family.

May Olga’s memory be eternal.