1982: a look back: Churches (12/26/82)

1982: a look back

Churches

The Ukrainian Catholic hierarchs in the United States started work early this year. After issuing an appeal on the eve of the New Year that called on all Ukrainian Americans of good will to contribute toward a special fund to aid needy Ukrainians in Poland, they turned to fraternal societies, financial institutions as well as individuals to send contributions to the fund. The results were phenomenal; to date the hierarchs have sent over $85,000 worth of parcels and supplies to Poland.

No sooner did this project get under way than the hierarchs began planning celebrations in observance of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj's 90th birthday. Forming an ad-hoc committee, comprised of representatives of 35 Ukrainian American organizations, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States sponsored a concert that paid tribute to the patriarch. It was held in Philadelphia on February 28. The concert was preceeded by weeklong festivities in Rome for the primate of the 'Pomisna' Ukrainian Catholic Church, which attracted over 500 persons - clergy and laity - the week of February 13-20.

Faithful unable to attend the celebration in Rome, or the concert in Philadelphia, sponsored other concerts and programs to mark the 90th birthday of the patriarch as well as the 65th anniversary of his ordination in their own communities.

In 1982, Patriarch Josyf was also named to the papal academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The academy's membership is reserved for those persons who, through their studies and works, have advanced the philosophy of St. Thomas.

The patriarch, unfortunately, received bad news as well in the form of a letter from the head of the Holy Eastern Congregation, Cardinal Wladislaw Rubin, which issued a warning to the Ukrainian Catholic Church. The three points underlined in the letter included: the denial of the establishment of the Ukrainian Patriarchate; the fact that the synod of bishops can be convened only with the consent of the pope and that it cannot elect bishops; and the reminder that Archbishop-Coadjutor Myroslav Lubachivsky has already been named the successor to Cardinal Slipyj, as archbishop of Lviv.

The most recent news from Rome indicates that the pope has approved a meeting of the Synod of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops to take place in early 1983.

The Catholics were not the only ones observing anniversaries and birthdays this year. The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A., Metropolitan Mstyslav Skrypnyk, celebrated his 84th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his episcopacy. Celebrations in his honor were held in May in South Bound Brook, N.J.

Throughout the year, Pope John Paul II appointed several Ukrainians to positions in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

On September 25, Bishop Myroslav Marusyn was named the titular archbishop of Cadeun. In addition, he was appointed secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches by Pope John Paul II. The pope also appointed the Rev. Myron Daciuk as auxiliary bishop to Archbishop-Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk of Canada.

In November, the Rev. Michael Hrynchyshyn CSsR of Saskatoon was nominated exarch for Ukrainian Catholics in France. He will replace Bishop Volodymyr Malanczuk CSsR, who is unable to continue serving as apostolic exarch because of his age and poor health.

Bishop Andrew Roborecki of the Saskatoon Eparchy died at the age of 71 on October 23. Ordained into the priesthood in 1934, the late bishop served Ukrainian Catholic parishes throughout Canada. In 1948 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Winnipeg and was consecrated in Toronto. He was subsequently appointed exarch of Saskatoon in 1951 and eparch in 1956.

A notable event within the Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1982 on August 28 was the solemn blessing of the recently built Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lourdes, France. Over 1,500 faithful from various countries, including Poland and Yugoslavia, attended the historic event.

Back in the United States, once again the Ukrainian Catholic hierarchs issued an appeal. Dated September 8, this one called for unity within the Ukrainian community. The hierarchs said that if their appeal was not successful, they would withdraw their parochial and eparchal representatives from the central and local organizations that do battle with one another. The appeal said that "representatives of the organizations and institutions will stand aside and they may perform the role of mediators in this great cause of unity." (See "A community still divided.")

December 5 marked the first anniversary of the launching of the "Guardian Angel Children's Prayer Book," published by St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Office of Religious Education of the Toronto Eparchy. The prayer book, published in both Ukrainian and English-language versions, has been a bestseller. It is currently in its second printing.

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