Blessed Theodore Romzha

Today, the Church commemorates, “The holy priest-martyr Theodore Romzha. Born in Veliky Bychkiv in Carpatho-Russia in 1911, he came from a poor family and exhibited a vocation to the priesthood. Sent to Rome for studies, he was ordained in 1937 and sent to the country parish of Berzovo. In 1939, he was called to the seminary at Uzhhorod and taught there until 1944. In 1944, despite his youth, he was ordained bishop for the Mukachevo Eparchy. During the Soviet Army’s occupation of Carpatho-Russia, he was tireless in his care for his flock and in his defense of the rights of the Byzantine Catholic Church.

On October 27, 1947, he was severely wounded in a staged accident. He was taken to the hospital in Mukachevo, where he was subsequently poisoned, and died (1947).”

Romzha died just after midnight (Moscow time) on November 1st; a request made of or Congregation for Oriental Churches the feast day was changed to October 31.

Bishop Romzha was beatified as a martyr by Pope John Paul II on 27 June 2001.

Icon and text by the monks of Mt Tabor.

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Read: Luke 8:26-39

The idea this gospel is addressing is fear. Jesus comes to the land of the Gerasenes and casts out a legion of demons from a possessed man. The gospel of Luke is succinct on this point and only notes that he lived among the tombs (that is, among the dead).

In the gospel of Matthew, we read the detail that “they were so savage that no one could travel by that road” (Matthew 8:28). Jesus’ cure is like a resurrection to life, making him free from the tombs. The demons are sent into unclean animals, the pigs, and this evil is promptly destroyed. The townspeople come out to see what had happened, and rather than welcoming Jesus as a healer and the conqueror of evil, the gospel says “they were seized with fear,” and St. Luke repeats, they “asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear” (Luke 8:35.37).

Of what were they afraid, that their commodity (the pigs) had been destroyed, or that the demoniac man was still possessed by demons? We often “demonize” and “dehumanize” what we fear. We, too, are God-fearing, when we approach Holy Communion the deacon warns, “Approach with the fear of God and with faith.” The townspeople were afraid and asked Jesus to leave, but a true “fear of God,” which is expressed in faith and love, draws us nearer to God in Communion.

The Lord can free us from evil, so approach and receive him who told us, “Take courage, for I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras
#ByzantineCatholicNewHaven

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 10/27, 20th Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Martyr Nestor
9:00 a.m. +Michael Zalonski requested by Paul A. Zalonski
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners
Panachyda for Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel: Luke 8:26–39, Tone 9

Monday, 10/28, The Holy Martyrs Terentius and Neonila
9:00 a.m. +Archmandrite Robert F. Taft, SJ requested by Paul A. Zalonski

Tuesday, 10/29, The Holy Venerable-Martyr Anastasia; the Passing of Our Venerable Father Abraham
9:00 a.m. +Father Stephen H. Bzdyra requested by Paul A. Zalonski

Wednesday, 10/30, The Holy Martyrs Zenobius and Zenobia His Sister
9:00 a.m. +Bernard Czarnecki requested by Paul A. Zalonski

Thursday, 10/31, Holy Martyr Theodore Romza
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 11/01, The Holy Wonderworkers Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian
9:00 a.m. The Friends and Benefactors of St. Gianna Center (New Haven) requested by Paul A. Zalonski

Saturday, 11/02, The Holy Martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphtonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus
9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Halyna Lobay requested by Maria Lobay

Sunday, 11/03, 21st Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Martyrs Acepsimas the Bishop
9:00 a.m. +Orest Dubno requested by Maria Sobko
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners
Panachyda for All Ukrainian-American Veterans

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel: Luke 8:26-39, Tone 3

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week’s vigil light is offered God’s Glory by Nina Baker and family in memory of Natalie Cybriwsky.

We invite everyone to a farewell reception for our wounded soldier Kostya Shkapoyed and his wife Iryna. The reception will be in the church hall on Sunday, October 27 at 12:00 noon. Kostya’s treatment at Yale has been completed and he and Iryna are returning to Ukraine. Let’s give him a nice send off and wish him and Iryna well as they return home.

We changed the date for making Pyrohy from November 23rd to November 16th.

The Ukrainian American Veteran’s National Convention will be held here in New Haven this coming weekend, Thursday October 31st thru Saturday November 2nd. We expect 140 attendees and we are asking for your help to make this event a success. Please contact Post Commander Carl Harvey for further details and how you can help. Thank you.

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

St. Michael’s Day will be celebrated on November 24. On this day we will have only One Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. After the Divine Liturgy, we will have a dinner and short program. All parishioners are cordially invited to this celebration. Tickets are available through Anya Rohmer-Hanson. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth between 14 and 18. Free for students Ridna Shkola, altar boys and for children under 12. 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 Feast Day. Also we ask for donations for dessert.

The Ukrainian Ridna Shkola of New Haven has started its school year with 3 classes: 1.) A nursery school program for children 3-5 years old; 2.) A class to teach Ukrainian to English language-speaking children ages 6-10; 3.) A class where instruction is only in the Ukrainian language for children 8-11 years old. Classes are from 9:30 to 11:30 each Saturday morning. Religious instruction follows at 11:30 am. We are planning Ukrainian dance instruction as well.

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Make Disciples of All Nations, not just those of our family

From a 2016 sermon of His Beatitude Sviatoslav of Kyiv and Halych:

Today’s question is: What does it mean to be a faithful member or believer of the UGCC? This is a question of identity of the Church and us. The Kyivan Church of the third millennium—who are we? What do we do as members of this Church?

Here in our midst are members [of the Church] from the whole world. We have with us brothers and sisters from Australia here today. This question has broad answers. What makes us Ukrainian Greco-Catholics? Being Ukrainian? Today about 1/3 of our parishes in the diaspora [in North and South America, Western Europe, Australia] are comprised of members not of Ukrainian heritage and who don’t speak Ukrainian. This is why we translated our new Catechism into languages they understand: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, many others….

What is the mark of identity of the UGCC? To be Galician? I tell you as the Major Archbishop of Kyiv, no! There are many who want to make our Church into a Galician enclave in the Western part of Ukraine. His Beatitude Lubomyr once said something very interesting: “we need to put aside the heresy of being just Galician.” [Let me assure you, I say this with all respect, being a Galician myself.] Our identity, the identity of our Church is faith in the salvific things that our God has placed in the history of the Kyivan Church and all the good things and gifts and treasures from God: theological, liturgical, artistic.

Today we must spread these to the whole world.

And today when our missionaries leave the Lviv Theological Seminary [where the homily is being given] to occupied areas, in Crimea, or to Melbourne or to India, they can think to themselves… I am going to find [seek out, like lost sheep] Ukrainians, I am going to call back the lost sheep of Ukraine.

But Christ is calling us to something higher. He says go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to be Greco-Catholic, faithful member of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church.

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 10/20, 19 Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Great-Martyr Artemius
9:00 a.m. +Father Edward T. Oakes, S.J. requested by Paul A. Zalonski
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9
Gospel: Luke 16:19–31, Tone 2

Monday, 10/21, Our Venerable Father Hilarion the Great
8:00 a.m. +Dmytro Bodnar (Pan.) requested by Maria Wysowskyj

Tuesday, 10/22, The Holy Wonderworker and Equal-to-the Apostles Abercius
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 10/23, The Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord in the Flesh James
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 10/24, The Holy Martyrs Aretas and companions
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 10/25, The Holy Martyrs and Notaries Marcian and Martyrius
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 10/26, The Holy and Glorious Great-Martyr Demetrius, from Whose Tomb Myrrh Streams Forth
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 10/27, 20th Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Martyr Nestor
9:00 a.m. +Michael Zalonski requested by Paul A. Zalonski
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel: Luke 8:26-39, Tone 3

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week’s vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Nina Baker and family in memory of Natalie Cybriwsky.

We would like to congratulate Rudolph III and Nicole Brezicki on the occasion of the Holy Baptism and Chrismation of their daughter Tessa Rose, which took place on Saturday, September 21, in our church. Many happy and blessed years!

Pyrohy Project: We change the date for making Pyrohy for November, from November 23rd to November 16th.

Ukrainian American Veterans will hold our National Convention here in New Haven Thursday, October 3st thru Saturday, November 2nd. We expect 140 attendees at the convention and we are asking for your help to make this event a success. Please contact Post Commander Carl Harvey for further details and how you can help. Thank you!

St. Michael’s Day will be celebrated on November 24th. On this day we will have only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.. After the Divine Liturgy, we will have a dinner and short program. All parishioners are cordially invited to this celebration. Tickets are available through Miss Luba Dubno. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth between 14and 18. Free for students Ridna Shkola, altar boys  and for children under 12. 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 Feast Day. Also we ask for donations for dessert.

The Ukrainian Ridna Shkola of New Haven had started its school year with 3 classes: 1.) A nursery school program for children 3-5 years old; 2.) A class to teach Ukrainian to English language-speaking children ages 6-10; 3.) A class where instruction is only in the Ukrainian language for children 8-11 years old. Classes are from 9:30 to 11:30 each Saturday morning. Religious instruction follows at 11:30 am. We are planning Ukrainian dance instruction as well.

CT Pro-Life Conference, November 2nd, 9am-3pm at Saint Paul High School 1001, Stafford Avenue, Bristol CT. Workshops/Speakers/Advocacy 101. To register $15 lunch included; $5 for students with ID; visit http://www.ctfamily.org

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Saying Farewell to Kostya and Iryna

We invite everyone to a farewell reception for our wounded soldier Kostya Shkapoyed and his wife Iryna. The reception will be in St. Michael’s Church hall 569 George St, New Haven on Sunday, October 27th at 12:00 noon. Kostya’s treatment at Yale has been completed and he and Iryna are returning to Ukraine. Let’s give him a nice send off and wish him and Iryna well as they return home.

Запрошуємо всіх на пращальну зустріч з нашим пораненим воїном Костянтином Шкапоєдом і його дружиною Ірою. Зустріч відбудеться в неділю 27 -ого жовтня о год. 12:00 у залі при церкві Св. Михайла 569 George St, New Haven. Лікування в Yale закінчилось, Костя і Ірина повертаються до дому.  Прошу прийти попрощатися з ними ї побажати їм всього найкращого на майбутнє.