COMMUNITY CHRONICLE (06/29/03)

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE

Parish in Troy celebrates 105th anniversary

TROY, N.Y. - On May 18 St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Troy, New York, celebrated its 105th anniversary. Because circumstances did not allow the parish to celebrate the church's 100th anniversary, the event was all the more a true jubilee.

St. Nicholas' colorful history began with the mass immigration of Ukrainians to America in the late 1800s, continued to today's Ukrainian Americans and now extends to a new wave of current immigrants from Ukraine.

Immigrants who came to Troy to work in the area mills and foundries established St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 1897. Through all the years of the church's existence, the church has remained a focal point in the community of South Troy.

May 18 was a beautiful, sunny day-a-day befitting this wonderful celebration. The church bells pealed as Father Paul Szewczuk and the parish president, John Fil, greeted Metropolitan Constantine and Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America, at the entrance of the church. Bread and salt were brought forth in greeting as sisters Irene and Roma Kulbida in traditional Ukrainian costume presented flowers to the church's honored guests. The beauty and serenity of the liturgy offered by the metropolitan, the archbishop, the Rev. Szewczuk and all the visiting clergy lifted the parishioners' spirits in thanks for the longevity of the parish.

A celebratory banquet followed the liturgy. Metropolitan Constantine encouraged and blessed the parish with his kind and learned words of greeting, followed by clergy from visiting parishes reading greetings from their parishioners. The afternoon's concert program unfolded under the guidance of Lydia Kulbida, a prominent area television newscaster and a parishioner at St. Nicholas.

The Zorepad Dance Group, directed by Roma Pryma-Bohachevska, charmed the parish with its performance. Ridna Pisnia, the Albany-area Ukrainian choir, under the direction of Mykhaylo Tcapar performed many beautiful songs, some selections being original works of the choir director. A parishioner, Michael Walker, sang a lovely rendition of Hulak Artemowsky's "O Ruler of Heaven and Earth." Poetry and readings were presented by Irene and Roma Kulbida, Pavlo and Nicholas Zaderej, and Maria Tcapar.

Guests and parishioners lingered as the concert program drew to an end. Many took photographs to commemorate the occasion; others shared stories of parish life in years gone by. Many lasting memories were made this day.

The Jubilee Committee was chaired by Tanya Petroff, who was acknowledged by the parish for making the 105th anniversary celebration a memorable event.

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