Parish announcements this week

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Luba Romaniw for a special intention.

AFTER DIVINE LITURGY: Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

SOROKOUSTY: The Memorial Service for All Souls will be observed on February 3 and 17, March 3 and 10,  and May 19. Please take your book of names found at the entrance of the church (or ask Father Iura for a new book), fill it out, place it in envelope and drop it in the collection basket. Let us remember all our loved ones who have gone to their heavenly reward. Eternal Memory!

KOLIADA: Dear parishioners, in this week’s bulletin you will find special Koliada envelops. If you would like to make a donation to the Koliada (Ukrainian Christmas Carols), please enclose your donation, write your name on the envelope and drop the envelope into the collection basket during the Divine Liturgies. Thank You!

KofC: The parish KofC Council will hold its next regular meeting on TOMORROW, January  8 at 7:00 p.m. in the church hall. All men of parish are invited to attend to see what the Knights are all about and what they do and what you can do with them for your parish.

St. Michael’s Parish and UNWLA Branch 108 will hold its annual PROSFORA, traditional Christmas luncheon on Sunday, January 21, 2018. On that day we will celebrate only one Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for children Ridna Shkola and altar servers. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and sweet for coffee.

VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian-American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of N.H. will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, church hall, classroom 2 immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net

Know your Catholic Faith: Christ Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is now available online in English, www.royaldoors.net. We are working to get the print edition when it is available.

Parish Announcements this week

Christ is born!

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Barbara and Patrick Bagley in memory of Michael Lipcan, Sr.

AFTER DIVINE LITURGY: Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

SOROKOUSTY: The Memorial Service for All Souls will be observed on February 3 and 17, March 3 and 10,  and May 19. Please take your book of names found at the entrance of the church, fill it out, place it in envelope and drop it in the collection basket. Let us remember all our loved ones who have gone to their heavenly reward. Eternal Memory!

Know your Catholic FaithChrist Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is now available online in English, www.royaldoors.net

KOLIADA: Dear parishioners, in this week’s bulletin you will find special Koliada Envelops. If you would like to make a donation to the Koliada (Ukrainian Christmas Carols), please enclose your donation, write your name on the envelope and drop the envelope into the collection basket during the Divine Liturgies. Thank You!

KofC: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, January  8, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the church hall. All men of parish are invited to attend to see what the Knights are all about and what they do and what you can do with them for your parish.

St. Michael’s parish and UNWLA Branch 108 will hold its annual PROSFORA, traditional Christmas luncheon on Sunday, January 21, 2018. On that day we will celebrate only one Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for children Ridna Shkola and altar servers. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and sweet for coffee.

VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian-American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of N.H. will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, church hall, classroom 2 immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net

Patriarch Sviatoslav to make Marian August pilgrimage

Bishop Paul Chomnycky, Eparch of Stamford, and the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, joyfully announce that His Beatitude, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk will preside at the 64th Holy Dormition Pilgrimage in Sloatsburg, NY on August 11-12, 2018.

Details for the upcoming pilgrimage will be in future issues of The Sower, the diocesan newspaper.

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Nadia and Vasyl Ivantsiv in memory of +Dmytro.

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

3. HOLY DAY SCHEDULE:

Divine Liturgy Schedule for the holy days:

~Christmas, December 25: 9:45 a.m. Great Compline (The God is with Us service) and Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.

~New Year’s Day, January 1: Divine Liturgy 11:00 a.m.

~Theophany of Our Lord, January 6: Great Compline at 9:15 a.m. followed by the Divine Liturgy and Great Sanctification of water 10:00 a.m.

~Christmas (Julian Calendar), January 7: Great Compline at 9:45 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.

4. 2017 CHRISTMAS BAZAARTODAY, you have an excellent opportunity to purchase, at very reasonable prices, the Ukrainian gifts and cards (for Christmas and other special occasions) that you would like to give to family members, friends, co-workers or teachers of your children. We are also seeking volunteer sales associates that can help process the purchases that people make. If you can help during one of the times indicated earlier in this note, please call Carl R. Harvey at 203-389-6076. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. You will be giving much needed support to sustain the operation of your Heritage Center.

5. 2017 CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: The Ukrainian Women’s League of New Haven, Branch 108 will be holding their annual Christmas Bazaar TODAY after each Divine Liturgy, 10 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Baked goods and kutia will also be available. Donations of Ukrainian or holiday items would be greatly welcome. For more information, contact Anna Salemme 203-934-6520 or Larissa Swartwout 203-248-9767.

6. END OF YEAR REPORTS: All donations and contributions must be received by Monday, December 25 to be recorded on the annual statement for the Year 2017.

7. VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian –American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held TODAY. 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

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Luba Romaniw for a Special Intention.

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

3. 2017 CHRISTMAS BAZAAR :  The Ukrainian Heritage Center’s Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday,  December 9,  Sunday, December 10, Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17 in the church hall from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. This offers you an excellent opportunity to purchase, at very reasonable prices, the Ukrainian gifts and cards (for Christmas and other special occasions) that you would like to give to family members, friends, co-workers or teachers of your children. We are also seeking volunteer sales associates that can help process the purchases that people make. If you can help during one of the times indicated earlier in this note, please call Carl R. Harvey at (203) 389-6076. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. You will be giving much needed support to sustain the operation of your Heritage Center.

4. 2017 CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: The Ukrainian Women’s League of New Haven, Branch 108 will be holding their annual Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, December 10, Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, after each Divine Liturgy, 10 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Baked goods and kutia will also be available. Donations of Ukrainian or holiday items would be greatly welcome. For more information, contact Anna Salemme 203- 934-6520 or Larissa Swartwout 203-248-9767.

5. ST. GIANNA CENTER OF NEW HAVEN: The parish is collecting diapers, seats, strollers and gift cards to be given to the St. Gianna Center of New Haven (www.gianna center.org). Useful diapers sizes: 3, 4, 5. Gift cards are needed from Walmart or Target. Please place the gift card in an envelope marked “St. Gianna Center” and give it to directly Fr. Iura. Also, NEW car seats / strollers are needed (sorry, old car seats / strollers can’t be accepted due to legislation). Items can be placed in the labeled box at the entrance of the Church. The St. Gianna Center is a ministry of Catholics in New Haven helping at-risk pregnant women and their children. Thank you for your generosity!

Meeting with Senator Richard Blumenthal Sunday, December 10

Senator Blumenthal will explain in detail the recently passed Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in the NDAA defense bill and his funding authorization proposal to aid Ukraine’s soldiers

Let’s support the Senator for helping Ukraine’s soldiers  by thanking him in person at St. Michael’s Church Hall, New Haven, this Sunday, December 10, at 11:45 a.m.  Local press will cover this event.

Please note that the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) more than doubled  the level of U.S. support for Ukraine in the coming fiscal year. This legislation  now awaits the President’s signature.

Below is an excerpt of Senator Blumenthal’s recent press release.

Aiding Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers: Blumenthal partnered with Connecticut’s Ukrainian-American community to secure a provision that creates a new funding authority for the treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers at Department of Defense (DoD) military treatment facilities. Ukrainian soldiers are currently able to come to America to be treated at military facilities when Ukraine cannot provide adequate care, but funding is not guaranteed and is often unaffordable. This legislation will provide a new route through the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative to cover medical care and associated costs at DoD treatment facilities.

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to the glory of God by Luba Romaniw for a special intention.

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

3. The Philip’s Fast (Pylypivka): We are making the 40-day fast that began on November 15, the day after the feast St. Philip to spiritually prepare Nativity of the Lord. We keep the Philip’s Fast because we believe that doing so it can help us to better understand and appreciate all of God’s saving plan for each of us.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church teaches her faithful that “Penitential fasting practices, repentance and abstinence that aim to satisfy the sins committed and to achieve the highest level of perfection is the oldest tradition in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church” (CCEO: 882, §1).

To observe the Fast, we do not eat meat or foods containing meat on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Definitions: Abstinence means that we do not eat a certain type of food, for example meat and oil, or any other foods that have that as an ingredient. Fasting means that we eat less food. Those exempt from fasting and abstinence: children under the age of 14; adults over the age of 60; those who are gravely ill, pregnant women, post-partum mothers, breast-feeding mothers, travelers (if travel time exceeds 8 hours), those engaged in heavy labor, those who eat from the table of others, the poor who live from charity.

Further reading: The Winter Pascha (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press) by Thomas Hopko.

4. FOOD DRIVE: 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. Thanks for your support.

5. St Gianna Center of New Haven: The parish is collecting diapers, seats, strollers and gift cards to be given to the St. Gianna Center of New Haven (www.giannacenter.org). Useful diapers sizes: 3, 4, 5. Gift cards are needed from Walmart or Target. Please place the gift card in an envelop marked “St. Gianna Center” and give it to directly Fr. Iura. Also, NEW car seats/ strollers are needed (sorry, old car seats/strollers can’t be accepted due to legislation). Items can be placed in the labeled box at the entrance of the Church. The St. Gianna Center is a ministry of Catholics in New Haven helping at-risk pregnant women and their children. Thank you for your generosity!

Parish announcements this week

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Mary Ann and Allan Yursha   in memory of  +Michael Kurylo.

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

3. FOOD DRIVE: 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. Thanks for your support.

4. BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS: Dear parishioners. The information in this bulletin is from you and for you. You comprise the bulletin. If you have items of note, please bring them to our attention so that we can let everyone know.

5. End of the Year Donations to the Parish: All donations and contributions must be received by Monday, December 25th to be recorded on the annual statement for the Year 2017.

6. KofC: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the lower level of the church hall, KofC meeting room. All men of parish are invited to attend.

7. Update on Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine: U.S. Senator Blumenthal will be visiting the parish on December 10th at 11:30 a.m. The meeting will take place in the church hall. The main focus of his visit is to let our community know where things stand with the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative and our Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Project.

8. VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian –American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held on Sunday, December 17. 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.

9. St Gianna Center of New Haven:  We are organizing a drive to collect diapers, seats, strollers and gift cards to be given to the St. Gianna Center of New Haven (www.gianna center .org). The Center says the diapers sizes 3, 4, 5, are in greatest demand. Please put a gift card in an envelop marked ” St. Gianna Center” and give it to directly Fr. Iura. Also, NEW car seats/ strollers are needed (sorry, old car seats/strollers can`t be accepted due to legislation). Your donations are greatly appreciated. Items can be placed in the labeled box at the entrance of the Church beginning on November 19th . The St. Gianna Center is a ministry of Catholics in New Haven helping at-risk pregnant women and their children. The Generosity of the Center and its ability to operate relies directly upon the generosity of its benefactors. The mission of the Center relies on your kindness and prayers. Thank you!

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is given to God’s glory offered by Mary Ann and Allan Yursha in memory of +Michael Kurylo.

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

3. FOOD DRIVE: 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. Thanks for your support.

4. PRE-CHRISTMAS FAST: The Philip’s Fast (Pylypivka), the pre-Christmas fast, begins today. The Church begins the Fast the day after the feast of the Holy and All-Praiseworthy Apostle Philip. The Fast is a period of 40 days of spiritual preparation for the celebration of the Nativity/Theophany cycle of the liturgical (Church) year. Historically, the Philip’s Fast (Pylypivka) was a period of strict fasting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday –days of strict fasting without meat, dairy products or oil (in Slavic countries). Now the bishops have indicated that the Fast is lessened a bit also to include fasting, works of penance and doing charitable work. BUT today we observe the Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays by an abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church teaches her faithful that “Penitential fasting practices, repentance and abstinence that aim to satisfy the sins committed and to achieve the highest level of perfection is the oldest tradition in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church” (CCEO: 882, §1). Recall, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church maintains that “Abstention from meat and meat products is to be observed on all Fridays of the year except for compact weeks, patronal feasts and the twelve major feasts” (CCEO: 882, §4).

Definitions: Abstinence means that we do not eat a certain type of food, for example meat and oil, or any other foods that have that as an ingredient.