THE NEWS FROM HERE (08/10/03)

THE NEWS FROM HERE

Who knew that varenyky, a.k.a. "pierogies," would become so popular among non-Ukrainians, or that they would spur a festival? That's exactly what happened in the Flordia city of North Port, at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center. Another Ukrainian religious community Ukrainian Baptists, also has made North Port its home. Both congregations are the focus of this installment of "The News from Here."

NORTH PORT, Fla.: "Rolling in Dough"

From October through April parishioners are "Rolling in Dough," according to the Venice Herald-Tribune's Sharyn Lonsdale. Parishioners of the center, which is headed by Roman Maluk, make about 1,200 pierogies every Friday. The pierogies, along with other traditional Ukrainian foods, are served at the weekly Ukrainian dinners, a 30-year-old tradition. Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians alike partake of the home-cooked meals.

One dedicated parishioner, Dr. Wolodymir Korol, 81, affectionately known as the "Doughmaster," began making pierogies at St. Andrew's 17 years ago. Dr. Korol comes in every Friday around 6:30 a.m., and by the time his day is finished he has made 60 pounds of dough.

Because of the description in the Venice Herald-Tribune of the Ukrainian dishes served at the weekly dinners at St. Andrew's, many people attended their Easter Bazaar on April 11-12. The paska sold out so quickly that special orders had to be placed for those who wished to purchase the Ukrainian bread.

Pierogies' growing popularity is also reflected in how many people purchase them now. Prepared pierogies can be heated up quickly and easily, and they appeal to all ages. At a store in Sarasota, Fla., owner Alla Shifman says that more pierogies are sold every year.

Pierogies even have a festival named after them in Whiting, Ind., where the first Pierogi Festival was held in 1995, the Herald Tribune reported. Gayle Kosalko, executive director of the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce, helped plan the first festival, is responsible for creating the festival's mascot, "Mr. Pierogi," and writes the songs that he sings with The Pieroguettes.

NORTH PORT, Fla.: Ukrainian Baptists find a home

St. Andrew's is not the only Ukrainian Church in North Port currently in the news. Recently, the Ukrainian Baptists of southwest Florida finally held a liturgy in their own church. Until July 6 of this year the Baptists rented a Lutheran church for their services.

As reported by Atanas T. Kobryn from the North Port Sun-Herald, Dr. Ivan Kovalchuk, president of the Association of Ukrainian Christian Baptists in the United States, and two local pastors, Mychaylo Jakubovych and Volodymyr Savchuk, dedicated the church with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a church service on July 6.

Pastor Jakubovych opened the service with a prayer. Following that, the choir of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of North Port, directed by Pastor Savchuk sang. Lyubov Vasylkiw, director of the 19-member male choir of the First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Philadelphia then directed them in their song. The prior day, the choir held a concert in which they sang religious and other songs at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center in North Port.

Dr. Kovalchuk then gave a homily after congratulating the congregation on acquiring their own church. He also spoke about Ukrainian Baptist communities all over the country, and invited everyone to Sacramento, Calif., for the All-American Convention of Ukrainian Christian Baptists, which was held in late July.

Mr. Kobryn's report on the new addition to the community appeared in his regular column for the Sun-Herald, "Our Neighbors - The Ukrainians."

- compiled by Roxolana Woloszyn

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