Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

Welcome to Dear parishioners and guests! You are invited, after each Divine Liturgy, to coffee and hard rolls in the church hall. To register with our parish please contact Father Iura Godenciuc at 865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalie Chermak at 468-0367.

1. Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls will be available in the church hall.

2. Falling Asleep in the Lord —David Schwartz. Please remember David in your prayers. Eternal Memory!

3. From May 20 to June 20 the rectory office will be closed. Father Iura Godenciuc will be on vacation. In case of emergency please call Fr. Stepan Yanovsky at (203) 468-0367, Fr. Paul Luniw at (860) 583-7588 or Fr. Ivan Mazuryk at (203) 367-5054.

4. Judy Ellis leads the mercy project which provides food items to the needy. A container is in our church vestibule for non-perishable food. This collection will be taken every week. Father Iura will distribute the food to those in need. Thank you for your generosity.

5. ROOF REPAIR FUND: Please make a generous contribution to allow us to repair the leaking roof of the Church Hall and other roof structures adjoining the Church and the Hall. These roofs must be repaid to prevent serious water damage to our property and we cannot pay for them from regular weekly collection. Roof Repair Fund envelope are available in the vestibule of our church for your special sacrificial gift. Thank you for helping to keep our physical structures in good condition for our use today and for the next generation tomorrow.

6. The first meeting for the 50th Connecticut State Ukrainian Day Festival will be held on Monday, May 22nd beginning at 6:30 p.m. His Excellency, Bishop Paul will be in attendance. The meeting will be hosted by: SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, 105 Clifton Avenue, Ansonia, CT.

Reserve the date of Sunday, September 10, 2017 —50th Connecticut State Ukrainian Day Festival.

7. On Sunday, June 4, some of our children will receive First Solemn Holy Communion: Anna Mariya Gali, Bohdan Gildea, Diana Melnyk, Zarek Stacy and Aart C. Van Wilgen. On that Sunday we will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.

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Summary of Parish Annual Meeting

Saint Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church
Summary of Parish Annual Meeting, May 7, 2017

Opening Prayer by Father Iura

Trustee report from Parish Trustees, Andrew Bamber, Natalie Chermak and Natalia Lyalka. Trustee Andy Bamber as spokesman. Reviewed 2016 Summary Financial Report, copies of report in everyone’s possession. Outlined plans for 2017 with emphasis on budgeting for future major expenses, and/or new capital projects, as well as the Roof Maintenance Account as a restricted account. Also mentioned the other restricted account being the Parish Preservation Fund and the need to grow this endowment for future. Specific financial questions from the audience were clarified as well as review of line items title clarification. Detailed breakdown specifics were made available by KofC member M. Myron.

Status Report by Father Iura.  Presented number of births, Chrismation, marriages, funerals, parishioners who have gone to their eternal rest and families moving out of State as well as the general state of the Parish.

A summary of the maintenance projects for the 2016 calendar year were presented. The Large Kitchen in the Church Hall upgraded to meet current Health Codes as well as making the facility available for rental income, new white perimeter fence, parking lot repaving, repairs, sidewalk and parking lot entrance repaired. One furnace and water heater replaced in rental property. Misc. electrical repairs and upgrades in multiple buildings. Upgrade and repainting of Church Hall basement meeting room conducted by the Knights of Columbus.

A summary of planned projects for the 2017 calendar year were presented. Complete parking lot repaving and drainage cuts as well as parking lot lines to be painted. Repair, replacement of various problem roofs as well as recaulking, repointing and water proofing of the church steeples. Possible climate control for the Church Hall to make it more viable for rental income, Repair to all the fencing on the property damaged by snow plowing. Repairs to be performed by Yale Hospital Services as per parking contract. Repairs to broken sidewalk, handicap ramp door replacement, front door to church repair, Replace damaged carpet in church, Sacristy Hall, Choir loft (wall and ceiling), and Choir stairwell water damage repair. Misc. repairs / replacement to soffits, eaves, gables and water gutters on misc. buildings. Sandblasting and water proofing of Heritage Center basement.

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is Risen – Indeed He is Risen!
Christos Anesti! – Alithos Anesti!
Christos voskrese – Voistinu voskres!
Al Maseeh Qam! – Haqqan Qam!
Christus resurrexit! – Vere resurrexit!

Sunday, 5/14/17     Fifth Sunday of Pascha —Samaritan Women at the Well
8:30 a.m. Moleben to the Mother of God —Sestrichi
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Acts 11:19-26 and 29-30
Gospel: John 4:5-42, Tone 4

Monday, 5/15/17     Venerable Father Pachomius the Great
8:00 a.m. +Maria Sowa (Pan.) requested by Bohdan Sowa

Tuesday, 5/16/17     Venerable Theodore
8:00 a.m. +Charles Burger (20th Anniv., Pan.) requested by John Burger

Wednesday, 5/17/17     Holy Apostles Andronicus and companions
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 5/18/17     Holy Martyr Theodotus, Peter and Dionisius
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 5/19/17     Holy Bishop Martyr Patrick
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy
7:00 p.m. Moleben to the Mother of God

Saturday, 5/20/17     Holy Martyr Thalaleus
9:00 +Sofia Bruchalska requested by Parania Daniw

Sunday, 5/21/17      Sixth Sunday of Pascha —Sunday of the Man Born Blind
9:00 Special Intention
10:30 For the people of the parish

Epistle: Acts 16:16-34
Gospel: John 9:1-38, Tone 5

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

Welcome to Dear parishioners and guests! You are invited, after each Divine Liturgy, to coffee and hard rolls in the church hall.

1. Judy Ellis leads the mercy project which provides food items to the needy. A container is in our church vestibule for non-perishable food. This collection will be taken every week. Father Iura will distribute the food to those in need. Thank you for your generosity.

2. The next meeting of the Ukrainian-American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2017. We will begin the meeting immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in Classroom 2. For more information, contact the Post Commander at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net.

3. Father Iura has formed a Church Committee. Members are Natalie Chermak, Nataliya Lyalka, Andrew Bamber, Anna Salemme, Allan Yursha, Walter Ushchak, Halya Lodynsky, Marybeth Gawron, Christine Melnyk, Myron Melnyk, Maxim Thibodeau, Maria Antonyshyn, Michael Muryn, and Carl Harvey. More information on the committee and their work will be given soon. Thank you to the members for their service to the parish.

4. Pyrohy Saturday is coming up. We will be making Pyrohy on Saturday, May 20. Walter Ushchak is seeking help. The project needs your help also on Friday, May 19, to peel potatoes.

5. ROOF REPAIR FUND: Please make a generous contribution to allow us to repair the leaking roof of the Church Hall and other roof structures adjoining the Church and the Hall. These roofs must be repaid to prevent serious water damage to our property and we cannot pay for them from regular weekly collection. Roof Repair Fund envelope are available in the vestibule of our church for your special sacrificial gift. Thank you for helping to keep our physical structures in good condition for our use today and for the next generation tomorrow.

6. The City of New Haven Memorial Day Ceremonies on May 28th

The observance this year will feature two wreath-laying ceremonies and a free patriotic concert. At 1:00 p.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial park on Long Wharf Drive, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the V-shaped monument. At 3:00p.m., the ceremony will be at the World War Memorial Flagpole on the New haven Green. At 5:00 p.m. there will be a FREE patriotic concert featuring Orchestra New England at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts. For more information or to obtain tickets to the concert, contact Carl R, Harvey, Commander UAV Post 33 by calling (203) 389-6076 or by e-mail at crharv3841@optimum.net prior to May 18th.

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A Prayer for Mothers

Good and Gentle God, we pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women of theory who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.

Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly. Give them the faithful support of husband, family and friends as they care for the physical and spiritual growth of their children. Give them joy and delight in their children to sustain them through the trials of motherhood. Most of all, give them the wisdom to turn to you for help when they need it most. Amen.

The Samaritan Woman

The theme of baptism continues in this Sunday’s Gospel, re-affirming that Pascha is a feast of resurrection and of baptism, being born into eternal life. The center of Jesus’ conversation with this unnamed woman (the Church later gave her the name Photine, the “enlightened woman”) is about water. They met at Jacob’s well, a place of great tradition, a sign and a promise of God’s love and mercy for his people. Jacob’s well provided the riches of water to a desert place, the sign that God would always provide for and bless his people. However, the encounter with the woman reveals something more: Jesus is the Messiah to come, he is greater than the Patriarch Jacob. The water of Jacob’s well is only for this world, Jesus would give “the water that would become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)” This clearly refers to our baptisms, as it comes immediately after the comparison of Jesus with John the Baptist, and the baptisms done by Jesus’ disciples.

We renew our baptism every time we receive Communion, and they are for life, for eternal life, from God, the giver of life. A couple of observations: as for Nathaniel, Jesus signs his ministry with intimate knowledge of the people he meets. He sees Nathaniel under the fig tree, and he tells the woman about her five husbands. In both cases, they become his disciple because of his knowledge of him. This is a theme of John’s Gospel, the shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him. Second, it should be to our wonder that Jesus always comes to the most underprivileged. To whom does he reveal the mystery of eternal life in baptism: to the paralytic who had no friends, to the woman who had led a shameful life, and came to the well at noon who no one else would be there, and to the blind man suspected of sin because of his blindness. And the disciples marvel that Jesus speaks to a woman! Not just any woman, but a heretical, decadent Samaritan woman! Are we humble enough to accept Jesus as our Messiah?

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

50th Ukrainian Day Festival

Dear CT State Ukrainian Day Committee Members & Clergy:

The first meeting for the 50th CT State Ukrainian Day Festival will be held on Monday, May 22, 2017 beginning at 6:30PM. His Excellency, Bishop Paul, will be in attendance.

The meeting will be hosted by:
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church
105 Clifton Ave.
Ansonia, Ct.

Refreshments will be served before the actual meeting.

Because of time restraints and conflicts, the committee could not schedule a final meeting of the 49th Festival and distribution of proceeds. Therefore, at this meeting we will be providing the final report for last year’s festival, as well as voting and presenting the distributions.

We hope that everyone can make this very important meeting. Everybody is welcome to attend, so please invite others from your parish to join for this meeting especially those who contributed to last year’s festival by volunteering that day and/or preparing food for the event. New members and ideas are always welcome.

Save the Date: Sunday, September 10, 2017 – 50th CT State Ukrainian Day Festival

We ask all clergy to please make the announcement about the meeting and 50th Festival in your parish bulletin and during liturgies.

Sincerely Yours In Christ

Donald K. Horbaty
Roman Stanislavskyy
Festival Co-Chairman

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is Risen – Indeed He is Risen!
Christos Anesti! – Alithos Anesti!
Christos voskrese – Voistinu voskres!
Al Maseeh Qam! – Haqqan Qam!
Christus resurrexit! – Vere resurrexit!

Sunday, 5/07/17    Fourth Sunday of Pascha —Healing of the Paralytic Man
10:00 a.m. Pro Populo
Moleben to the Mother of God

Epistle: Acts 9:32-42
Gospel: John 5:1-15, Tone 3

Monday, 5/08/17    Holy Apostle and Evangelist John
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 5/09/17    Translation of the Relics of Nicholas of Myra
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 5/10/17    Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 5/11/17    Holy Apostles Cyril and Methodius
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 5/12/17    Holy Father Epiphanius and Germanus
8:00 a.m. no intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 5/13/17    Holy Martyr Glyceria
8:00 a.m. +Catherine and Joseph Levitzky (Pan.) requested by Joseph M. Levitzky

Sunday, 5/14/17    Fifth Sunday of Pascha —the Samaritan Women
8:30 a.m. Moleben to the Mother of God – Sestrichi
9:00 a.m. Pro Populo

Epistle: Acts 11:19-26 and 29-30
Gospel: John 4:5-42, Tone 4

Looking ahead liturgically

May 25, Ascension Thursday
May 29, Fifth All Souls Sunday
June 4, Solemnity of Pentecost
June 5, Feast of the Holy Trinity
June 11, All Saints Sunday

Parish announcements this week

Christ is risen!!!

1. 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 865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalie Chermak at 468-0367.

2. Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

3. TODAY, we will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.  After the Divine Liturgy we will hold our Annual Parish meeting in the church hall. All parishioners are invited to attend.

4. ROOF REPAIR FUND: Please make a generous contribution to allow us to repair the leaking roof of the Church Hall and other roof structures adjoining the Church and the Hall. These roofs must be repaid to prevent serious water damage to our property and we cannot pay for them from regular weekly collection. Roof Repair Fund envelope are available in the vestibule of our church for your special sacrificial gift. Thank you for helping to keep our physical structures in good condition for our use today and for the next generation tomorrow.

5. NEXT Pyrohy Saturday: We will be making pyrohy on Saturday, May 20th. We need your help also on Friday, May 19th to peel potatoes . Please come and help. See Walter Ushchak for ways to help this vital parish activity.

6. The next meeting of the Ukrainian –American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2017. We will begin the meeting immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in Classroom 2. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net.

7. City of New Haven Memorial Day Ceremonies on May 28th

The observance this year will feature two wreath-laying ceremonies and a free patriotic concert. At 1:00 p.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial park on Long Wharf Drive, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the V-shaped monument. At 3:00 p.m., the ceremony will be at the World War Memorial Flagpole on the New Haven Green.  At 5:00 p.m. there will be a FREE patriotic concert featuring Orchestra New England at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts. For more information or to obtain tickets to the concert, contact Carl R. Harvey, Commander, UAV Post 33 by calling(203)389-6076 or by e-mail at crharv3841@optimum.net prior to May 18th.

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Sunday of the Paralytic Man

A mystery might be defined as something hidden or veiled.

In Jesus our Lord the mystery was revealed, as St. Paul tells us, “the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past … has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27)

St. John Chrysostom also describes the mystery. He tells us that if an unbeliever enters a church during a baptism, all he sees is people being washed. But a believer sees people being reborn in the Spirit. The unbeliever sees only with the eyes of the body, the believer sees with the inner eyes of the soul.

When we are baptized all our body sees and feels is water, but by the Spirit our sins are washed away and we become children of God.

When we receive Holy Communion, all we see and taste with the eyes and mouth of the body is bread and wine. But with the eyes of the Spirit we see the forgiveness of sins and the bread of life. In baptism, we made a commitment to Christ and we renounced the slavery of sin. St. Paul: “Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)”

Therefore, today’s story of the Paralytic Man. He sees the water of Bethesda, but it is the presence of God, Jesus our Lord come in the power of the Spirit, who gives him the strength to walk. This teaches us that by ourselves we cannot be healed or saved. We need the grace and strength of God to find forgiveness and life. Baptism is not just the day of our washing in water consecrated by the Spirit, it is renewed every day by our choice again and again to follow Christ day by day. Baptism, Communion, Forgiveness and Life are constant realities leading us to the fullness of life in Christ.