Pierogi Saturday will be held on November 19th.
This is a change of date: NOT on November 12th as previously scheduled but on November 19th.
Category: News
“Christ the Merciful”, new book by Br Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette
Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette explores the absolute centrality of Christ in the prayer life of any Christian. The end result is a comprehensive confession of his faith and testimony to the many “names of Christ” that cross through historical, monastic, and mystical traditions. Keeping true to the hope for a unified Church, Christ the Merciful incorporates both Western and Eastern Orthodox sources.
Chapters situating Christ in context of his life in Palestine, his role as a son, friend, and family member, and his place in the living history of the church all help to create a full, well-rounded portrait of his divine and human lives. By viewing Christ through these various facets, the book helps readers enrich their relationship to the mystery of God, adding contour to their spiritual journey.
Brother Victor-Antoine makes difficult concepts clear in a straightforward manner, informed by years of Benedictine monastic practice.
Richly grounded in Scripture, in the Fathers of the Church, in both Eastern and Western traditions and, above all, in the fruit of his own prayer, Brother d’Avila-Latourrette’s meditations on the many names of Jesus offers us the opportunity to meet Christ anew every day. Just like Andrew and John, or Philip, Zacchaeus, Bartimeus or the centurion, Jesus’ entry point into each of our lives is unique. He has called each of us by name, and with the help from Brother Victor-Antoine, we are reminded of how much we long to hear Jesus and need to hear him speaking to us in all aspects of our life and faith.
— Father Tim S. Hickey, contributor to Magnificat, priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, former editor of Columbia magazine (Knights of Columbus).
Freedom or Death, documentary scheduled for November 13
The film, “”Freedom or Death: A Revolution of Dignity,” documents the revolutionary events of last year that took place in Kyiv, Ukraine. Footage includes the events on the Maidan and the continuing warfare in Eastern Ukraine.
“Freedom or Death” was produced and directed by Damian Kolodiy, an Ukrainian-American filmmaker, who is a graduate of the Film program at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Kolodiy’s vocation is a spent as writer and independent filmmaker based in New York City, where he was the Program Director of Kinofest NYC, a film festival showcasing contemporary Ukrainian film in New York. (www.KinofestNYC.com) from 2010-2015. Kolodiy’s first feature documentary was on Ukraine’s Orange Revolution titled “The Orange Chronicles”. He freelances as a cameraman and editer, and much of his work has been documentaries of a political nature.
You may watch a trailer here.
The parish and the Ukrainian Heritage Center are happy to host a viewing of “Freedom or Death” on Sunday, November 13th following the 10:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy in the hall.
Advent message from the US Ukrainian Catholic Bishops
The Ukrainian Catholic bishops of the United States offer the following message for Advent (Pylypivka). It is signed, as you will note below, by all bishops. On the feast day of St. Philip Byzantine Christians begin their preparation for the Birth of Jesus. This 40-day preparation period is before the Christmas / Theophany season. the Philip fast begins at sundown on November 14th (when the Church begins a new day) and concludes at Christmas. History tells us that the fast was introduced to prepare us for a more worthy celebration of the great and holy day of the Birth of Jesus. The regulations for the fast were far more lenient than the Great Fast before Pascha. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are days of strict fasting without meat, dairy products or oil (in Slavic countries). On Sundays fish was permitted. The Phillipian fast prepares us to receive the public ministry of Christ announced at Theophany.
What follows is a good message to begin our preparation for the Nativity of the Lord.
With the commemoration of St. Philip on November 14th (Gregorian Calendar) or November 27th (Julian Calendar), we begin the customary fast or preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It coincides with the hectic season of pre-Christmas preparations, shopping for gifts for others, and invitations to participate in many social festive events. It truly becomes a challenge for us to withdraw ourselves from our earthly appetites, as we attempt to facilitate more time for prayer and meditation. When we become overwhelmed by such preparations, many of us step back and wonder whether all these things really add to our happiness and our feelings of contentment. We reflect on why we are here in this world.
Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Exhortation, “Joy of the Gospel”, says that you and I are “a mission on this earth”, and that is the reason why you and I are here in this world. We are called to live as missionaries who feel genuine happiness in seeking the good of others, in desiring their happiness. It is who we are. The Holy Father calls us to draw nearer to others and to seek their welfare. In turn, our hearts are opened wide to the Lord’s greatest and most beautiful gifts. “Whenever our eyes are opened to acknowledge the other, we grow in the light of faith and knowledge of God”.
Parish feast day November 6
This Sunday, November 6th, our parish will be celebrating the annual feast day of St Michael.
REMINDER: There is only 1 Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. in English and Ukrainian.
A festive lunch to follow the Liturgy. Tickets are $25.00 for adults (see next post below).
St Michael’s Day 2016
Join us for our parish celebration for St Michael’s Day will be on Sunday, November 6, 2016.
There will be only one Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.
Following Liturgy, will have a dinner and a brief program. All parishioners and friends are invited the celebration.
Tickets (available through Halya Lodynsky or to Luba Dubno):
- $25.00 for adults
- $10.00 for ages 12-18
- Free for children under 12, for students of Ridna Shkola and altar boys.
There will be a raffle. If you would like to donate items to be raffled, please bring the items to church hall on Sundays before our Feast Day celebration and give them them Halya Lodynsky or to Luba Dubno.
We ask you to bring a dessert to share at the meal.
Pierogi Saturday is November 12
Make plans for some delicious pierogies in November: call to place your order soon!
Call your order in by November 8th.
Sestrichi to meet October 16
Sestrichi will have Corporate Communion on Sunday, October 16, at the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, with a meeting to follow in the church hall.
Be still Matthew!
A prayer for those in the path of
Hurricane Matthew
O Lord Jesus Christ, who stopped the raging sea by the firm word of Thy command, saying, “Peace, be still!”, so also visit us with Thy might and mercy, further sending this hurricane to die in the abyss of the Sea, and show mercy, show mercy to all in its path. For Thou art the True God, Almighty and All-merciful, to whom we ascribe thanks and glory, with Thy beginning-less Father, and the Most-Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Social Concern among Ukrainian Church Faithful
One of the resolutions of the 2016 Synod of Bishops of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) which met September 4-11, 2016, in Lviv-Brukhovychi, is the following:
In order to evoke an interest to the social ministering among faithful of UGCC and behave a virtue of sacrifice and mercy, to announce in UGCC:
- Sunday of a Prodigal Son – Day of the extreme care for prisoners; Sunday of Meatfare – Day of Social service and charity;
- Restoring a tradition of Social days initiated by righteous Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky;
- To organize days between Sundays, mentioned as previous points as Social days and be involved in intellectual and charitable activities at the parishes.
His Beatitude, Patriarch Sviatoslav is encouraging us to look at the ways we can implement these items in our life of faith on a personal level and in our parish. It is the hope that our Parish will extend the range of Social ministry and quality, and introduce its institutional development and commitment to those in need. This is the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Fathers of the Church, and the teachers and bishops of the Church. These recommendations are consistent with the Year of Mercy which Pope Francis has called us to live.