PARCHIAL NEWS ПАРХІЯЛЬНІ ВІСТІ

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E PARCHIAL NEWS ПАРХІЯЛЬНІ ВІСТІ EPARCHY OF SASKATOON Volume 12 Number 1 Christmas Edition December 2015 Jubilant Eparchial Visit of Papal Nuncio to Saskatoon Greeting the Nuncio at Bishop Filevich

community in Saskatoon, and shared words of encouragement, love and support. Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, was in the province for the Oct.

2-3, before travelling on to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert.

The two days with Archbishop Bonazzi in our midst were truly wonderful.

The Nuncio embodies Pope Francis s own warmth and down-to-earth style of leadership; he wanted to be close to the people, and succeeded in bringing Pope Francis s own warmth and pastoral concern very

The Apostolic Nuncio s full itinerary included visits to local schools, seniors residences and the prison, a media event at a restorative justice conference, and opportunities to meet leaders in

Prayers for Ukraine On his arrival, on October 2nd, the Nuncio was welcomed with bread, salt and flowers at Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School by two Grade 8 students.

in Ukrainian, as well as a trivia contest of questions about the Apostolic Nuncio and the school, moderated by principal Shelly Lord.

After a reception in the staff room, the Nuncio was given a tour that included visits to the kindergarten classroom, the singing of O Canada in Ukrainian by a Grade 2 class, and an explanation about

Eparchial Visit An early morning Moleben at the Ukrainian Catholic Shrine of Blessed Nun Martyrs Olympia and Laurentia was held October 3rd, with the Apostolic Nuncio and the two Saskatoon bishops,

Joseph presented the Nuncio with an icon of the two 20th- century nun martyrs, whose relics are housed at the Saskatoon shrine.

1 E PARCHIAL NEWS ПАРХІЯЛЬНІ ВІСТІ EPARCHY OF SASKATOON Volume 12 Number 1 Christmas Edition December 2015 Jubilant Eparchial Visit of Papal Nuncio to Saskatoon Greeting the Nuncio at Bishop Filevich School In Regina at the Called to Serve statue Addressing the faithful at St.George Cathedral Guests awaiting to have lunch with the Nuncio Nuncio viewing some of the articles on display Sr. Evhenia, administrator of St. Joseph s Home, welcomes His Excellency Archbishop Bonazzi SASKATOON During a recent pastoral visit, Pope Francis representative in Canada witnessed the diversity and outreach of the Catholic community in Saskatoon, and shared words of encouragement, love and support. Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, was in the province for the Oct. 1 dedication of the Called to Serve monument honouring the contributions of Catholic Sisters to Saskatchewan. After the dedication celebration in Regina, the Nuncio visited Saskatoon Oct. 2-3, before travelling on to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert. It was an historic moment for the Catholic community, as none could recall a similar pastoral visit by an Apostolic Nuncio in the past, said Bishop Don Bolen of the diocese of Saskatoon. The two days with Archbishop Bonazzi in our midst were truly wonderful. His graciousness, simplicity, deep listening heart and pastoral wisdom made every visit, every stop a celebration of our faith, said Bolen. The Nuncio embodies Pope Francis s own warmth and down-to-earth style of leadership; he wanted to be close to the people, and succeeded in bringing Pope Francis s own warmth and pastoral concern very close to us. What a great blessing his visit was! The Apostolic Nuncio s full itinerary included visits to local schools, seniors residences and the prison, a media event at a restorative justice conference, and opportunities to meet leaders in Catholic health and education, as well as to pray and eat with the faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, the Roman Catholic Diocese and the Chaldean Catholic parish in Saskatoon. Prayers for Ukraine On his arrival, on October 2nd, the Nuncio was welcomed with bread, salt and flowers at Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School by two Grade 8 students. Children in traditional dress lined the sidewalk singing, as the archbishop and other special guests entered the building for an assembly with students that included the singing of the Lord s Prayer in Ukrainian, as well as a trivia contest of questions about the Apostolic Nuncio and the school, moderated by principal Shelly Lord. The Apostolic Nuncio addressed the children, leading them in a prayer for peace and freedom in Ukraine. After a reception in the staff room, the Nuncio was given a tour that included visits to the kindergarten classroom, the singing of O Canada in Ukrainian by a Grade 2 class, and an explanation about a display of painted spoons created by students in memory of the Holodomor starvation genocide of in Ukraine. Eparchial Visit An early morning Moleben at the Ukrainian Catholic Shrine of Blessed Nun Martyrs Olympia and Laurentia was held October 3rd, with the Apostolic Nuncio and the two Saskatoon bishops, Bishop Don Bolen and Bishop Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R., in attendance. Sister Sophia of the Ukrainian Sisters of St. Joseph presented the Nuncio with an icon of the two 20th- century nun martyrs, whose relics are housed at the Saskatoon shrine. At the Musée Ukraina Museum, the Apostolic Nuncio was greeted by Bishop Bryan Bayda and leaders of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon. During his visit, the Apostolic Nuncio viewed museum exhibits, describing the building as a sanctuary of culture. Following a reception with the eparchial leaders, Bonazzi joined Bayda on a visit to St. Joseph s Nursing Home, before returning to the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George for a meeting with clergy and religious from both the eparchy and the diocese of Saskatoon. The Nuncio spoke about principals of priestly life, which he said apply to the journey of every Christian. There is no such thing as a part-time priest, he noted. The call of the priest, and of all Christians, is to listen to the word of God. What Christ does in me is more important than what I do myself, he said, stressing the importance of service, and seizing the most important value, the value of the cross. Diocesan Celebration The Nuncio also met with participants in the diocesan, eparchial and aboriginal Catholic Lay Formation program, immediately before a diocesan celebration of the Eucharist Oct. 3 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. The diocesan Mass reflected the diversity of the community, and included prayers in nine languages, as well as an honour song during the procession of gifts, with the gift family accompanied by a First Nations dancer. How significant it is that the Cathedral of your Diocese is dedicated to the Holy Family, because the vocation of the church is to be a family, a family of people from every nations, every tribe, every culture, recognizing ourselves as brothers and sisters, children of the one Father, said Bonazzi, conveying the request of Pope Francis for prayers for the Synod on the Family beginning in Rome Oct. 4. The mission of the family today, as yesterday, is that of proclaiming to the world, by the power of the Sacrament of Marriage, the life of God, wrote Pope Francis in a letter to the World Meeting of Families, Bonazzi shared. Marriage embodies and enshrines in itself the life of God, the richness of God who is love. For this reason, for the Church, the family is not first and foremost a cause of concern. Here we see that marriage experiences several problems, but for the church, Nuncio with Sisters of St. Joseph and two musical entertainers Bishop Bryan Bayda CSsR officially welcomes Nuncio Bonazzi His Excellency with representatives of Organizations, Religious and Staff of the Saskatoon eparchy Fr. Kolosnjaji celebrating a moleben to the nun martyrs Olympia and Laurentia at the Khram Mass at Holy Family Cathedral cont d pg 3

From the EDITOR S DESK The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things It all started in 1975. I was in my room at Sheptytsky Institute in Saskatoon. It was April, final exam time.

He introduced himself and told me that he had heard from a mutual acquaintance that I taught Physics and Chemistry and would I consider an instructor position in Moose Jaw at STI (Saskatchewan

2 From the EDITOR S DESK The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things It all started in I was in my room at Sheptytsky Institute in Saskatoon. It was April, final exam time. There was a knock on the door. I opened it and there was a gentleman whom I did not know. He introduced himself and told me that he had heard from a mutual acquaintance that I taught Physics and Chemistry and would I consider an instructor position in Moose Jaw at STI (Saskatchewan Technical Institute) as a position was available there. I replied that I had an interview with the Catholic School Board in North Battleford that afternoon and thanked him for the visit and that I would keep that offer in mind. (I had never been in Moose Jaw nor did I really know where it was.) As it turned out, no job offer came from North Battleford. Some time later I contacted him to ask if that position at STI was still open. His reply was yes, I applied and was hired. Thus very innocently began not only a 29 year teaching career in a post secondary institution, but also an ever increasing involvement in the Ukrainian Parish in Moose Jaw as well as in various organizations in the Eparchy of Saskatoon. The gentleman s name was William Berezny. To make a long story short, as Bill points out in the accompanying article, this involvement eventually led to the birth of Eparchial News. Neither Bill nor I had any experience with the layout and publishing of a newspaper, but we thought we d give it a try. The first issue rolled off the press in December, The plan was to publish three issues per year spring, thanksgiving and Christmas. And so it came to pass. At the start, it took about hours to produce a camera ready master. It was a laborious process. The individual pages were printed and literally pasted onto a layout sheet, along with the pictures. Today the master is produced entirely on the computer and sent electronically to the printers. No more cut and paste. Thank heaven! Here it is 26 years later and the paper is still relevant. But I am getting tired and it is time to pass the torch to someone else. Virtually singlehandedly I did the layout and distribution and handled the finances. When I look back over the years, I have so many people to thank as I embarked on this labor of love. First of all, I am grateful to my wife Dorothy and my family for their patience and understanding. There were times when I said Sorry, not now. The paper has to be done. Two of my grandchildren assist occasionally. I thank all the priests who would distribute the papers to their parishes and continue to do so. I thank all the correspondents who submitted articles and pictures. Without your input, ENews would be a series of blank pages. And I cannot forget the monetary support from the Brotherhood, UCWLC, various other organizations, parishes and foundations, and individual donors. Your generosity is overwhelming! And thank you for your words of encouragement. Bishops Basil Filevich, Cornelius Pasichny OSBM, Michael Wiwchar CSsR, and Bryan Bayda CSsR were (are) most supportive of this endeavour. And I thank the Lord for making all this possible. Thank you. Bill, for your friendship and vision. But the time has come. I know you will offer the same kind of support to the next editor and that the paper will continue to serve its purpose. Fond memories will last forever. ХРИСТОС РАЖДАЄТЬСЯ - СЛАВІМ ЙОГО Signed articles represent the viewpoint of the author and not necessarily the viewpoint or policy of EPARCHIAL NEWS. Reproduction or reprinting of articles is permitted; however, acknowledgment of source is appreciated. EPARCHIAL NEWS Editor: Father Yurij Lazurko Printed by: Saskatoon SK for free distribution Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 2!POINTS TO PONDER! ---- Fr. Yurij ---- How to get in touch with Eparchial News a) phone b) ylazurko@hotmail.com c) mail: th Avenue NW Moose Jaw SK S6H 4N3 Sorry - no FAX! d) See us online: If you have not yet done so, please check the redesigned and updated eparchial website: www. skeparchy.org Eparchial News is now posted online and you can view it in color. Look for the Eparchial News link. Lots of information. And thank you to the various organizations and individuals who support this publication financially. It is most appreciated. There will be a changing of the guard in the editorship of Eparchial News. In the meantime, you may continue to send your articles etc to the above address. The Eparchial Annual Appeal which was launched on April By all accounts the Appeal was successful. A full report is published in the Christmas edition. Your support ensures that the important ministries in the Eparchy have adequate funding to continue their work for the benefit of all. Plans are being made for the 2016 Appeal. The USSC Convention took place in Yorkton this fall. A highlight of the proceedings was the presentation by Bishop Peter Stasiuk CSsR on the Catechism. An abridged version of his talk is printed in this edition. ########################################## Eparchial News 2014 Financial Statement January 1 - December 31, 2014 Income Donations $ Expenses Printing $ Shipping Stamps Misc 7.97 Bank charges 8.50 Total Net $ We acknowledge and thank the following donors: UCBC Yorkton Branch $200 Worobetz Foundation Saskatoon $500 Anonymous $40 UCBC St. George Branch Saskatoon $250 Ukr. Cath.Ladies of All Saints, Nipawin $50 THANK YOU! When making your WILL After you have provided for your family, relatives and friends, you are encouraged to support your Church by making a bequest to Your PARISH CHURCH The UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC EPARCHY of SASKATOON The BISHOP ANDREW ROBORECKI FOUNDA- TION for the education of priests EPARCHIAL NEWS, MUSEE UKRAINA MU- SEUM or any other Eparchial or Parish institution or organization You may then take comfort in knowing that your thoughtful generosity will continue to support the Church after the Lord has called you to Himself. STS. PETER & PAUL PARISH BODNARI Highway 41- East along grid 767 (6 mi East of Smuts) PRAZNYK- Saturday, June 25/2016 DIVINE 2:00PM Blessing of water, Service at Cemetery Fellowship & Social to follow. You are INVITED! St.Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Park Inc ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 th / St. George s Cathedral Auditorium There are : FOUR - THREE Year Term- Direc tor Positions to be filled. Would you like to make a difference? Want to get involved in the larger Eparchial Community? Know someone who does? For Info: Gavril Tarasoff g.tarasoff@gmail.com Bernie Bodnar bandmbodnar@shaw.ca SAVE THE DATE 50 TH ANNIVERSARY ST. ATHANASIUS PARISH, REGINA October 8, 9, 2016 Please join us for the 50 th Anniversary celebrations of St. Athanasius Parish, Regina, SK TENTATIVE PLANS ARE: DAY 1 Registration/Meet & Greet/Socializing Evening Meal & Program DAY 2 Liturgy, Meal & Program As part of the celebrations, a history book of the parish will be prepared. Advance payment is required if you wish to purchase a copy. Extra copies will NOT be printed. If you have photographs, documents or archival materials relative to the parish and wish to share them, please contact St. Athanasius Church at 55 McMurchy Drive, Regina, SK, S4R 3G3 (Ph ). If you wish to have photos/ documents returned, please be sure to include your name and phone number. MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW AS PLANS ARE FINALIZED Website: stathanasius@sasktel.net Facebook: ww.facebook.com/st.athanasius.regina -submitted by Robert Wuschenny & Jayne Paluck co-chairs Deadline for Spring Issue: April 1

EPARCHIAL NEWS A LABOR OF LOVE William Berezny The founding Vol I, Issue I The Millennium was upon us. Ukrainian Catholics the world over were in readiness to joyously celebrate this historic event.

3 EPARCHIAL NEWS A LABOR OF LOVE William Berezny The founding Vol I, Issue I The Millennium was upon us. Ukrainian Catholics the world over were in readiness to joyously celebrate this historic event. Ukraine as a nation in 988 AD joined the nations of Christendom. Tsentralia, a laity organization in the Eparchy of Saskatoon, in their planning, expressed a desire to commemorate the celebration. Their Executive Committee suggested that articles and pictures be recorded in tabloid form, copies be made available to each parish and mission throughout the Eparchy. But was it feasible? (bearing in mind the monetary constraints). The Executive of the planning committee were: chair Jayne Paluck, a Regina school teacher; vice-chair Glenn Lekach, a Regina lawyer; Yurij Lazurko secretary; William Berezny treasurer. Both Yurij and Bill were instructors at the Saskatchewan Technical Institute (STI) in Moose Jaw. Exploring the potential for a 12 page newspaper (not exceeding a $1000 budget) was assigned to Bill and Yurij. At their workplace they had access to printing and duplicating services and an Apple personal computer. Yurij had attended a hands-on workshop on computer literacy and became skilled at generating computer printouts. Bill had some knowledge of computer programming through extension study from the University of Waterloo. I was contemplating retirement, but was offered advancement to defer my plans to do so for a few more years. However in June 1987 I posted Gone Fishing on my office door. It was my response to management s offers. My 35 year career was enjoyable and fulfilling. It was time to move on. I would become more involved in church matters, community affairs, and devoted to family. I closed the door on my career and headed to Yurij s office. As usual, he was at the Apple. The advance of the personal computers made desktop publishing a new reality. Yurij and I were more than colleagues. We had many interests in common and usually found ourselves in Executive positions: parish council, Sheptytsky Institute Board, Tsentralia, and were classmates in the Diaconate Program. Neither of us had experience in journalism or newspaper publication. The production of a print master copy was a daunting challenge but, as a team, we would give it our best effort. Moose Jaw Times Herald made us an offer. They would print copies at pennies a page off a camera ready master. For 5000 copies they quoted a cost of $ for a 12 page newspaper incluging a small number of pictures. We would have to exclude them from all liabilities. Our Executive readily gave us the Go Ahead and Bill Berezny and Yurij Lazurko the co-editors of a publication yet unnamed. For office space we used our homes; our wives were our staff. Dorothy Lazurko, a library Technician, was skilled in typing and proofreading. Genevieve Berezny, an art teacher, was skilled at typing and design. Yurij Lazurko assumed responsibility for production and publication; I assumed responsibility for management of finances and distribution. The Times Herald provided us with materials and guidelines for layout and formatting. After about 150 hours of labor of love, we presented a master copy for print. Times Herald was impressed. In a matter of days, 5000 copies plus a generous overrun (courtesy of the Times) were available for distribution. A bulk shipment was sent to the Chancery for the parishes and missions of Saskatoon and district. I personally delivered bulk packages to Regina, Yorkton and Canora. Mailings were forwarded to the smaller parishes and missions in outlying areas so that every member family of the Eparchy received a copy. Complimentary copies were sent to hierarchs in Canada and yes, even in Europe. The response was overwhelming. When people of faith, goodwill and charity in terms of time and talent get together in harmony, good things do happen. The labor of love bears beautiful fruit. Initial Annual Eparchial Appeal Successful Bishop Budka Eparchial Stewardship Society Inc (BBESSI) conducted the first annual Eparchial Appeal earlier this year. This Appeal initiative has concluded, and from our perspective, it was very successful. BBESSI wants to acknowledge the efforts of the many people involved in making the Eparchial Appeal a success and say a very huge THANK YOU to the Parish Priests, Parish Coordinators, Volunteers, Eparchial Staff and most importantly, to those who so generously contributed to the Appeal. Certainly our success would have not been possible if it were not for the hard work, effort and commitment to this Appeal by many people. We would like to share with you some of the financial and statistical results of the 2015 Eparchial Appeal: Financial Results Total Amount of Funds raised and pledged to the 2015 Eparchial Appeal $233,893 Total Amount Returned 10 Parishes who raised funds in excess of their goal $ 50,106 ** Net Proceeds going to the Eparchy $183,787 ** Parishes who raised funds in excess of their Eparchial Appeal goal shared the excess funds with the Eparchy on a 75/25 basis, with 75% going to the Parish. Statistical Results Participation by Parishes 45 out of 79 Parishes 57% Participation by Family Units 1,158 out of 3,451 Family Units 34% The Eparchy will now allocate these funds towards the areas that were identified as recipients of this support: Ukrainian Catholic Religious Education Centre $ 36,757 Education and Faith Formation Programs $ 50,541 Family & Life Office Programs $ 32,163 Youth and Young Adult Ministry $ 32,163 Eparchial Communications Office $ 32,163 Total $183,787 The Finance Council and the Eparchy have already begun to allocate the funds raised in the Appeal for initiatives in the Education & Faith Formations Programs and in the Eparchial Communications Office areas. As an example, the Eparchy has engaged the services of Tanya Novolska to co-ordinate and deliver cantor workshops throughout the Eparchy. In addition, the Eparchy has hired Marcia Coulic-Salahub to assist the Family Life Office and will be available to all of our Deaneries for consultation. The Communications Office has begun work to refurbish our Eparchial website. In summary, we are extremely pleased at the success and the commitment from the faithful to this first Eparchial Appeal. We recognize that from an external perspective, the Eparchial Appeal appeared to be just like any other regular fundraising event, but internally it was significantly more than just a fundraising effort for the Eparchy. The generosity of a good number of the Faithful in our Eparchy has confirmed that we can be unified towards growing our Church and our Ukrainian Catholic faith here in Saskatchewan. This Appeal has demonstrated that we can all work together as people of faith to make a difference and support the needs of our Ukrainian Catholic Eparchial Programs. With revenue sources shrinking and the need for Eparchial programs growing, this annual Appeal has been a Blessing and also uplifting. Even though we are diverse people with many different socio-economic backgrounds, talents and treasures, Jesus calls for us to be united towards our mission which is to build the Kingdom of God here on earth. As members of this Eparchy we want our Ukrainian Catholic Church to be something that would not only make our parents and grandparents proud, but more importantly, we want a Church that will give life to our children and grandchildren. The Eparchial Programs are designed to help all of us in the mission that we are called to accomplish, and to give life to our Church. This year we have 34% of the family units in the Eparchy contributing to the Eparchial Appeal. It is our hope that this number will grow in the 2016 Eparchial Appeal. We recognize that the Parishioners of our Eparchy may have many other commitments that make it difficult to support an Eparchial call for funds. We also recognize that some Parishes had other fundraising initiatives within their own Parishes that had an effect on their participation in the Eparchial Appeal. However, we are most hopeful that more Parishes and Parishioners will see the important significance that their donation will make in the growth, sustainability and preservation of our Ukrainian Catholic Church and faith in Saskatchewan. Even a small amount will go a long way to support these Eparchial Ministries. Again, we want to say THANK YOU so very much for your support and we hope that we can call on you again to be just as generous for the 2016 Eparchial Appeal, which will be conducted during the April/May 2016 timeframe. We will continue to stand together in faith and hope for our Church. May our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, bestow upon you many graces and bessings. Submitted by Morris Smysnuik Chair, Board of Directors of Bishop Budka Eparchial Stewardship Society (BBESSI). ##### BBESSI SCHOLARSHIPS Bishop Budka Eparchial Stewardship Society Inc. (BBESSI) has two scholarships available to students completing post-secondary education at either the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina or any campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The Walter & Frances Hnatiuk Scholarship in the amount of $ will be awarded to a student who is a Ukrainian Catholic and has demonstrated financial need and academic achievement. Must have completed at least one full year of studies. The Walter Petryshen Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $ will be awarded to a student who is a Ukrainian Catholic and has demonstrated financial need and academic achievement. Must have completed at least one full year of studies. Deadline date for applications will be December 31, Please submit your applications to: Bishop Budka Eparchial Stewardship Society Inc. 214 Avenue M South Saskatoon SK S7M 2K4 Attention: Scholarship Committee If you require further information, please the Scholarship Committee at admin.skeparchy@sasktel.net. family is not first and foremost a cause for concern, but rather the joyous confirmation of God s blessing upon the masterpiece of God s creation, man and woman, Bonazzi said. For all the obstacles we see before us, gratitude and appreciation should prevail over concern and complaints. He added: There is this proclamation that Pope John Paul II used to proclaim: the future of humanity passes through the family. For this reason we wish to pray that during these three weeks of the Synod on the Family in Rome, so that humanity through the family may have that better future that every one of us desires. Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 3 After Mass, the community gathered for a multi-cultural meal with food prepared by Vietnamese, East Indian, Filipino, Ukrainian and First Nations communities. [Portions of this article were previously published in the Nov. 1, 2015 edition of the Prairie Messenger by Kip Yaworski] {Photos by Kip Yaworski, Karen Pidskalny Photography-taken by Judy-Anne Chuban, and Martin Hryniuk] Nuncio with Sisters, Board and Auxiliary members at St. Joseph s Home

December 2, 2015 Dear Clergy, Religious, Seminarians and Faithful of the Eparchy of Saskatoon, DECREE On The Occasion Of The Proclamation Of The Holy Year Of Mercy In The Ukrainian Greek Catholic

This will take place during the Holy Year of Mercy beginning December 8, 2015 until November 20, 2016 as a sign of solidarity for all to enter and come to know God s mercy in accordance with the

4 December 2, 2015 Dear Clergy, Religious, Seminarians and Faithful of the Eparchy of Saskatoon, DECREE On The Occasion Of The Proclamation Of The Holy Year Of Mercy In The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church I, Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR, decree a temporary Holy Door will be designated at the Cathedral of St. George s in Saskatoon. This will take place during the Holy Year of Mercy beginning December 8, 2015 until November 20, 2016 as a sign of solidarity for all to enter and come to know God s mercy in accordance with the Papal Bull of Pope Francis Misericordiae Vultus. Further, as directed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in his Pastoral Letter on the occasion of the proclamation of the Holy Year of Mercy in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, other temporary Holy Doors are designated in the following locations and I will open and bless them with a prescribed service and ritual on these dates: December 12, 2015 REGINA December 24, 2015 SASKATOON December 25, 2015 SASKATOON December 25, 2015 rentia December 26, 2015 YORKTON December 27, 2015 CANORA 5:00PM St. Basil s Church 10:00PM St. George s Cathedral 3:00PM St. Joseph s Home 7:00PM Shrine to Blessed Nun Martyrs Olympia & LauSASKATOON 5:00PM St. Mary s Church 11:00AM Ss. Peter & Paul Church On April 12, 2015 during the Solemn Vespers at St. Peter s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis formally announced the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. This announcement takes place when the Holy Father reads a document called a BULL. For a digital copy of this Papal Bull Misericordiae Vultus, go to : en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_ _misericordiae-vultus. html) This is an extraordinary Holy Year since Holy Years are normally every 25 years, the last being The Jubilee Year begins with the opening of the first Holy Door in Rome at St. Peter s Basilica on December 8, Regarding the Holy Door during the Jubilee Year of Mercy Pope Francis said, On that day, the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope. The official theme for this year is Merciful Like The Father based on Lk 6:36 Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. In the weeks following, more Holy Doors will be opened in Rome and in major cities around the world. The doors will be open for a full year so we will have many opportunities to pass through them as we better understand the grace and spiritual conversion associated with them. The churches that have had a Holy Door established permanently for many years now are, for example, in Rome and Spain ( Holy Doors for Holy Year wiki/holy_door). However, one was established by Pope Francis most recently in Quebec City here in Canada. (see ). They have them not only closed between Holy Years (normally every 25 years), but sealed with a wall of brick and mortar. Within that wall is placed a box that may contain various items, but most important of all - the key to unlock the Holy Door. In the days leading up to the ceremonial opening of the Holy Door by the Pope, workers break down the wall and remove the key box and give it to the ones assisting in the opening. The wall was broken down at St Peter s earlier in preparation for the actual opening that takes place on December May we take full advantage of the Holy Year for our own personal renewal before God and the renewal of our parish and our whole Church! With this in mind, we will have a special Holy Door dedication in our Ukrainian Catholic Church. Patriarch Sviatoslav has directed that there be a Holy Door especially in St. George s Cathedral in Saskatoon and any other location according to the local Bishop. He has also asked that his Pastoral Letter be read in all churches on Sunday December 13, All parishes are also asked to plan special events to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Please notify our Cathedral office or Chancery office about your plans so that we can notify all other parishes in the Eparchy of your event(s). We will do our best, through Chris Pidwerbeski, our Communication Office Coordinator, to spread this good news through our Eparchial website. Lastly, I want to highlight how Patriarch Sviatoslav quotes the Holy Father in his pastoral letter to us. Our mercy should primarily be directed to our family members and neighbours, so that in the words of Pope Francis, the door of every home becomes the door of mercy. Indeed, you can personally decorate or designate the front doors of your personal homes as a holy door, so that you are reminded to extend the mercy of God to all who enter. Bishop Andrew Roborecki Foundation Inc Christmas Report..Norbert Wasylenko, Chair Our Foundation is continuing to grow slowly. In order to effectively serve the needs of our Eparchy, we continually need the help and support of our Faithful. No doubt, the existence of our Foundation has inspired certain people. This is evident by some of the substantial bequests that have recently been made. For this we are very grateful. Please keep the Bishop Andrew Roborecki Foundation in mind when doing your Wills. Your good works will continue to serve for a long time. To search for that which today the Lord asks of his Church, we need to find lasting solutions. We must rely on sufficient numbers of Priests to help build healthier and stronger church communities and in turn healthier solid families. The mission of our Roborecki Foundation is to continually provide financial support toward this end. At the present time the Eparchy has 6 candidates who are in various stages of studies and valuations. At our Nov.25, 2015 Board Meeting the Foundation approved a motion to send a cheque for $20,000 to the Eparchy, as per our mission. It is worthy to note that since the Foundation was formed in 1982; over $450,000 has been donated to date. This may sound like a large sum; however, $20,000 per year does not come close to fully fund our seminarians. Thanks to the Faithful of our Eparchy, the Roborecki Foundation is helping to meet some of these costs. However, with your further financial support, much more can be accomplished. A copy of the 2015 Financial Statement and a list of Donors will be published in the Easter Edition of the Eparchial News. As we seek to put God s love into action, may the Almighty God our Father continue to bless you, especially during this season of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ХРИСТОС РАЖДАЄТЬСЯ! CHRIST IS BORN! LET US ADORE HIM! RELEASE OF THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE CATECHISM IS EAGERLY AWAITED. The translation of the Ukrainian Catholic catechism Christ our Pascha is almost finished. It is due in the early part of Bishop David Motiuk from the Eparchy of Edmonton is leading a team which is preparing the translation. In anticipation of the catechism release Bishop Peter Stasiuk, Head of the Patriarchal Catechism commission has been speaking across western Canada, introducing the soon to be published and much anticipated catechism. In November 2014, whilst visiting the Edmonton Eparchy, Bishop Peter worked with members of the catechetical commission, he recorded various interviews and an explanation of the new Ukrainian Catholic Catechism. The National Commission also asked our Patriarch Sviatoslav to introduce the catechism by means of a short video. The National Catechetical Commission for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada has been working for a number of years producing videos, study notes and other materials which will be published as soon as the English translation is out. These resources will be needed to present this catechism to our English speaking people in our church. This year Bishop Peter again presented the catechism at various gatherings and parishes. In Manitoba he spoke in Roblin, Russell, and Dauphin and at the cathedral in Winnipeg. In Saskatchewan, on October 31, 2015, in the presence of Bishop Bryan Bayda, Bishop Michael Wiwchar, priests and sisters, he gave a major address at the Eparchial convention of the Women s League, Brotherhood and Youth Organizations of the Eparchy. On Saturday November 28th, Bishop Peter spoke to a group of young parents at St. Stephan s parish in Calgary Alberta, on Lifelong religious studying, from cradle to the grave and to the whole parish at liturgies on Sunday November 29th. There is a lot of enthusiasm in Western Canada thanks to the soon to be published Catechism in English Christ our Pascha.

Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada UCBC Eparchial Executive President - Bro. Paul Bunka, KSV Vice President - Bro. Bernard Bodnar Secretary - Bro. Dr. Wm. Gulka Treasurer - Bro. Basil Kuzyk Bro.

A come and go tea was held Saturday, October 24/2015 Actual birthday was on Tuesday, October 20th. Submited by Bro.

Season may we be filled with the same wonder that the shepherds felt that first Christmas Eve.

Greetings from the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood Branches in the Eparchy of Saskatoon St. Volodymyr Branch, Yorkton St. Basil the Great Branch, Regina St.

Витай Ісусе з Пречистой Діви роджений Витай нам Боже у людськім тілі явлений photo taken October 23/2015 L>R : Bro Bernie Bodnar, Bro Eugene Pryma, Pat Mialkowsky (Musée Ukraina Museum) Sister

Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School) Bro John Holowachuk KSV (St. George Cathedral president) Joseph Bodnar Cathedral Altar server Bro.

Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. George and guests celebrated the 33 rd Anniversary of the passing of our late Bishop Andrew Roborecki. Divine Liturgy and Panakhyda was held at 7 PM.

education as a way of ensuring that our families, especially our youth will retain their rich culture and religious heritage.

On this day as a token of appreciation for their hard work, efforts and dedication, the following organizations were given recognition. Keep up the good work! St.

5 Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada UCBC Eparchial Executive President - Bro. Paul Bunka, KSV Vice President - Bro. Bernard Bodnar Secretary - Bro. Dr. Wm. Gulka Treasurer - Bro. Basil Kuzyk Bro.Peter Kostiuk celebrates 99 th birthday Bro. Peter Kostiuk is the oldest surviving Ukrainian World War II Veteran in Saskatchewan. A come and go tea was held Saturday, October 24/2015 Actual birthday was on Tuesday, October 20th. Submited by Bro. Bernie Bodnar Peter Kostiuk 33 rd Anniversary of the passing of our Late Bishop Andrew Roborecki UCBC delegates at the Convention in Yorkton Bernard Bodnar with Peter Kostiuk As we celebrate the Holy Season may we be filled with the same wonder that the shepherds felt that first Christmas Eve. May you be blessed with the gifts of faith, hope and love, and the wisdom to share these gifts with all we meet in the New Year! ХРИСТОС РАЖДАЄТЬСЯ! Greetings from the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood Branches in the Eparchy of Saskatoon St. Volodymyr Branch, Yorkton St. Basil the Great Branch, Regina St. Athanasius Branch, Regina Bishop Roborecki Branch, Saskatoon and the Eparchial Executive. Витай Ісусе з Пречистой Діви роджений Витай нам Боже у людськім тілі явлений photo taken October 23/2015 L>R : Bro Bernie Bodnar, Bro Eugene Pryma, Pat Mialkowsky (Musée Ukraina Museum) Sister Sophia, Bro Paul Bunka KSV, Mary Holowachuk (St Volodymyr Camp) Dylan,Wendy and Amanda Friedrich (Ss Peter & Paul Parish) Jana Thomas( Dormition parish & Bishop Roborecki School) Tamara Hrechuch ( Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School) Bro John Holowachuk KSV (St. George Cathedral president) Joseph Bodnar Cathedral Altar server Bro. William Boyko KSV (Special Olympics- Zone 6) Remembrance Day Sasktel Centre, Saskatoon Friday, October 23, 2015 UCBC- Bishop Roborecki Branch together with parishioners of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. George and guests celebrated the 33 rd Anniversary of the passing of our late Bishop Andrew Roborecki. Divine Liturgy and Panakhyda was held at 7 PM. This was followed by refreshments, fellowship and brief program in the cathedral auditorium The Brotherhood has a rich history of support for our Ukrainian Catholic Church and involvement in education as a way of ensuring that our families, especially our youth will retain their rich culture and religious heritage. Our goal is to promote and preserve our Ukrainian language, religion, culture and education. On this day as a token of appreciation for their hard work, efforts and dedication, the following organizations were given recognition. Keep up the good work! St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Park $3, St. George s Cathedral... $3, Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School $ Bishop Roborecki School $ Musée Ukraina Museum... $1, Altar Servers/Children of Mary Dormition $ AltarServers/Children of Mary- Ss Peter& Paul $ Altar Servers/Children of Mary- St. George s $ Special Olympics-Zone 6... $ St. Volodymyr Eparchial Youth Camp... $ Ukrainian Sisters of St. Joseph s Home (Shoe Box Project)... $ Taras Shevchenko Foundation $ PFE Dance Showcase-Scholarship $50.00 Eparchial News... $ *Bishop Roborecki Branch retained... $2, Donations were made possible through the Brotherhood endeavors at City Centre Bingo. Thank You- Bingo Chairpersons and Volunteers. A Special Thank you - Social Committee for this event: Bro Orest /Zoria Sirman and Bro Stan /Elaine Chepyha. Brotherhood presented a portrait of our late Bishop Andrew to Bishop Roborecki School. Jana Thomas, teacher at the school, accepted the portrait. Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 5 While he was visiting, my father asked for the password to our Wi-Fi. It s taped under the modem, I told him. After three failed attempts to log on, he asked, Am I spelling this right? T-A-P- E-D-U-N-D-E-R-T-H-E- M-O-D-E-M? L>R Brothers: Bernie Bodnar, Adam Nahachewsky, John Kornylo KSV, John Holowachuk KSV UCBC- Bishop Roborecki Branch participated at Remembrance Day Sasktel Centre Parish Anniversary Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Moose Jaw, will celebrate its 70th Anniversary on Sunday, August 21, Bishop Bryan Bayda CSsR will be in attendance. 10:00 a.m. Pontifical Divine Liturgy Banquet to follow Former parishioners and families are cordially invited. For ticket info contact Gloria Leniuk or gloriajalen@sasktel.net or Fr. Yurij Lazurko ylazurko@hotmail.com

Ukrainian Catholic Women s League of Canada UCCS 35TH EPARCHIAL CONVENTION YORKTON, SASKATCHEWAN OCTOBER 30 & 31, 2015 A tribute to Sister Theodsia SSJ The UCCS (Tsentralia) 35th Eparchial Convention

A total of 71 attended this year s convention which was dedicated to the memory of our Spiritual Advisor of 31 years, Sister Theodosia Papirnik, SSJ who passed away April 14, 2015 at St.

The Sisters set up a beautiful display in her memory with an Icon created by the late Sister Theodosia and painted by Sister Sophia, SSJ, showed a slide presentation on the history of her life and

National UCWLC President Sophie Manulak Guest speaker for the convention Deborah Patrick-Larmour from the Family and Life Office, Eparchy of Saskatoon, spoke on our theme Families Evangelizing

We have a beautiful Bzyantine Rite liturgy as well as traditions and culture and if we as parents and grandparents don t reach out to our families to bring them back, will our church be around for

Greeting Bishop Bryan at the convention Candle lighting ceremony The introduction of the UCWLC Presentation Time booklet compiled by our Eparchial President, Elizabeth Zahayko was made.

Adding this to her local branch has helped to bring in twelve new members in the past two years.

Elsie Marykuca, National 1st Vice-President, spoke on the Real Women of the UCWLC project.

30th to July 3rd, 2015. Eileen Yaworski and Elizabeth Zahayko will chair the project for the UCWLC members from Eparchy of Saskatoon.

Congratulations to our incoming president, Marlene Bodnar. Marlene comes to our organization with lots of experience.

A special thank you to Fr. Peter Pidskalny, CSsR for being our spiritual advisor for the past year.

Constitution, Sharon Hader, Treasurer, Iris Owchar, Secretary, Gladys Rogalski, 3rd Vice, Loretta Yaganiski, 2nd Vice, Patricia Mialkowsky, 1st Vice, Marlene Bodnar, President.

6 Ukrainian Catholic Women s League of Canada UCCS 35TH EPARCHIAL CONVENTION YORKTON, SASKATCHEWAN OCTOBER 30 & 31, 2015 A tribute to Sister Theodsia SSJ The UCCS (Tsentralia) 35th Eparchial Convention was held at Yorkton, SK on October 30 and 31, In attendance was our NationaL UCWLC President Sophie Manulak, Winnipeg, MB and CWL Provincial President Jean Reader, Regina, SK. A total of 71 attended this year s convention which was dedicated to the memory of our Spiritual Advisor of 31 years, Sister Theodosia Papirnik, SSJ who passed away April 14, 2015 at St. Joseph s Home, Saskatoon, SK surrounded by the Ukrainian Sisters of St. Joseph s of Saskatoon. The Sisters set up a beautiful display in her memory with an Icon created by the late Sister Theodosia and painted by Sister Sophia, SSJ, showed a slide presentation on the history of her life and gave each UCWLC member a beautiful book dedicated to her memory. Geraldine Koban chaired the afternoon sessions which focused on the business aspects of our organization. National UCWLC President Sophie Manulak Guest speaker for the convention Deborah Patrick-Larmour from the Family and Life Office, Eparchy of Saskatoon, spoke on our theme Families Evangelizing Families. Her main talk focused on the WHY is our Ukrainian Church membership is decreasing and HOW are we going to bring back the faithful to our church. We have a beautiful Bzyantine Rite liturgy as well as traditions and culture and if we as parents and grandparents don t reach out to our families to bring them back, will our church be around for future generations? Greeting Bishop Bryan at the convention Candle lighting ceremony The introduction of the UCWLC Presentation Time booklet compiled by our Eparchial President, Elizabeth Zahayko was made. Inside the booklet are short 5 to 10 minute articles to create some educational aspects to our meeting on the beautiful traditions we have in our Ukrainian Church besides just having a meeting. Adding this to her local branch has helped to bring in twelve new members in the past two years. Gloria Leniuk, HLM, past National President, introduced the new draft on UCWLC member s funeral and prayer protocol as drafted by the National Executive. Elsie Marykuca, National 1st Vice-President, spoke on the Real Women of the UCWLC project. It is hoped that each eparchy will interview as many women from Sea to Sea on their history with the UCWLC and have at least three interviews from each eparchy/archeparchy by the congress dates June 30th to July 3rd, Eileen Yaworski and Elizabeth Zahayko will chair the project for the UCWLC members from Eparchy of Saskatoon. The convention concluded with an Icon presented to outgoing Eparchial President, Elizabeth Zahayko. A new slate of officer for was elected. Congratulations to our incoming president, Marlene Bodnar. Marlene comes to our organization with lots of experience. She sits on the National Executive and was responsible for bringing National UCWLC Constitution up to Government standards! Sister Sophia, SSJ will be our new Spiritual Advisor. A special thank you to Fr. Peter Pidskalny, CSsR for being our spiritual advisor for the past year. Bishop Bryan introduces Bishop Stasiuk CSsR Submitted by Elizabeth Zahayko, Eparchial President Eparchy of Saskatoon Procession with flags Eparchial UCWLC Executive left to right: Oristeen Kulyk, Constitution, Sharon Hader, Treasurer, Iris Owchar, Secretary, Gladys Rogalski, 3rd Vice, Loretta Yaganiski, 2nd Vice, Patricia Mialkowsky, 1st Vice, Marlene Bodnar, President. Sophie Manulak (left) presents icon to Eparchial past president Elizabeth Zahayko (center) Eparchial UCWLC president elect Marlene Bodnar presents flowers to Elizabeth Zahayko Elizabeth Zahayko presents flowers to Eparchial UCWLC President Elect Marlene Bodnar Apostolic Nuncio s Visit to Saskatoon The Vatican s representative in Canada, Papal Nuncio Most Reverend Luigi Bonazzi visited Saskatoon October 2nd and 3rd, 2015, visiting local schools, care homes, the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, and other facilities, as well as meeting with clergy and religious, and attending local events. Two of the Eparchial events open to the public during the Apostolic Nuncio visit were on Saturday morning when a Moleben to the Blessed Nun Martyrs Olympia & Laurentia at the Shrine of Blessed Nun Martyrs Olympia & Laurentia. This was followed by an Official Welcome by Eparchy of Saskatoon at the Musée Ukraina Museum at 222 Ave M South. Representatives of Eparchial organizations were introduced to the Apostolic Nuncio. The Nuncio did a tour of the museum, followed by fellowship and refreshments. Elizabeth Zahayko, UCWLC Eparchial President, Eparchy of Saskatoon and her vice-president, Doreen Rathgeber attended this very historical visit. Submitted by Elizabeth Zahayko Bishop Peter Stasiuk CSsR talks about the English translation of Christ our Pascha Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 6 Delegates and guests to the UCWLC convention continued on pg 7

30, 2015. She was born on the family homestead, in the Canora District, SK on November 1, 1917 to Michael and Francis (Kowalchuk) Babchishin. She married Bill, on October 9, 1937, in Canora, SK.

Katie worked alongside her husband and took great pride in her prolific garden and abundance of flowers. She enjoyed cooking, baking, and entertaining.

She is survived by her daughter, Zonnia Gore; 6 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren: She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Canora branch members enjoyed celebrating with cake and fellowship.

July 4, 2015. She was born in Amsterdam, SK on September 5, 1921 to Anton and Mary (Shewchuk) Rakochy, the fourth eldest child of fourteen children.

Annie kept busy on the farm, often driving tractor and riding the drill as well as keeping care of the household. She and her husband also operated a dance and pool hall.

7 30, She was born on the family homestead, in the Canora District, SK on November 1, 1917 to Michael and Francis (Kowalchuk) Babchishin. She married Bill, on October 9, 1937, in Canora, SK. They raised their two children (Russell and Zonnia) on a farm near Amsterdam. She and her husband farmed until they retired to Canora in Katie worked alongside her husband and took great pride in her prolific garden and abundance of flowers. She enjoyed cooking, baking, and entertaining. She also did a lot of sewing, knitting, crocheting and embroidery. Katie s faith was very important to her. She valued praying the Rosary and was a dedicated member of the UCWLC for thirty-nine years. She is survived by her daughter, Zonnia Gore; 6 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren: She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.* Vichnaya Pamiat HAPPY OCCASION Elizabeth Ratushniak celebrated her 90 th Birthday on August 26, She has been a UCWLC member of the Canora Branch since Canora branch members enjoyed celebrating with cake and fellowship. Mnohaya Lita* In Memoriam Katie Baron passed a w a y peacefully at the age of 97 years, on August Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 7 A n n i e Nicolichuk p a s s e d away at the age of 93 years on July 4, She was born in Amsterdam, SK on September 5, 1921 to Anton and Mary (Shewchuk) Rakochy, the fourth eldest child of fourteen children. On June 4, 1944 Annie married Mike Nicolichuk at Antoniwka Church. Together they raised six children. Annie kept busy on the farm, often driving tractor and riding the drill as well as keeping care of the household. She and her husband also operated a dance and pool hall. Annie maintained beautiful flower gardens and knitted many sweaters, slippers and afghans. Mike and Annie lived in Tadmore and Rhein, farming near Tiny, then relocated to Canora in December After moving to Canora, Annie got her driver s licence. Annie occupied her time gardening and making perogies at the church hall. For over twenty-five years she was involved with the Canora UCWL. She remained an active member of Kowaliwka and Antoniwka Church for many years. She is survived by her 6 children; 13 grandchildren; 10 greatgrandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.* Vichnaya Pamiat *Submitted by Audrey Hrycak UCCS (TSENTRALIA) 35 TH EPARCHIAL CONVENTIO EPARCHY OF SASKATOON ST. MARY S CULTURAL CENTRE, YORKTON, SK OCTOBER 30 AND 31, 2015 A total of 91 delegates attended the UCCS (Tsentralia) 35 th Eparchial Convention at St. Mary s Cultural Centre, Yorkton, SK on October 30 and 31, 2015 from the UCWLC, UCBC, UCY and Clergy. The official opening ceremony commenced with the parade of Eparchial Flags led by Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR; Geraldine Koban, UCCS President; Robert Wuschenny, UCBC Eparchial President; Elizabeth Zahayko, UCWLC Eparchial President, Sarah Buchko, UCY and four UCBC and 12 UCWLC branch presidents or designates. Greetings were brought by Bishop Bryan, UCCS President, the Eparchial Presidents, as well as UCBC National President, Glen Tymiak, UCWLC National President Sophia Manulak and CWL Provincial President Jean Reader. After a beautiful supper, MC Sarah Buchko, UCY, gave a short presentation on Witnessing of Martyrs followed by our guest speaker, Deborah Patrick-Larmour from the Youth & Adult Ministry, Chancery Office, speaking on our convention theme Families Evangelizing Families. Her main talk focused on the WHY is our Ukrainian Church membership decreasing and HOW are we going to bring back the faithful to our church. We have a beautiful Byzantine Rite liturgy as well as traditions and culture and if we as parents and grandparents don t reach out to our families to bring them back, will our church be around for future generations? This was also the focus on the presentation the next morning by Bishop Peter Stasiuk, CSsR from Australia speaking on the new Catechism in English being released December 4, The Ukrainian Sisters of St. Joseph s in Saskatoon set up a beautiful display dedicated to the Memory of Sister Theodosia, SSJ who passed away April 14, She had been the spiritual advisor for the Eparchial Executive of the UCWLC for 31 years. They set up an Icon display created by the late Sister Theodosia, SSJ and painted by Sister Sophia, SSJ, and showed a slide presentation on the history of life of Sister Theodosia, SSJ. On Saturday afternoon, the UCCS AGM was held chaired by UCCS President Geraldine Koban. Elected for a two year term ( ) were Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR; President Elizabeth Zahayko, Secretary Geraldine Koban, Treasurer Gwen Bilyk, Financial Audit Review Sylvia Gazdewich and Victor Puchala, Eparchial Presidents Paul Bunka, UCBC, Marlene Bodnar, UCWLC and Sarah Buchko, UCY. The revised Constitution was introduced. This was to be taken back to each organization membership for review with any concerns or changes returned to the new president by December 31, The UCCS 36 th Eparchial Convention dates was set for October 20 and 21, 2017 in Saskatoon. Submitted by Elizabeth Zahayko Incoming UCCS President Eparchy of Saskatoon Clergy and Staff Study Days Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God Parish Saskatoon October 5-8, 2015 {Photos and Report by Chris Pidwerbeski, Communications Coordinator, Eparchy of Saskatoon} Saskatoon - Eparchial Clergy and Staff gathered at Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God Parish in Saskatoon October 5-8 for the Eparchial Study Days. Clergy attend the entire sessions, and eparchial staff joined them on October 6 th and 7 th. Meals and refreshments were graciously prepared by the UCWLC from Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God Branch. Sessions included presentations on: Results of 2015 Annual Eparchial Appeal and goals and planning for 2016 Annual Eparchial Appeal - Morris Smysnuik, President of the Board of Directors for BBESSI and Adrian Olenick, Financial Officer for Eparchy of Saskatoon 2015 UGCC Sobor & Synod Resolutions Bishop Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R. and Father Ivan Nahachewsky The Year of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Father Bohdan Lukie, C.Ss.R. CCCB Motu Proprio, Laudato Si, Nostra Aetate, Physician Assisted Death CHAC & CHAS, Holy Year- Year of Mercy, Christian Baptisms Bishop Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R. Reports by Eparchial Offices of Communications, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Family Life Office, Ukr. Catholic Rel. Educ. Centre, and Eparchial Insurance [Chris Pidwerbeski, Sarah Buchko, Deb Larmour & Marcia Salahub, Sr. Marijka & Sr. Bonnie, and Nobert Wasylenko, respectively] Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life Sr. Bonnie, Sr. Marijka and Sarah Buchko Theology of the Body Deb Larmour, Fr. Ivan Nahachewsky and Fr. André Lalach Clergy also had the opportunity to listen to a presentation on the 2015 World Meeting of Families, given by Deb & Don Larmour and Mitchell & Kalyn Smith, who had attended these meetings in Philadelphia in September As well, clergy met to hear and discuss the session by Fr. Andrei Kachur on Motu Proprio declaration of marriage nullity, as well as their meetings of the Presbyteral Council and St. Matthew s Society. Youth & Young adult session December 9, 2015 Morris Smysmuik addresses Study Days Group Photo of attendees at Eparchial Clergy and Staff Study Days Oct-2015 Bottom Row (L-R): Sarah Buchko, Bishop Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R., Fr. Andrew Muzyka, Cornelia Kyba, Fr. Mykola, Romanets. 2nd Row (L-R): Deb Larmour, Father Bohdan Lukie, C.Ss.R., Fr. Jeffrey Stephaniuk, Fr. André Lalach, Fr. Ivan Nahachewsky, Chris Pidwerbeski. 3rd Row (L-R): Fr. Joakim Rac, Fr. Raymond Lukie, Fr. Leonid Malkov, C.Ss.R., Joan Matlock, Iris Owchar, Fr. Basil Malowany, Fr. Janko Kolosnjaji, 4th Row (L-R): Father Michael Smolinski, C.Ss.R., Fr. Peter Pidskalny, C.Ss.R., Fr. Vladimir Mudri, Fr. Vladimir Simunovic. PASTORAL LETTER of the EPARCH of SASKATOON ON THE OCCASION of THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 2015 To the Very Rev. Clergy, Religious, Seminarians and Laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatchewan: Christ is Born! Glorify Him! What is all blue, but smells like red paint?. Blue paint. (lol) Everyone likes a good riddle. This simple little riddle, actually touches on something profound about our human naturethat is, paradoxes. Riddles confuse us, but when we finally figure them out we feel better. Actually, our Eastern tradition excels in focusing on spiritual truths about God that challenge our normal thinking. They seem like riddles that can t be solved with our minds but they are good news and bring joy to our hearts. They actually they help us pray with our hearts and not just our minds. By recounting paradoxes of our faith, our minds are silenced when they can t explain the mysteries of God. After all, His ways are unexplainably high above our ways. So, let s ponder more of these paradoxes recounted in our Divine Liturgy during the Christmas season. O my soul, magnify Christ the King born in a manger. A strange and glorious mystery do I behold: The cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, a dwelling place in which is laid Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain. Singing His praises, we magnify Him. [Irmos of the Nativity] It really stops me in my tracks when I think of that, The cave is heaven; or Mary s womb, and now the manger, contains God who can not be contained. This is the very mystery of the incarnation.

This year at Christmas, when we contemplate these holy paradoxes (or to use a Greek word, antinomies ) the Holy Father Pope Francis invites us to contemplate more things that are mysterious, such as

8 This year at Christmas, when we contemplate these holy paradoxes (or to use a Greek word, antinomies ) the Holy Father Pope Francis invites us to contemplate more things that are mysterious, such as God s mercy. God s mercy is not limited to our human thinking and our imperfect concept of mercy. When people encounter you, they will encounter God s mercy and indeed encounter God himself in you. So you ask yourself, God wants people to encounter Him when they meet me. How will they meet the all-merciful God in me, an unworthy sinner? Now that s a riddle, a paradox and an antinomy! As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus during this Christmas season we find ourselves at the beginning of the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy initiated by Pope Francis this past December 8 th. The purpose of the Holy Jubilee Year, according to the Pope, is to encounter the mercy of God. The primary way we encounter God is through Jesus Christ, the face of the Father s mercy. [Cf. Misericordiae Vultus 1] To Quote His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Pope Francis, A particular requirement of anyone who experiences this Holy Year is to share God s mercy. Our motto this year will be the words Merciful like the Father that resonate from the call of our Lord Jesus to his disciples: Be merciful, as your Father is merciful (Lk. 6, 36). Our rich and meaningful Ukrainian Christmas traditions call our attention to the birth in Bethlehem of the Son of God. The liturgical texts, the carols and greetings, the special foods and decorations help remind us that God is with us Z namy Boh! To add to this, one of the important symbols used during the Holy Jubilee Year is that of the holy door. In St. George s Cathedral and other appointed places of worship, a door has been designated through which the faithful are invited to enter. The holy door stands as a symbol of the extraordinary pathway towards salvation that is offered to the believers, through prayer, penitence, and works of mercy. The holy door becomes a door of mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instills hope. At Christmas time the holy doors remind us of the doorway into the stable at Bethlehem where Joseph, Mary and Jesus welcomed all to enter through the door way into the stable: the poor and the rich, peasant and lord, saint and sinner. And so we are challenged to open the doors of our homes and of our lives to those who seek mercy and love. In St. Matthew s gospel Jesus tells us that when we encounter the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, those in prison we encounter the Lord in these people. [Cf. Mt. 25:31-40] In fact, from every one of them we will receive His mercy. Said differently, God continues to pour upon everyone His mercy like a healing ointment. Thus, he asks me to show compassion and mercy to someone else so that I might not only give but equally receive God s mercy from them. For example, I give spiritual direction to Laura and with her permission to share this, she is the one from whom I equally receive inspiration and grace, despite initially thinking I am the one doing a favour. We show mercy and finally God gets our attention through the life of another person so that we are the ones to receive his mercy since every one of us is wounded and is struggling in some way. Whenever mercy is shown it is actually exchanged since both parties encounter God. This Christmas season, in the spirit of the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us reach out to those we know and to strangers in need, be they from Ukraine or from Syria, be they in prisons or homeless on the streets, be they sick or jobless, be they alone and near death. Let us truly live and experience this paradox, this antinomy, of God using each of us to show His mercy to one another. Let us show by our good deeds and by our love that we share with them the mercy of our Heavenly Father who shares with us his love and goodness. Then we can truly sing with the angels: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. [Lk. 2:14] In Christ, Христос Раждається! Славіте Його! Eparchial News Fall Christmas page 8 Christ is Born! Let us glorify Him! PASTORAL LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL ON THE LEGALIZATION OF ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA Those who are weak have great difficulty finding their place in our society. The image of the ideal human as powerful and capable disenfranchises the old, the sick, the less-abled. Jean Vanier July 13, 2015 Dear Catholic Faithful of Saskatchewan, At this critical moment in our nation s history, our faith in Jesus Christ impels us as the Catholic bishops exercising ministry in Saskatchewan to reach out to Catholics and invite all to focus attention on the vital issue of legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia. On February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the existing laws against assisted suicide, giving Parliament one year to write a new law. This is of grave concern to all of us. In particular, we must consider how this decision will impact the most vulnerable among us including our elderly, those who are dying, and our sisters and brothers who live with disabilities or mental illness. We also face threats to freedom of conscience and religion, particularly for medical professionals who may be pressured to act against their calling as healers. Euphemisms such as medical aid in dying, assisted death, and dying with dignity attempt to hide the fact that euthanasia is the deliberate taking of someone s life, and that assisted suicide intentionally provides someone with the knowledge or means to complete suicide. Eliminating a life is not an appropriate response to suffering. Instead, we urge the promotion of quality palliative and end-of-life care. Our Catholic faith promotes the sanctity of life, the common good, and a culture of life in which each human being is protected, and every person feels responsible for the care and the well-being of others until their natural death. It is important to note that when we are patients, we already have the right to refuse medical treatments we consider burdensome. We are not required to do everything possible to stay alive as long as possible. Also, giving patients enough medication to provide pain relief is not euthanasia, even if the higher dose might unintentionally shorten the patient s life. The intent is to reduce suffering rather than to hasten death, unlike assisted suicide and euthanasia whose intent is to kill the patient. In promoting the dignity of the human person, our Church also defends the freedom of conscience of all people, whatever their religion or philosophy of life. With proposed new policies by professional associations that could limit the freedom of conscience of healthcare professionals, it is urgent and vital for all of us to stand united in defense of those who have accepted the call to serve as healers. We encourage the Catholic faithful and all Canadians to respond courageously to the challenges posed by the Supreme Court s ruling, by raising their voices in defense of the life and the human dignity of all persons, especially the most vulnerable. As Saint John Paul II exhorted us, Be not afraid! We also offer some suggestions for action: Urge the federal government to take all the time necessary to carry out thorough consultations, to ensure that new legislation on physician-assisted suicide is as restrictive as possible. Call on governments and professional associations to implement regulations and policies that ensure respect for the freedom of conscience of all health-care professionals who cannot accept killing as a solution to pain and suffering. Participate in the second round of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan s public consultation on their new conscientious objection policy (deadline to provide feedback to is Aug. 7). For more information on this consultation, please see the Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada website at Support Catholic physicians, nurses, health professionals and administrators as they stand up for their faith in the face of changing circumstances and new demands. Press for improved access to palliative care, including proper pain and symptom management, offering real choices that reduce suffering, rather than end life. Instead of hastening death for Canadians who are ill or dying, we must support them with high quality palliative care, which offers a wholistic healing experience for them and for their families. In the Gospels we see Jesus compassionate care for the sick and the suffering. As followers of Jesus Christ, we too are called to serve the vulnerable and the voiceless, by caring for the well-being of the whole person. Pope Francis reminds us that, Truly, the Gospel of the marginalized is whereour credibility is at stake, is found and is revealed! Exercising our responsibility as Christians to act on our concerns about these vitally important matters will encourage the development of health and social policies that are consistent with social justice teachings. Our Lord came into the world to bring life and healing: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). We encourage each of you to develop your understanding of the impact of the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. We affirm with deep gratitude and encourage with genuine care all who work to uphold the value of human life and dignity from conception to natural death. All human life deserves respect and protection. We share a common responsibility to serve the sick and the aged, not only by attending to physical illnesses, but also by caring for the well-being of the whole person, in imitation of Christ the Healer. Yours sincerely in Christ Most Rev. Daniel J. Bohan Archbishop of Regina, Most Rev. Albert Thévenot Bishop of Prince Albert, Most Rev. Donald Bolen Bishop of Saskatoon, Most Rev. Bryan Bayda Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon, Most Rev. Murray Chatlain Archbishop of Keewatin- Le Pas *********************** St. ATHANASIUS BROTHERHOOD Carl Woitas End of another year and the beginning of a new one. This year saw the brotherhood busy as usual. Jan. 25/15 held the AGM for the brotherhood and appreciation supper for all UCBC and UCWLC. Feb. 17/15 the UCBC hosted the shrove Tuesday pancake supper. Mar. 05/15 the brotherhood served coffee after the mission. Mar. 29/15 the brotherhood hosted a brunch for the first holy communicants. May 03/15 the brotherhood stepped up to be ushers and altar servers for proznyk. May 09/15 had a few of the brothers get together and help clean up the parish property. May 10/15 on Mother s Day had the brotherhood handing out carnations at the beginning of mass and serving coffee and cake after mass. May 23/15 the brotherhood held an appreciation afternoon for the altar servers and Children of Mary with bowling and pop. After the games we had pizza for them. June 14/15 was Tag Day and Grad Sunday with the participation of the brotherhood. July and Aug. was enjoyed by all as the summer went by. Nov. 29/15 saw the annual brotherhood Grey Cup brunch being held. To end of the year the brotherhood would like the send their deepest sympathy to the families of any of the brotherhood that have passed away during the year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in ********************* cont d pg 9

Communications Coordinator Introducing our new Communications Coordinator - Christine (Chris) Pidwerbeski, who has taken over the Communications portfolio for the Eparchy of Saskatoon as of June 29,

We wish to thank Jerry for all his hard work and dedication in keeping the Eparchy (and everyone else) well informed!! We wish God s most abundant blessings in your retirement!

Faithful God, create in me an awareness of Your loving presence. Knowing that one feels His loving presence helps us to say yes to where He is calling us to go, even when we are uncertain and unsure.

9 Communications Coordinator Introducing our new Communications Coordinator - Christine (Chris) Pidwerbeski, who has taken over the Communications portfolio for the Eparchy of Saskatoon as of June 29, 2015, that had been so ably and efficiently handled by Jerry Wasylow over the past 5 years. We wish to thank Jerry for all his hard work and dedication in keeping the Eparchy (and everyone else) well informed!! We wish God s most abundant blessings in your retirement! You can contact Chris at: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon Avenue M South, Saskatoon; communications@skeparchy.org. Glory to Jesus Christ! Faithful God, create in me an awareness of Your loving presence. Knowing that one feels His loving presence helps us to say yes to where He is calling us to go, even when we are uncertain and unsure. Accepting the role as Communications Coordinator for our Eparchy did not come about as an easy decision, but through encouragement from Bishop Bryan, prayer and discernment here I am Lord, your work in progress. I hope to serve the Eparchy in building strong communication ties between the Eparchy office, our clergy and religious, parishes, as well as parish councils, organizations and the parishioners of our Eparchy. Thank you to Jerry Wasylow for the time and dedication he put into the development and formation of our Communications Office and Website. Now together we will take this foundation and will continue to grow and build from there. Communication is only effective and efficient if we make it a two-way street; every link and connection is important to make this work. Each and everyone one of us who is part of our Eparchy is that link and connection. We can build a strong communication line that will connect us together as an Eparchial family, province-wide, striving to build vibrant parishes. We have started by keeping our present website updated and are in the process of developing a new website that we hope will be user friendly, informative and mobile responsive. Check out our current site and watch for updates as to the unveiling of our new site in the near future. Eparchial Organizational Chart has been developed and is on our website Homepage, along with current contact information of our clergy. Notice was sent to clergy and parish offices to put in their bulletins and announcements creating awareness of our website and to encourage parishioners to check out our site, as well as to submit events and news so that this can be shared on our website. Check us out on Facebook: Saskatoon/ I look forward to serving the Eparchy and working with all of you. Our lines are always open... let s stay in touch! God s Blessings, Chris Pidwerbeski Communications Coordinator communications@skeparchy.org website org Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 9 The Pope explains the motives and expectations of the Jubilee of Mercy Vatican City, 2 December 2015 (VIS) The Italian magazine Credere today published an interview with Pope Francis ahead of the imminent opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, in which the Holy Father explains the motives and expectations of this convocation. The following are extensive extracts from the interview: The theme of mercy has been strongly accentuated in the life of the Church, starting with Pope Paul VI. John Paul II underlined it firmly with Dives in Misericordia, the canonisation of St. Faustina and the institution of the feast of Divine Mercy on the Octave of Easter. In line with this, I felt that it was as if it was the Lord s wish to show His mercy to humanity. It was not something that came to my mind, but rather the relatively recent renewal of a tradition that has however always existed. It is obvious that today s world is in need of mercy and compassion, or rather of the capacity for empathy. We are accustomed to bad news, cruel news and the worst atrocities that offend the name and the life of God. The world needs to discover that God is the Father, that there is mercy, that cruelty is not the way, that condemnation is not the way, because it is the Church herself who at times takes a hard line, and falls into the temptation to follow a hard line and to underline moral rules only; many people are excluded. The image of the Church as a field hospital after a battle comes to mind here: it is the truth, so many people are injured and destroyed! I believe that this is the time for mercy. We are all sinners, all of us carry inner burdens. I felt that Jesus wanted to open the door to His heart, that the Father wants to show us his innate mercy, and for this reason he sends us the Spirit. It is the year of reconciliation. On the one hand we see the weapons trade the murder of innocent people in the cruellest ways possible, the exploitation of people, of children. There is currently a form of sacrilege against humanity, because man is sacred, he is the image of the living God. And the Father says, stop and come to me. In response to the second question on the importance of divine mercy in the life of Pope Francis, who has repeatedly affirmed his awareness of being a sinner, he says: I am a sinner I am sure of this. I am a sinner whom the Lord looked upon with mercy. I am, as I said to detainees in Bolivia, a forgiven man. I still make mistakes and commit sins, and I confess every fifteen or twenty days. And if I confess it is because I need to feel that God s mercy is still upon me. Francis recalled that he felt this sensation in a particular way on 21 September 1953, when he felt the need to enter a church and confess to a priest he did not know, and from then his life was changed; he decided to become a priest and his confessor, who was suffering from leukaemia, accompanied him for a year. He died the following year, said the Pope. After the funeral I cried bitterly, I felt totally lost, as if with the fear that God had abandoned me. This was the moment in which I came across God s mercy, and it is closely linked to my episcopal motto: 21 September is the feast day of St. Matthew, and the Venerable Bede, when speaking of the conversion of St. Matthew, says that Jesus looked at him miserando atque eligendo. The literal translation would be pitying and choosing. Can the Jubilee of Mercy be an opportunity to rediscover God s maternity? Is there an almost feminine aspect of the Church that must be valued? is the third question. Yes, the Holy Father replies. God Himself affirms this when He says in the Book of Isaiah that a mother could perhaps forget her child, even a mother can forget, but I will never forsake you. Here we see the maternal dimension of God. Not everyone understands when we speak about God s maternity, it is not part of popular language in the good sense of the word and may seem rather elitist; for this reason I prefer to speak about the tenderness, typical of a mother, God s tenderness that comes from his innate paternity. God is both father and mother. In response to a question on whether the discovery of a more merciful and emotional God, Who is moved to tenderness for mankind, should lead to a change of attitude towards others, Francis says: Discovering this leads us to have a more tolerant, more patient, more tender attitude. In 1994 during the Synod, in a group meeting, I said that it was necessary to begin a revolution of tenderness and I continue to say that today the revolution is that of tenderness, because justice derives from this. The revolution of tenderness is what we must cultivate today as the fruit of this year of mercy: God s tenderness towards each one of us. Each one of us must say, I am a wretch, but God loves me as I am; so, I must love others in the same way. The journalist recalls St. John XXIII s famous Sermon to the moon, in which greeting the faithful one night, he told them to give a caress to their children. This image became an image of the Church s tenderness. In what way does the theme of mercy help our Christian communities to convert and renew themselves? When I see the sick, the elderly, the caress comes to me spontaneously. The caress is a gesture that can be interpreted ambiguously, but it is the first gesture that a mother and father offer a newborn child, this gesture that says I love you, I wish well to you. Finally, is there a gesture you intend to make during the Jubilee to show God s mercy? There will be many gestures, but one Friday each month I will make a different gesture, the Holy Father concludes. Ukrainian Icon Doors of Mercy brought to Rome for Jubilee (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis requested the ancient Ukrainian icon Doors of Mercy to be brought to the Vatican for the opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. This icon, which combines both Western and Eastern traditions, is particularly symbolic and encourages all Christians to unity and peace for the sake of charity.the image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, which dates from the seventeenth century, comes from the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the Polish city of Jaroslaw. The icon, which takes its name from the Byzantine Lenten liturgical text, Open the Doors of Mercy to me, O Mother of God. is considered miraculous and was given a crown by St. John Paul II in A copy of of the icon is also found in the Argentinian church belonging to Pope Francis former spiritual director, Ukrainian Catholic priest Fr. Stephan Chmil, who was later made a bishop. THE CATECHISM OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH When I personally think of the word catechism I immediately associate it with a Sister asking me prepared questions about God. Many of us have probably gone through this routine because, until the last years, not much has changed in our church with regards to the teaching of catechism since the days of St. Josaphat and he lived 500 years ago. The History: Actually it is more or less the same in the Latin Catholic Church. In 1566, St. Charles Borromeo, at the wish of the Council of Trent, published a Catholic Catechism. This was divided into four sections faith, sacraments, the Commandments, and prayer. This was necessary because of the events of the time, namely, the Protestant reformation and the catechism which Martin Luther published in 1520.

10 Luther s catechism also had four sections but he started with the Commandments, and then had a section on faith, prayer and the sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. Both of these were similar in some ways, and both introduced the question and answer approach. About 100 years later in 1618 St. Josaphat, the Ukrainian Catholic martyr, published a catechism which was largely based on the one put out by the Council of Trent using the question and answer method. His main topics were faith, prayer, the Commandments, and the sacraments. He followed the Eastern theological approach. Metropolitan Petro Mohyla of Kyiv, the Orthodox leader of Ukraine at the time, published a historic Orthodox Catechism in 1640 under the divisions of Faith, Hope, and Love. Both St. Josaphat s and Metropolitan Mohyla s catechisms followed the Council of Trent in approach and style: both were also in the question and answer format (Mohyla had 256 questions and answers). There were a number of other attempts to write an Ukrainian Catholic Catechisms. The biggest influence on Ukrainian Catholic Catechetical education was the annexation of Western Ukraine into Austria in Austria was Latin Catholic at the time and her rulers were very favourable to the growth of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. In 1814 the Austrian Catholic Bishops conference published a small catechism based on the Council of Trent, using the question and answer format. Of course this Austrian catechism was entirely Latin Catholic in spirit, tone, and style. Near the end of the 1800s, Fr. Franz Spirago wrote a Catholic People s Catechism. It was translated into Ukrainian by Fr. Yaroslav Lewitski in and was widely used in Western Ukraine. To this day Spirago s work, based on the Austrian Bishops Catechism of 1814, is legendary in Ukraine. Spirago s catechism accompanied the massive immigration of Ukrainians in the last century. The Basilian and Redemptorist Fathers in Canada and the U.S.A. published and republished it. It was also used in South America and Australia. This is the catechism I was taught when I was about to receive my First Holy Communion. Redeemer s Voice Press of Yorkton, played a major role in its popularity in the last century. The very widely used Baltimore Catechism, which is basically the Latin Church s equivalent of Spirago, made sure that all of us had the same religious initiation. Most criticisms we receive our own Ukrainian Catholic Catechism, especially from Ukraine, are centred on the question why do we need a new catechism? Spirago is still good and we know him and love him. Besides, it is so easy to teach children in the question and answer style! Yes indeed it was, why change? For one thing, in 1900 most people in Ukraine presumed that the only difference between our Church and the Latin Church was the fact we used old Slavonic and they Latin, and that our liturgies were quite distinct. Many clergy and people did not grasp that we actually had a different theology. Our icons became frescoes. Our liturgy incorporated many elements of the old Latin Mass. We Ukrainian Catholics differ from Roman Catholics in our Spiritual, Liturgical, Biblical, and legal theologies. We are and should be very unique- most people do not know the difference, and it is the difference that makes the difference. It seems humorous now, but in the early 1900 our priests in Ukraine had to write to Rome for permission to wear beards! Even Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky had to write to the Pope for special permission to give his mother the Holy Eucharist in the Ukrainian tradition because she was actually Latin Catholic herself. Mind you, he was never refused and later on he stopped asking. You need only look at the historic photograph of Metropolitan Andrei to see when he himself started to carry a beard. The history of his beard wearing reflects his personal growth as a Ukrainian Catholic. He died with a very long beard. One must remember the bitter history in our church in Ukraine during the 1920 s and 1930 s. There were very serious attempts to eradicate our Eastern Catholic Church because it was considered inferior to the Latin Church and seen as something unnecessary. Many faithful, and even clergy themselves, were accepted into the Latin Church. To this day, in some of our churches in Ukraine, the playing of the organ is still accepted and is commonplace. In some Eparchies in Ukraine married clergy were strongly discouraged, even forbidden. One could hardly tell the difference between the churches by the way Priests and Bishops dressed. Remnants of all these things still remain in our church. Spirago s Catechism found very fertile soil until today. Religious education not only transmits a faith, but also a culture. Today it is the Holy See (the Vatican) which is calling on us to return to our own roots in the practice of our own faith. The Catholic Catechism At the direction of Pope John Paul II, after many years of preparation the Latin Catholic Church published a new style of catechism in 1992, called the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It has four main sections Faith, the Sacraments, the Life in Christ (Commandments), and Prayer. The first and fourth sections have some small contributions from the Eastern churches, but it is basically a Latin Catholic Catechism. The other sections do not contain much Eastern theology at all. Bishop David Konstat, a member of the editorial committee, came from Leeds, England to Melbourne to promote this catechism. When I asked him about the lack of universality in contents of this new catechism, he told me that this catechism was basically written for the Latin Church and that someday we, in the Eastern Churches, would have to write our own catechism which would explain our faith according to our own traditions. Indeed, we would have to. In his introductory letter to this catechism, Pope John Paul II says, This catechism is not intended to replace the local catechisms. It is meant to encourage and assist in the writing of new local catechisms which take into account various situations and cultures, while carefully preserving the unity of faith and fidelity to catholic doctrine. Again voices around the world resounded, Why do we have to write our own catechism; we now have the Catholic Catechism that is enough! Since 1814 our church and faithful have become instilled with Latin Catholic teaching through the Austrian catechisms. Were not our ancestors, when they came to Western Canada, called Austrians? We attend Latin Catholic schools, we read their religious literature, and we have become more or less immersed in Latin Catholic theology and tradition. No wonder our church is deeply latinised to the extent that we do not even see a need to change or to rediscover our own roots and traditions. Thank God Pope John Paul II, realizing this, asked us to think about our own catechism. We are also very grateful for the directives from the Vatican seen in such documents as Lumen Gentium, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, and Unitatis Redintegratio of Vatican II, Orientale Lumen and Ut Unum Saint of John Paul II and, more specifically, the liturgical instructions of These documents and others from the Vatican, including the publishing of our own Code of Canon Law in 1990, clearly urge us to rediscover our own liturgy, our own traditions, and our own customs. In other words, as the late Holy Father said, let the church breathe with two lungs again, its Eastern and Western lungs. In this way we will be expressing the true universality of the Catholic Church. Here we have to thank God for the leadership of our great church leaders, Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky, Patriarch Josef Slipyj, Confessor for the faith and of course, now retired Patriarch Lubomyr Husar who wrote in the introduction to the Ukrainian translation of the Catechism of the Ukrainian Church, The teaching of Christ is one and the same for all. The Christian faith is also the same for all Catholics regardless of what church they observe and to what church they belong. However, the theological understanding of the truths revealed by God could be different in various cultures as are the liturgical practices. Having already before us a basic text (here he refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), with time our Church will provide the faithful with theological interpretations on the basis of our own tradition. It is time for all of us to realize the identity of our own Ukrainian soul. It is time to take the bold steps necessary to place into the hands of our Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Monks, Nuns, Sisters, and lay faithful, a depository of faith, on what it means to be a Ukrainian Catholic. In other words, what is it exactly that our Orthodox- Catholic tradition introduced officially into Ukraine when Volodymyr the Great accepted Baptism from the Church of Constantinople in 988? What were the Bishops of the Reunion of Brest in 1596 talking about? What is the Holy See now specifically telling us to rediscover? What are our own religious roots and traditions? Our Ukrainian Catholic Synod already started this process a while ago. In 1996 the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission was formed. In 1999 the Catechetical Directory of the Ukrainian Catholic Church was published. In 2001 our Synod blessed the writing of our own catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. In 2002 an editorial board was formed and the title of the catechism was announced Christ our Paskha (Easter). In 2004 the Synod approved the structural outline of Christ-our Pascha. Then about 50 theologians of our Church met in Ukraine to review the material already written. Our present Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, led the writing of the third section. What is in our new catechism? Our catechism reflects our Ukrainian Eastern theology. It is a depository of the faith which reflects our 1000 year old Kyivan tradition. The underlining thread that keeps the catechism is the anaphora of St. Basil the Great (the prayers recited during the act of Consecration during the liturgy). The spirituality that we speak of here is at the very heart of our soul. Our Church is our liturgy, our spirituality and tradition is liturgical. These themes will be presented both theologically and practically. To make this catechism specific to the expression of our Eastern Church, the writers of this catechism draws on the following sources: Sacred Scripture, the works of the Eastern Fathers of the Church, the teaching of the Ukrainian Catholic Fathers such as Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky and Patriarch Joseph Slipyj. The decrees of the Synods of our Church, our liturgical texts, the lives of our Saints and Blesseds, sacred art, in particular our iconography, the teachings and documents of the universal Catholic Church and, of course, last but not least, the teaching Magisterium of the Universal Church. The catechism has three sections: our Faith, our Prayer, and our Life, in other words, a theological, liturgical, and moral section. Each of these sections are about 160 pages in length. Conclusion Perhaps it would be appropriate here to quote Taras Shevchenko when he said, Study my brothers, think and read. Learn what is of value from others but do not ignore what is your own. This is good advice in our present situation. One can certainly say that if we look at our Church around the world, the very absence of such a catechism reflect our present lack of unity, identity, respect for our own liturgical traditions, and a lack of a Ukrainian religious consciousness. Our Church has already become a hybrid in some places. The road before us is going to be long and difficult, but we must start that journey. If we are to be an authentic Ukrainian Catholic Church in the future; if we are to continue to exist and be vibrant in 25, 50 or 100 years from now, then we must journey down this road. We must rediscover our own roots and traditions and then we must pass all this onto the next generations. Doing nothing will only accelerate the assimilation process. Surely we all have a dream that our church will be unique, vibrant, and strong. Each of us does have a soul which has been shaped over the centuries of our past. Just as we cannot forget bandura music, so too, our soul will not easily forget our own Ukrainian spirituality. The writing of this catechism is a God sent opportunity to identify and present a clear instruction about the nature of our church as it has grown amongst us since apostolic times. It is a fulfilment of God s desire as the church has so clearly taught us. The late Pope John Paul II said, I listen to the Churches of the East, which I know are living interpreters of the Treasure of tradition they preserve. In contemplating it, before my eyes appear elements of great significance for a fuller and more thorough understanding of the Christian experience. These elements are capable of giving a more complete Christian response to the expectations of the men and women of today. (Orientale Lumen) The Second Vatican Council clearly stated attention should be given everywhere to the preservation and growth of each individual Church. (O.E.#4) The Holy Spirit will lead us and bless us. We ask for your prayers and cooperation to spread the good news. Bishop Peter Stasiuk C.Ss.R. Chairman of the Synodal Catechetical Commission

11 Ss Peter & Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Montmartre, SK Minutes of Meetings Continued from Fall edition First item for discussion, we need to deal with the diak, Pan Panio. At the annual meetink the vice-chair, Pan Warworuk, made an agreement with the diak Panio, that when Panio will have organized the choir and have rehersals, that together with singing, Panio agreed to 5.00 dollars for each time. There were no rehersals and the Director could have (sang) by himself. The Director submitted a bill for which was owed to him up to April 22. For the future, the Committee passed that if he is going to lead simply as a diak and lead in the usual way, then he will only be paid 3.00 for each sung Divine Liturgy. He will only receive 3.00 for each time and for only as many times as he actually sings. Payment will be made once a month and if he does not accept it for 3.00, then he will receive nothing and the women will sing by themselves like they have been until now: Pani Dusyk, Pani Hrycak and Pani Dranecki, and the rest will follow their lead. As for the cemetery, outside the city, the committee agreed to put up a geit and whatever else is necessary to attach it. Also to paint the Cemetery Cross which is in the centre and the fents posts. At the Church, we need to set up a geit and klemps. Grass cutting - Stepanski agreed at the annual meetink that he would cut the grass. Pan Warworuk still did not make an agreement with him as to a price and if the mower is in good condition or not. (s) Wasyl Procyk, Rec. Sec. Mai 11, 1972 The committee of Peter and Paul Church, Montmartre, gathered in the hall under the Church for a meeting. Pan Warworuk, Veiverly Stechyshyn and W. Procyk, without the presence of the priest. The (choir) director did not accept the 3.00 offered and will no longer sing. Other items which were from the meeting of April 27, have all been completed: the geit, the painting of the cross at the cemetery and the Church yard was cleaned. It was decided not to cut the grass at the cemetery, outside the city, more than three times during the summer, at a cost of dolariw. Veiverly is to look into getting someone to do this. With the agreement of Pan Warworuk, J. Stepanski will cut the grass at the rectory and the Church for 1.50 an hour. (s) W. Procyk, Rec. Sec. December 13, 1972 The Church committee of Sts. Peter and Paul, Montmartre, gathered for a meeting to discuss the new priest Apolinariy Romanow and that we should be prepared to give him a gift on behalf of Sts. Peter and Paul. It was passed that we give him The annual meeting which was to be on January 1, 1973, as was previously decided will be postponed because Pan Warworuk went on a Christmas Haladey for 2 weeks. The date for the meetink will be announced when Pan Warworuk returns home. Pan Warworuk was also supposed to have talked with Father Tremley to see if it is possible to have the newly ordained priest, Fr. Romanow, celebrate a Divine Liturgy in our Church, here in Montmartre. If he is able to have a Divine Liturgy here then it will be announced on which Sunday because Fr. Tremley was not present for the meeting. On behalf of the Women s League, women were present at this meeting and they agreed to organize a reception for Fr. Apolinariy Romanow and either lonch or a dinner; Pauline Gorniak, Pawlina Dusyk, Maria Hrycak. (s) Wasyl Procyk, Recording Sec. January 23, 1973 (pg. 16) The Annual General Meeting of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Montmartre, was held in the hall under the Church with 12 members present. Father Tremley opened the meeting with a prayer. The financial report was given by the financial secretary, Veiverly Stechyshyn from the report which were handed out to each of the members General Income General Expenses Total This amount included the monies received from the Melnyk Estate. Carry forward from last year, the treasury currently has The financial secretary, V. Stechyshyn, then submitted his resignation from his position. The resignation was accepted and he was thanked for working for the good of the Church. This was followed by the elections. Danyil Dusyk nominated Wasyl Procyk for Recording Secretary, M. Hrycak seconduvaw. Wasyl Dusyk moved that nominations cease and Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 11 Hrynko Hrycak seconduvaw moshen. Wasyl Procyk was elektet. Hrynko Hrycak nominated Danko Dusyk for the position of financial secretary. Michiil Hrycak sekonduvaw nominatsiu. John Slywka moved that the nominations cease; Veiverly Stechyshyn seconduvaw. Danko Dusyk was elected fin. Sec. Wasyl Dusyk nominated Pawlo Gorniak for treasurer. Hrynko Hrycak seconduvaw. Carried. Pawlo Gorniak is the treasurer. Father Tremley is the chair. Hrynko Hrycak nominated Steef Warworuk for vice-chair. M. Dusyk seconduvaw nominatsiu. Carried. Steef Warworuk became the vice-chair. Andri Kotelak nominated Hrynko Hrycak for 2nd vice. John Slywka seconduvaw moshen. John Stepanski offered to paint the fents posts around the Church which were not finished last year, for no charge. We received a letter from the painter of the iconostas which stated that we still owe him 400 dollars. The financial secretary D. Dusyk is to write him a letter that some of the workmanship was damaged and not installed. Membership fees dollars a year. Offerings for the collection plate will use envelopes. The priest s salary will be a month and two Sundays paid haladey (a year). It was passed that in the corner of the icons on the iconostas, it be written the name of the donor(s): J. T. Dusyk, A. Dusyk, J. Hanchar, John Kaczmar, Fr. Mykoliw, Hrynko Hrycak, Yuri Dranecki. Mykola Kaczmar moved that the Divine Liturgy be celebrated once a month in English. Wasyl Gorniak seconduye. Andri Kotelak moved that there be an emendment to the motion, that we instead call a special meetink in order to discuss this topic. 9 voted in favour of the emendment to 3. Moshen defeated. (s) Rec. Sec. Wasyl Procyk Controller Commission: Andri Kotelak, Petro Gorniak, Wasyl Dusyk. Social Committee: Byl Gorniak, Heri Lesiuk, John Stepanski, John Slywka. April 17, 1973 The Church committee of Peter and Paul in Momartre, met in the hall under the Church. Present were: Fr. Tremley, S. Warworuk, D. Dusyk, Pawlo Gorniak, W. Procyk. It was decided that whoever wanted the lamp lit which hangs near the altar and donate 2.00, that now and for the future, it will be an offering of John Stepanski agreed to cut the grass at the Church and the residence for 4.00 for each time. After he is finished cutting, he is to leave the mower with W. Procyk and next time he needs gazolina and oil, the parish will pay. Father moved that we give the altar boys a gift once a year, at Easter, worth about Carried. Father Tremley mentioned that he would like to take a vacation to the Old Country near the end of May, for three weeks. He would like the committee to give him his salary of for June, in advance. They agreed. Fr. Iwaniak from Ituna will substitute for Fr. Tremley until he returns. John Stepanski agreed to replace some of the fents posts by the Church. The parish agreed to pay him for the posts and his labour. (s) Wasyl Procyk, Rec. sec. July 6, 1973 (pg. 19) Sts. Peter and Paul, Montmartre. The Church committee met in the hall under the Church to discuss a few items. One matter was concerning the cutting of the grass. John Stepanski requested a raise. The discussion was that it already cost us for one month. The matter was not resolved and was tabled. On the occasion of the Fiftieth, 50, Wedding Anniversary Jubilee of Wasyl and Maria Procyk, which will be on July , a member of the committee, Pawlo Gorniak, presented me with a nice gift for my 35 years of service on the committees of both parishes, Kendiak and Montmartre. I sincerely thank all of you. Fr. Tremley informed us that ever since the chapel was moved 3 years ago from the upstairs to the basement of the residence, the parish paid less in taxes each year. Now there is a need to make repairs and to dekorate-uvaty so it would look nicer for those who attend Divine Liturgies in the mornings. We can probably do it with less than Pawlo Gorniak moved that we proceed. Danyil Dusyk seconduvaw. All were in favour. (s) Rec. sec. Wasyl Procyk January 23, 1974 The Annual General Meetink was held with the presence of 12 members and Fr. Tremley, in the hall under the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Montmartre. The Recording Secretary was not present as he was at that time in the hospital in Regina. Fr. Tremley was chosen to replace the recording secretary; he read the minutes from last year. There was a discussion concerning the donors for the Konostas for the 12 Apostles the names were written on the side but they do not know which Apostle they donated for. Nikola Melnyk $1, Pani Karpa Pani Gzhenda Yuri Dranetski John T. Dusyk John Hanchar Nait Kolumbus Hrynko Hrycak John Slywka moved that the minutes be accepted as read. Seconded by Heri Lesiuk. All were in favour. Pan Warworuk moved that the financial secretary D. Dusyk did not have to read the whole report as the financial Roport was distributed to all members in advance. It was mentioned that this method should be continued in the future. The financial secretary moved that the report be accepted. Seconded by Andri Kotelak. Carried. The Church committee members remained the same as last year, as did the members for the Social committee. The priest s salary will be a month. All were in favour. M. Hrycak moved that the meetink be adjourned. All were in favour. (s) Rec. Sec. Wm. Procyk April 26, 1974 The Church committee of Sts. Peter and Paul, Montmartre, met in the hall under the Church. Hall Rental Danko Dusyk moved that the rent for the hall na Shawer Parti be 5.00 for members and for non-members. For a Wedding Benkvet for members and for nonmembers and Hard Beverages are not permitted except for a Tost to the couple. For Funeral Lunches, no charge for members, for non-members October 11, 1974 A Church meetink was held at Peter and Paul, Montmartre with a delegation from the Church committee of Kendiak. The reason for the meeting was to get each parish to reimburse (Montmartre) for their particular expenses, specifically Lonk Distants Telefon. Moved by Andri Stepanski and Joe Romanow seconduvaw. Carried. Church Committee for 1974: Stefan Warworuk, chair Danko Dusyk, financial sec. Pawlo Gorniak, treasurer Wasyl Procyk, Rec. Sec. Controller Commisson: Andri Kotelak Petro Gorniak Wasyl Dusyk Social committee: Wasyl Gorniak Heri Lesiuk John Stepanski John Slywka January 5, 1975 Annual Meetink The Annual Meeting was held on January 5, 1975 in the hall under the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Montmartre. Father Tremley opened the meeting with the prayer Our Father. There were 12 members present and two women. The Recording Secretary, Wasyl Procyk, read the minutes from last year. Andri Kotelak moved that the minutes be accepted as read, seconded by Hrynko Hrycak. The minutes of the other meetinks held April 26 and October 11, were also read. John Slywka moved that they be accepted as read, seconded by Andri Kotelak. Carried. Andri Kotelak moved that the financial Report given by the financial secretary, D. Dusyk, be accepted. W. Dusyk seconduvaw. Carried. Hrynko Hrycak moved that the membership fees be raised from to a year. Seconded by John Stepanski. Carried. It was mentioned that the Social Committee needs new tables and chairs. This was put forth for future consideration. Fr. Tremley asked for a raise; to be paid more than 250 dollars a month. After some discussion, it was decided to give him a month. Next item, elections. The Committee members agreed to stay on for another year. Stefan Warworuk, vice-chair Danko Dusyk, financial Secretary Wasyl Procyk, Recording Sec. Controller Commission: Wasyl Dusyk Andri Kotelak Petro Gorniak Christmas Carollers: John Paniol and Petro Gorniak will try to get helpers. The vice-chair moved that we offer our sincere appreciation to J. T. Dusyk for having worked for such a long time for our Church and Residence. All parishioners expressed their sincere appreciation. Our parish will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary since our Church was built in 1950; the parish priest was Fr. Sydorak. Three more members were added to the Social Committee: Andy Kotelak Karol Machniak Wasyl Dusyk Wasyl Gorniak Heri Lesiuk John Stepanski John Slywka to be continued

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING BISHOP BUDKA EPARCHIAL STEWARDSHIP SOCIETY INC.

meeting is being called for the purposes of: Approving the Financial Statement Reviewer s Report and the Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.

Reporting of activities and motions of the Directors to the membership Electing Directors For transacting such other business as may properly come before an Annual General Meeting.

12 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING BISHOP BUDKA EPARCHIAL STEWARDSHIP SOCIETY INC. (BBESSI) Saturday, January 23, 2016 Time: Registration - 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm Annual General Meeting 2:00 pm Where: Who: 210 Avenue M South (Church Auditorium) Saskatoon Saskatchewan Purpose: This meeting is being called for the purposes of: Approving the Financial Statement Reviewer s Report and the Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, Appointing a Reviewer of our financial records for the next fiscal period Approving Bylaws or Amendment to the Bylaws none to consider for this Annual Meeting. Reporting of activities and motions of the Directors to the membership Electing Directors For transacting such other business as may properly come before an Annual General Meeting. All members of a Ukrainian Catholic parish or mission within the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon who are 18 years of age or older are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting. Access to Documents: The Financial Statements will be posted on the Eparchial website events/bishop-budka-eparchial-stewardship-society-inc.-notice-of-annual-general-meeting-january html. You may also pick up copies of the Annual Report and Financial Statements at the Chancery Office at 214 Avenue M South, Saskatoon Saskatchewan. This information will be available commencing January 8, Call for Nominations to the Board of Directors of Bishop Budka Eparchial Stewardship Society Inc. BBESSI is searching for people who are interested in serving on our Board of Directors. To qualify, a person must be 18 years of age or older, a resident of Canada and a member in good standing with a Ukrainian Catholic parish or mission within the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon. If you are interested or want more information, please call one of the members of our Nominating Committee: Andrij Lazurko (306) ; Father Ivan Nahachewsky ( ); Bernadette Popowych (306) ; Morris Smysnuik (306) ************ Eparchial News Christmas 2015 page 12 Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. When you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up to him. You don t win a war by dying for your country. You win a war by making the other guy die for his country. Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.

President: Geraldine Koban Vice-president: Gwen Bilyk Past President : Dave Spelay Treasurer: Kathy Rusnak Secretary: Vicky Ostrowercha

President: Geraldine Koban Vice-president: Gwen Bilyk Past President : Dave Spelay Treasurer: Kathy Rusnak Secretary: Vicky Ostrowercha ST. MARY'S UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH PARISH COUNCIL MEETING Golden Agers Room Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Executive: Pastor: Fr. Bohdan Lukie, CSsR Assistant Pastor: Fr. Raymond Lukie, CSsR Assistant Pastor: