Category: News

George Weigel to speak in New Haven

A lecture will be given this Monday, April 8 at 7:00 pm by author George Weigel from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, on his new book The Fragility of Order, Catholic Reflections on Turbulent Times (2018). This includes Ukraine as part of the lecture. This event will take place at St. Mary’s Parish, 5 Hillhouse Parish, New Haven. A reception will follow.

You may register at the Thomistic Institute.

George Weigel has been a great advocate for the work and life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Recently, he wrote an appreciative essay on Archbishop Borys Gudziak that can be read here.

All meetings at the Parish on this day have been canceled to allow parishioners to take advantage of this unusual opportunity.

Helping the poor-a work of charity

Helping the poor —The Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in Waterbury wrote to us requesting assistance in collecting bath soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, Q-tips, men’s underwear for the ministry to the homeless. We will have this collection for the poor through Pentecost (June 9).

These items can be put in the basket at the entrance of the church in the marked box.

Can we follow the example of the Lord who exhorted us to care for the poor? Let us follow the holy example of the Venerable Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky who heroically lived a life of Christian virtue with his commitment to the poor. Pray to Venerable Metropolitan Sheptytsky for guidance in living a holy life.

Paul Zalonski (of our parish) will drive the donations to St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury Homeless Shelter in Waterbury (www.svdpmission.org).

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week the vigil light is offered to God’s glory in memory of all deceased of Waselik family. by members of the family.

The Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts (compiled by St Gregory the Great) will be celebrated on Friday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. Please come and join in this beautiful tradition of our Church.

Sestrechi will next meet on Sunday, April 7, after the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in the church hall Classroom 1.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All council members, organization representatives and interested parishioners are invited.

The next meeting of Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held on Monday, April 8, 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

The traditional Easter parish “SVIACHENE” will be held on May 5, following the Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, May 5. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth from 12 to 18. Free for altar boys, and under 12. Also, we ask you to donate homemade cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our parish family.

Our next PYROHY PROJECT will be Saturday, April 13. We need your help on Friday to peel potatoes and especially on Saturday to make pyrohy (varynyky). Please come and help. See Walter Ushchak for more information.

The Knights of Columbus Have available for sale a freshly cooked batch of 2 1/4 lb. secret, tasty recipe Kovbasa and Cabbage meals for $10.00 each or a 2 lb. vegetable only mix for just $6.00. These meals may be purchased in the church hall, please see Walter Ushchak

Pages: 1 2 3

No Parish Council meeting

Word has been received that there is parish council meeting tonight, March 11, as previously mentioned in the bulletin and online.

There is a KofC meeting at 7pm tonight.

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

The Vigil Light is offered to God’s greater glory by Olga Pospolita for God’s blessing and health for Stefan and Kerin.

The All Souls’ Saturdays (Sorokousty) will be celebrated on March 16th, March 23rd, March 30th , June 8th. Please take a book found in the entrance of the church, fill it out, place it in envelope, and drop it in the collection basket. Please join us in prayer for the souls of beloved dead.

The Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. Please come and join in this beautiful tradition of our Church.

THANK YOU to the Ukrainian American Veterans, Post 33, for escorting Ukrainian Minister of Veterans Affairs, Iryna Friz, from Washington D.C. to her various destinations here in Connecticut and for hosting the Luncheon/Reception in her honor. Also thank you to all the people who worked to ensure the luncheon was a success. Together we all made this a “Super Special Event.” ~ Father Iura

Sestrechi will have their next meeting TODAY in Classroom 1 after the 9:00 Divine Liturgy.

The Parish Council will meet tomorrow, Monday, March 11, at 6:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All council members, organization representatives and interested parishioners are invited.

The next meeting of the Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held tomorrow, Monday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

Ukrainian American Veterans will have their next meeting of Post 33 on March 17 in Classroom 2 after the 10:30 Divine Liturgy.

We have for sale borcsht, chicken cutlets, pork stew and cabbage with sausage. You can buy them in the church hall after each Divine Liturgy.

Our Sviachene —the traditional Easter parish dinner will be held on Sunday, May 5, following the Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, May 5. Also we ask you to donate cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our Parish Family.

Pages: 1 2

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

Vigil Light: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by the Ivantsiv family for all deceased members of the Harvey Family.

Asleep in the Lord: Juris Patrylak fell asleep in the Lord. Please remember him in your prayers. ETERNAL MEMORY!

Rectory Office: will be closed from Monday March 4 until Friday March 8. Fr. Iura will be away for the eparchial clergy retreat at Mount Alvernia Retreat Center, Wappingers Falls, NY, with Bishop Paul.

Luncheon/Fundraiser honoring Iryna Friz, Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs Ukrainian American Veterans of Posts 3,14 of Connecticut and Saint Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Haven invite everyone to a luncheon/fundraiser honoring Iryna Friz, Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs to be held TODAY in St. Michael’s church hall. Minister Friz arrived in Connecticut on Saturday, March 2 to visit the Veterans Hospital in West Haven, the New Haven VETS Center in Orange, and the CT Veterans Home in Rocky Hill. She returns to Ukraine on Monday, March 4.

TODAY, there will be only one Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:30 a.m. The luncheon/fundraiser will begin at 12:00Noon. in St. Michael’s church hall. In addition to lunch, a brief concert will be presented. Brief remarks by Minister Friz will follow. There will be an update on the Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Project and on the veterans’ recent trip to Ukraine. All proceeds will be used to benefit Ukraine’s wounded soldiers and veterans. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Admission for youth under 18 is free.

We invite everyone to this special event. We ask for your support for Ukraine’s wounded heroes. For information and tickets please contact Fr. Iura Godenciuc at 203-865-0388, Post 33 Commander Carl Harvey by calling 203-389-6076; email: carlharvey79@gmail.com, or Myron Melnyk 203-397-2087; email: mmelnyk@yaghoo.com.

MEETING CANCELLATIONS:  Due to various scheduling conflicts of members being in Washington and others being out of state, as well as Father Iura being at a mandatory Eparchy retreat days, both the Parish Council meeting and the Knights of Columbus meeting on March 4,  are hereby canceled.

Pages: 1 2

Cheesefare Sunday Liturgy and Luncheon

Christ is in our midst!

As a reminder, tomorrow, Cheesefare Sunday, March 3, there will be only one (1) Divine Liturgy in English and Ukrainian at 10:30 a.m.

This Sunday is known by three titles:

1 – Cheesefare Sunday because it is the last day that we eat dairy until Holy Pascha
2 – Forgiveness Sunday because the Church celebrates Forgiveness Vespers, asking for mutual forgiveness as we enter upon the journey of Great Lent.
3 – Sunday of the Casting out of Adam and Eve because during the Holy Season of Great Lent we live is remembrance of our sins and of death which resulted from the fall of our first parents.

Welcoming Minister Iryna Friz

The luncheon/fundraiser will begin at 12:00 Noon. in St. Michael’s church hall, 569 George St., New Haven. In addition to lunch, a brief concert will be presented. Brief remarks by Minister Iryna Friz will follow. There will be an update on the Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Project and on the veterans` recent trip to Ukraine. All proceeds will be used to benefit Ukraine’s wouded soldiers and veterans. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Admission for youth under 18 is free.

We invite everyone to this special event. We ask for your support for Ukraine’s wounded heroes.

To reserve your ticket NOW, please contact

    • Fr. Iura Godenciuc at 203-865-0388,
    • Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076
    • Myron Melnyk at 203-397-2087

Gudziak’s Homecoming

George Weigel published today in First Things his essay, “Homecoming,” on Archbishop Borys Gudziak’s recent appointment to be the Metropolitan Archbishop for the Ukrainian Archeparchy in Philadelphia.

Weigel is the author of the well regarded biography of Pope John Paul II. He is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington, D.C.’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

Parish announcement this week

Christ is in our midst!

WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS! New parishioners are always welcomed in our parish. If someone wants to register with our parish please contact Father Iura Godenciuc at 203-865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalia Chermak.

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered by Godenciuc family for Special Intention.

STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL will be meet on Monday, March 4, at 6:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All council members, organization representatives and interested parishioners are invited.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: The next meeting of the Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held on Monday, March 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

THANK YOU to Laura Smith, Anya Rohmer-Hanson and Peter Silva for facilitating the Loaves & Fishes Clothing Drive. Your leadership helped to make this a successful event.

Luncheon/ Fundraiser honoring Iryna Friz, Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs

Ukrainian American Veterans of Posts 3,14 of Connecticut and Saint Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Haven invite everyone to a luncheon/fundraiser honoring Iryna Friz, Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs to be held on Sunday, March 3rd, in St. Michael’s church hall. Minister Friz will arrive in Connecticut on Saturday, March 2nd to visit the Veterans Hospital in West Haven, the New Haven VETS Center in Orange, and the CT Veterans Home in Rocky Hill. She returns to Ukraine on Monday, March 4th.

On Sunday March 3rd, there will be only one (1) Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:30 a.m. The luncheon/fundraiser will begin at 12:00 Noon. in St. Michael’s church hall, 569 George St., New Haven. In addition to lunch, a brief concert will be presented. Brief remarks by Minister Friz will follow. There will be an update on the Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Project and on the veterans` recent trip to Ukraine. All proceeds will be used to benefit Ukraine’s wouded soldiers and veterans. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Admission for youth under 18 is free.

Pages: 1 2

Interview with Archbishop Gudziak

To lead by listening to the Lord and my brothers and sisters

Interview with Bishop Borys Gudziak

On February 18, the Holy See announced that Pope Francis, accepting the recommendation of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), has appointed Bishop Borys Gudziak as Metropolitan and Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. For the previous six years Bishop Borys was eparch of the Eparchy of St. Volodymyr in Paris, serving the Ukrainian Greek Catholic faithful in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. We asked him to describe his reactions to the nomination, summarize the years of his service in the Paris Eparchy, and articulate his hopes and dreams for a new mission in the land of his birth.

What was your reaction to the decision of the Synod and of the Holy Father nominating you to the Philadelphia Archeparchy?

Allow me to be open with you. The nomination—and everything that it entails—provokes deep thoughts and sentiments. The first is gratitude and first to God.

As I —hopefully—mature as a human being I am increasingly drawn by the mystery of our God in Three Persons. This may be daring—but I want to be in the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… My central belief is that the Son came into this breathtaking yet often frail human race to be with me and you, even in death, to bring us home to the Father. The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and our salvation in Christ for me are ever more awesome and inspiring… The guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit give me more hope and joy. I feel the protection of the Mother of God and solidarity of the communion of saints, especially the martyrs. Life in the Lord, who served and suffered, invites me to suffer with and serve gladly those to whom I am called. My desire to give myself fully to God and share His love and friendship with others overflows!

I am grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and to the Synod for their confidence and blessing. I am at peace. As a Christian and priest, I try to accept God’s will as expressed by the Church, in this case neither seeking nor resisting this nomination.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9