Parish Celebrates its patron saint

Today, our parish celebrated the feast day of St Michael the Archangel and All the Angels. We do this to keep in front of us the spiritual reality of St Michael and what he means to the Church –that is, to all of us– on a personal level.
St Michael the Archangel’s feast day is November 8.
St Michael is one of the named 4 named archangels in God’s heavenly court who protects us from evil, gives hope, and keeps us in the objective truth. Angels are pure spirits; angels don’t have bodies regardless what Hallmark and some artists say. As the name “angel” means, “messenger,” the angels govern creation by keeping order, and do God’s will. Hence, we believe this fundamental fact: angels are deployed by God to do supernatural things –they are heavenly beings; God’s messengers, working for Him and they work for the ultimate benefit of mankind. Angels are given to us for our benefit. Therefore, we pray for their help, and celebrate theeir presence. That’s why we gathered today to pray the Divine Liturgy and had a beautiful festive meal with our parish family.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Father Iura who also preached in Ukrainian, Father Stepan, Father Al, and Father Jordan, OP, who preached in English.
Our food, the table set-up and clean-up was done by many good and devoted people.
Here are some action pics.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 11/06, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
10:15 a.m. Lytija and blessing of Bread
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
+All members of St. Michael Society Anointing-Myrovann

Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18
Gospel: Luke 8:41-56, Tone 5

Monday, 11/07, The 33 martyrs in Melitene and Father Lazarus
9:00 a.m. No particular intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 11/08, The Synaxis of the Archangel Michael
9:00 For the people of the parish

Wednesday, 11/09, Venerable Mother Matrona and Theoktista
9:00 a.m. No particular intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 11/10, Holy Apostles Erastus, Olympus and others
9:00 a.m. No particular intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 11/11, Our Venerable Father Theodore, Martyr Victor
9:00 a.m. No particular intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 11/12, Holy Hieromartyr Josaphat
8:30 a.m. No particular intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 11/13, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
10:30 a.m. All deceased members of UWLA Branch 108

Epistle: Ephesians 2:4-10
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37, Tone 6

Parish announcements

Christ is among us!

This week vigil light is offered by parish in memory of all members of St. Michael Society.

If you would like to have a Confession, Holy Communion or prayer of the sick at your house or nursing home, please call the rectory at (203) 865-0388.

We will be making pyrohy (varenyky) for regular orders on November 19. We need your help on Friday to peel potatoes and Saturday to make pierogis. Please come and help.

Children aged 8-12 will be accepted to the School. The nursery school has 3 groups as follows: ages 2-3 years of age – the youngest group; ages 3-5 years of age –the middle group; ages 5-6 years of age –preschool/ oldest group. This year we plan to offer Ukrainian dance instruction under the director of Mr. Orlando Pagan for children 7 years and older. Details to follow. For further information please contact School Director Halia Lodynska (203) 494-6278 or Nursery School Director Natalia Dankevych (203) 901-7168.

CHARITIES APPEAL: Please don’t forget to make a donation to the Eparchy’s Charity Appeal. Please make check payable to the Byzantine Rite Eparchy of Stamford. DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM OR CHECK TO THE CHANCERY OFFICE BUT TURN IT IN AT THE PARISH. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make a generous contribution.

KIDS HELPING UKRAINE STICKERS: Our New Haven Ridna Shkola is doing a Fundraiser called, KIDS HELPING UKRAINE. The stickers (two styles) are $1.00 per sticker and if you can contribute more it will be appreciated. All donations will go to provide medical supplies and care for those wounded in this terrible war started by Russia. If you any questions contact Halia Lodynsky (203) 494-6278 or Volodymyr Dumalskyy.

ST. MICHAEL’S HERITAGE CENTER GIFT SHOP: We are in the process of revitalizing and restocking our Gift shop as part of our overall effort to generate needed funds. Any Parishioner who has surplus Ukrainian items in their possession that they would like to donate or place on consignment with the shop, please drop them off at the Gift Shop which is open and accessible during Suma Credit Union hours. For further information, please call the Rectory or email the Shop at: stmichaelsgiftshop@gmail.com

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Blessed Theodore Romzha

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. … No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18.20)

Bishop Kallistos Ware [+2022] said that today is truly the age of martyrs. More people are giving witness to Christ than ever before.

Today, the Byzantine Catholic Church remembers Blessed Theodore Romzha, who was killed by the Communists as he performed his pastoral duties. In the epistle read today, St. Paul reflects on what Christians have always had to do to follow Christ, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church. (Colossians 1:24)” This, St. Paul, comes from the great mystery of the Church: Christ in us, our hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) We do not give up our lives for our own purposes, but because we know that our life is in Christ. We die not only for some ideal, but in witness to a person -the Jesus Christ, our Lord, “light from light, true God from true God.” This is why in history Christians have been persecuted by all kinds of organizations and ideologies and economic systems which perceive Jesus, the Giver of Life, as a threat.

Sadly, even in our history, Christians have persecuted other Christians. However, today we proclaim the glory of all those who proclaim Jesus as Lord. Indeed, the feast is ecumenical, celebrating the Byzantine Catholic bishop who died for Christ in 1947, Theodore Romzha, and the Russian Orthodox priest, John Kochurev, who had served as a pastor in Chicago, but was the first Orthodox priest to be martyred by the Communists in Russia in 1917. Both Catholic and Orthodox therefore bear united witness to the one Lord Jesus Christ in the face of his enemies.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Winter clothes for Ukraine

As you know from the news reports the winter season is upon the Ukrainians and the war continues with great alarm. Our friends in Ukraine have identified the GREATEST URGENT NEED is for WINTER CLOTHING for people of ALL AGES.

Hats, gloves/mittens, coats, pants, underware, sweaters, sweat suits and anything else that will enable them to be protected from very cold winter weather. Preferably new clothing, but we will take gently used, clean clothing.

The collection place is:

St. Michael the Archangel Church Hall (behind the church)
569 George Street
New Haven, CT 06511-5301

Deadline is Saturday, Saturday, November 5th:

Saturdays between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM AND Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

The items will need to be packed during the week after November 6th so they can be loaded on the truck on Saturday, November 12th to send off to Dnipro in New Jersey on Monday, November 14th.

The ideal situation would be to transport these items to Ukraine by plane. The cost per pound to do that is currently $2.20 per pound. We will need to solicit additional funding to cover the added cost of shipping the clothing by plane to get these items over to Ukraine quickly.

To make a donation online: https://www.givesendgo.com/G2ZXR

To send a check:

KofC Council 16253
St. Michael the Archangel Church
569 George Street
New Haven, CT 06511-5301

Checks payable to: KofC Council 16253
In the memo: St. Michael’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief Fund

Please reach out to as many people as you can so we can pull together the funding and clothing to send over to Ukraine.

Thank you for your help.

John Larson and State Leaders to Join Ukrainian American Community

TUESDAY: Larson and State Leaders to Join Ukrainian American Community in Condemning Republican Commitment to Cut Support for Ukraine

Hartford, CT – On Tuesday, October 25th at 10:00 AM, U.S. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) will join members of the Ukrainian American Community at the Ukrainian National Home in Hartford to condemn the newly announced commitment by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to cut U.S. support for Ukraine against Russian aggression if Republicans win control of Congress.

Congressional Democrats, led by Connecticut’s delegation, have supported more than $60 billion in direct aid to Ukraine in the face of Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Who: U.S. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), Members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, Members of the Ukrainian American Community.

When: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 10:00 AM

Where: Ukrainian National Home of Hartford, 961 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06114

Blessed Petro Pavlo Oros

Blessed Petro Pavlo Oros, a martyr

The Holy Father authorized to promulgate the Decrees concerning the martyrdom of the Servant of God Petro Pavlo Oros, Priest of the Eparchy of Mukachevo (Ukraine), thus beatifying one of the underground bishops, killed in hatred of the faith on 28 August 1953. The date of death is significant: it was the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (on the Julian calendar).

Blessed Theodore Romzha was the consecrator of Father Petro Pavlo to the episcopate.

This event will be celebrated also in the Eparchy of Passaic: on Saturday, October 29th at 10am the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at St Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Metropolitan William Skurla will serve the Liturgy.

All the faithful of the Eparchy are welcome to attend!

Grand Opening of Restaurant Transilvania

You are invited this Saturday, October 22, starting at 12 noon, to the Grand Opening of Restaurant Transilvania, a Romanian cuisine restaurant in East Haven, CT owned by Romanian immigrants from Transylvania, where you can also meet some of our Ukrainian beneficiaries under the “Connecticut for Ukraine” Refugee Matching Program.

Father Iura will impart a blessing on the restaurant.

The restaurant occupies an old historical building (c. 1706) in East Haven, CT with well documented history around its walls, which is a reason alone to visit.

You will likely enjoy the authentic Romanian decorations based on the real historical figure of Vlad Ţepes (Dracula) whose history you can learn at the event. There will be free Romanian food and wine/ drinks with a side of speeches from state and local officials and yours truly. This restaurant hired a Ukrainian chef who came through our Connecticut for Ukraine refugee matching program, and thus besides Romanian food, you will also get to eat some Ukrainian dishes (Romanian and Ukrainian food have some dishes in common anyways, such as stuffed cabbage). Governor Lamont made a stop at this restaurant last week and was particularly touched by their ability to hire Ukrainian refugees.

Additionally, the “Connecticut for Ukraine” Refugee Matching Program – a pro bono initiative of the Honorary Consulate of Romania to CT in collaboration with the Murtha Cullina law firm – is pleased to announce the following:

About 85 Ukrainian refugees have been matched to CT sponsors to date through our program, the majority of whom have already landed in CT, BUT we still need more sponsors for the 200+ Ukrainian families on our waiting list. Contact us if you or your nonprofit organization is able to facilitate housing for more Ukrainian refugees.

* Our program was featured on WNPR’s “Where We Live” on 10/13 (“With no end in sight, Ukrainians continue to fight for their homeland”)
* A new website dedicated to the Connecticut for Ukraine Refugee Matching Program is under construction and will soon be operational to provide detailed information and resources to sponsors and refugees alike: ctukraine.org

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