Newly constructed Lemko chapel blessed during fifth annual Lemko Vatra (07/24/05)

Newly constructed Lemko chapel blessed during fifth annual Lemko Vatra

by Steven Howansky and Andriy Khomyk

ELLENVILLE, N.Y. - The annual Lemko Vatra in the U.S. blazed for the fifth year in a row on June 24-26, here at the resort of the Ukrainian American Youth Organization Inc. (SUM). Each year, this vatra blazes amid a constellation of others around the world - in Lemkivschyna, Ukraine, Slovakia, Serbia and Canada - where fate has dispersed Lemkos from their never-forgotten homeland.

The Organization for the Defense of Lemkivschyna (known by the acronym OOL) conducted this festival in order to show participants at least a small portion of original Lemko culture and traditions.

At the official opening of the Vatra, the "starosta" (or traditional village elder) Vasyl Harhaj welcomed all those present, and invited on stage such leaders of the Ukrainian Lemko community as: Ivan Fil, representative of the World Federation of Ukrainian Lemkos; Anastazja Krawczuk, deputy editor of the newspaper Nashe Slovo; Bohdan Harhaj, head of SUM; Steven Howansky, head of the Lemko Research Foundation; Stefan Zhurawski, head of the Committee for the Building of the Lemko Chapel; Zenon Halkowycz, head of the OOL; and the heads of various OOL branches.

Leading the traditional ritual of lighting the Vatra bonfire were Messrs. Halkowycz and Howansky, as well as OOL branch representatives Ivan Zavada, Stefan Kosciolek and Michael Chalupa, while a choir of singers from the United States, Canada and Ukraine, under the direction of Alla Kutsewycz, performed the Lemko hymn, "Hory Nashi Karpaty."

In his welcome, Mr. Halkowycz underlined both the importance of conducting the annual Lemko Vatra and the historical meaning of the fifth Vatra, saying, "On this Sunday will take place the blessing of the Lemko chapel dedicated to the memory of victims of Akcja Wisla - victims whom we should not forget." (Akcja Wisla was a campaign conducted by the Polish government in 1947 that forcibly resettled approximately 150,000 Ukrainians from southeastern Poland.)

Sunday, June 26, will go into the annals of OOL and SUM, as well as into the history of the entire Ukrainian diaspora in the U.S., as the day on which Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Bishop Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Church blessed the newly built St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, constructed at the SUM resort in Lemko style as a memorial to the victims of Akcja Wisla.

On a beautiful Sunday morning, the heads of OOL and SUM, carrying flags, met near the entrance of the Ellenville resort and, together with the spiritual leaders of Ukrainian Churches, walked to the field where the new chapel stands.

Bishop Losten delivered a speech dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, who is the patron saint of SUM and the city of Kyiv. Afterwards he and Archbishop Antony endorsed a statement blessing the chapel.

This was followed by a liturgy, conducted by Bishop Losten and, at his side, Fathers Ivan Bura, Ihor Mydziak, Bohdan Danylo, Yaroslav Kostyk, Volodymyr Piso and Bohdan Kudleychuk. Sitting with Archbishop Antony in places of honor before the chapel were Fathers Yuriy Bazylevskiy and Daniel Zelinsky. The Akollada choir from Philadelphia, sang during the liturgy. Afterwards, Archbishop Antony also delivered a spiritual speech, and the church hymn, "Bozhe Velykyi Yedynyi" concluded the blessing ceremony.

Throughout the Vatra, the sizeable Ukrainian Lemko community from the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Poland and other corners of the world, was also treated to a concert program, led by mistress and master of ceremonies Anna Pregner and Stepan Sheryliv. A stream of Lemko songs flowed.

There were tears of nostalgia in the eyes of those born in verdant Lemkivschyna, flashes of joy on the faces of festival guests, and shouts of "bravo" accompanying the performances of the artists - professionals and amateurs, singers and dancers, grey-haired and young - who, with sincere hearts and souls, had responded to the invitation of the festival organizers. There were so many artists that it is not possible to name them all in a short article.

Lviv-born artist Anna Cheberenchyk, known as "Anytchka," (whose parents from the village of Owczary in Lemkivschyna were relocated to Soviet Ukraine in the World War II period) began her performance with the song, "Tam na Lemkovyni." Now residing in California, she came to brighten the hearts of viewers at the Lemko Vatra in the U.S.A. for the second year in a row.

The Metelytsia quartet, Mriya the dance group from Passaic, N.J., the sisters Lida and Gabriella Oros, Roman Tsymbala, Hurt Suziria and Vika from Ternopil, also performed, as did local humorists Peter Wislocky and Ivan Gres, the dancers and singers of the group Obriyi, Lviviany and many other artists.

And, from Saturday evening to the early hours of the morning, participants danced to the music of the Halychany band and the Karpaty quartet.

The program on Sunday continued in the large hall of SUM's main building, where Vatra participants listened with interest to the keynote speech of Nashe Slovo Deputy Editor Krawczuk titled, "The Situation of Ukrainians in Poland from Resettlement until Today."

Following this speech, a short welcome was also given to the Ukrainian Vice-Minister of Agricultural Policy Ivan Demchak, whose father was from the Lemko village of Brunary.

As has become a Lemko Vatra tradition, following the concert program, all participants of the festival also had the opportunity to taste a piece of roast pig. And for those who preferred other Ukrainian dishes, there was no lack of varenyky, kovbasa with kapusta and hot borsch.

At the end of the Vatra, Anytchka together with all of the musicians performed the Lemko song, "Oy Vershe Mii, Vershe." As a thank you for their participation, the artists received a fifth Annual Lemko Vatra T-shirt as a souvenir from the Vatra organizing committee. Following words of thanks for all of the organizers of the festival, the administration of the SUM resort, volunteers and participants, the festival came to a close.

"Do pobachennia za rik" (Until next year), read the sign above the SUM resort exit, inviting all to the sixth annual Lemko Vatra, which is planned for June 23-25, 2006.

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