First Ukrainian church on Long Island marks 50th anniversary (12/28/80)

First Ukrainian church on Long Island marks 50th anniversary

by Helen Perozak Smindak

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - To look back over 50 years of hard work, of dedication to religious traditions, of happy times and sad occasions, and of perseverance through tribulations cannot be achieved by riffling through a scrapbook or scanning a photo album. With this in mind, the parish of St. Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church here set aside a whole day to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Ukrainian church center formed on Long Island, to honor its pioneers and outstanding members, and to mark the Feast Day of St. Michael the Archangel, for whom the church is named.

The special anniversary was held on November 23, beginning with a Divine Liturgy in the small brick church with its familiar bulb-shaped dome. St. Michael's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Simon Hayuk and the Rev. Vasyl Iwashchuk, pastor of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bayonne, N.J., concelebrated the Liturgy, assisted by the Rev. Volodymyr Polishchuk of Lakewood, N.J., serving as protodeacon. Choral responses were offered by the church choir, led by Olexander Kalinowsky, a Hofstra University pre-med student who has been serving as choir director since the death three years ago of the parish's long-time choir leader, the late George Gural.

A formal dinner for over 250 parishioners and guests was held after the Liturgy in the adjacent church center, where a goodly number of school children, toddlers and even infants in arms provided a warm family ambiance to the occasion.

Adding a decidedly Ukrainian flavor to the catered dinner was the savory borshch prepared by the parish's sisterhood under the direction of Jean Andree of Bayside, Queens, and the wall decorations created by Ihor Kuchmak, son of the Ukrainian artist, the late Ivan Kuchmak.

Ukrainian cultural traditions were lovingly presented during the entertainment portion of the afternoon's program by the Uniondale bandura ensemble led by Mr. Kalinowsky, a trio of singers including Valentina Lysniak, Ivanna Soltys and Marta Szpachynsky, pianists Nina Pawlenko (a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music) and Levko Lysniak, and the church choir.

Pioneers of St. Michael's parish who are no longer living were remembered as the entire gathering stood for a minute of silence.

With Father Hayuk and master of ceremonies Michael Pyszczymucha presiding, corsages were presented to a group of pioneers, several still-active senior parish members and five pre-school youngsters, who symbolized the future of the parish. The pioneers included Mary Roembeck, Mr. and Mrs. George Matwiychuk, Peter Senyk, John and Charlie Maksymkiw and Anna Iwashkiw.

Honored for their devoted work in the parish were Mr. and Mrs. Volodymyr Kostyshyn, Nicholas Krawchuk, Russell and Mary Shafchuk, Anna Gural and Alexandra Misurenko.

Metropolitan Mstyslav sent his blessings to the entire parish and a certificate of merit to the Sisterhood of St. Mary and St. Olga, presently headed by Theofilia Neboshynsky. The sisterhood, through its annual holiday bazaars and frequent sales of varenyky, has raised thousands of dollars to assist in paying for the building of the new church center.

A special certificate of merit, signed by the officers of the parish, was presented to Father Hayuk by Serge Neboshynsky, president of the parish committee, as "an expression of our thanks for your tolerance of us."

In traditional Ukrainian style, there were greetings and congratulations from numerous guests. They included Prof. Vasyl Omelchenko, speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in New York; Ivan Samilenko, director of the Ukrainian Institute of America; M. Konyk, of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Manhattan, and Dan Zawyrucha, of St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in West Islip, L.I.

Representing local branches of national organizations were: Bohdan Kopystiansky (Ukrainian Congress Committee of America), Mykola Kurczak (Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine), Katherine Mycio (Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine), Volodymyr Szpachynsky (Ukrainian National Association), George Shtohryn (Self-Reliance Committee), Zenia Zarycky (Ukrainian National Women's League of America) and Bohdan Kurchak (Plast).

Among the guests at the head table was the pastor of St. Peter and Paul Church, the Rev. Petro Sahaidachyn.

Church built in 1930

Keynote speaker Serge Neboshynsky, who has made a study of Ukrainian community life on Long Island, touched on highlights in the life of St. Michael's parish. He noted the Ukrainians formed cohesive groups on Long Island after World War I to preserve their religion and cultural traditions. In 1926 a group of emigrants from western Ukraine organized St. Michael's Brotherhood, obtained the services of a Ukrainian priest and began to hold liturgies in a private home. Their church building was completed in 1930 and parish activities began to flourish - picnics, dances, banquets, weddings. A youth club and a sisterhood were formed.

Although the immigrants were Uniates (Greek Catholics) they did not wish to be part of the Roman Catholic Church and called their church "Ukrainian Greek Catholic Orthodox."

The influx of new immigrants after World War II produced pressures that caused some of the parishioners to leave St. Michael's in 1956 and form a new parish, Holy Trinity Church in Westbury. The two parishes were reunited in 1967 as St. Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

With over 130 families in the unified parish, there is renewed vigor and enthusiasm. An iconostasis created by artists Serhiy Makerenko and Nadio Somko was added to the church and air conditioning has been installed. In 1976, a contemporary church center with modern kitchen facilities was built next to the church, and parking space and landscaping were added.

St. Michael's Church is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA, headed by Metropolitan Mstyslav.

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