Press Release from Eastern Christian Publications

Eastern Christian Publications is pleased to announce a new email subscription service from Eastern Christian Publications for Daily Vespers according to the Byzantine Ruthenian Typicon. Like the BDO Hours subscription service that we have been delivering for a few years, Daily Vespers will include three versions each day (except Saturdays and Feast Days):

1: Clergy: The full text of Daily Vespers with all litanies, blessings and all changeable parts; the Prayers of Light are provided as a separate Appendix file
2: Reader Service: Daily Vespers for the laity in the world with common texts and all changeable parts
3: Propers: The changeable parts of Daily Vespers including stichera, theotokia, prokeimena and apostichera

In St Yura Cathedral, on September 3, 2017 during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy led by the Father and Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav, took place the solemn episcopal ordination of Bishop Andriy (Rabiy), Auxiliary Bishop for Philadelphia Archeparchy.

Lviv (ugcc.org.ua) - First of all the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Claudio (Gugerotti), read a bull from the Holy Father Francis, where the Pope proclaims the father Andriy Rabiy the Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, assigned him the Titular See of Germaniciana (US), granting all the rights and imposing obligations, which are connected with the dignity of a Bishop and authority according to the norms of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

 During his homily to the faithful the Father and Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted we became participants and witnesses of a special event. «We saw," said the Primate of the UGCC, "how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit care about our Church. Because of His deep mysterious will our Lord planted a vineyard of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the whole world..."

The preacher reminded that last week  in Kyiv and Lviv we celebrated the 50-th anniversary of the World Congress of Ukrainians. "I saw our Ukrainians from various corners of the globe: from Southern Africa, Japan, China, from those countries, where we even cannot imagine that our Church is present through our faithful sons and daughters. Today we became participants of the episcopal ordination of the new Bishop, whom the Father sends in order to  care for our Church in the US,"  noted the Head of the Church.

Today we are asking ourselves, says the hierarch, what it means. What gospel, what good news the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is  telling from Ukraine – its maternal territory - for its sons and daughters in the whole world? "First of all – it's that the Lord and we, as his servants, care about our faithful in this whole world. Let us ask ourselves today, in what relation is this servant or us, as Bishops or priests, with the Master of God's vineyard? We are not  its owners, not its hired workers. Then who are we? Who is this Bishop, whom the Lord presented before our eyes today? He is a participant in the ministry of the very Son of God, Jesus Christ. He was given today by Jesus Christ, in the power and action of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of His eternal priesthood," believes His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

"Dear Bishop Andriy," addressed the new Bishop the Head of the Church, "we said today that Jesus Christ Himself, as the Son of God, became a vineyard, in His Person combined two natures, divine and human. We solemnly confessed this in "The Creed" before today's ordination. We can say that in your personality the Lord our God combines two realia of our Church — Ukrainian and American. You are a son of this land, a son of prince's city of Lviv, but the Lord called you for the ministry in another country, in another culture, in another dimension of the social, cultural and church life. But those two realia you combined in your personality. That is why today we feel the holiday of strength and unity of our Church."

In the Head's of the Church opinion, it doesn't matter where the children of Ukraine are living today, in Ukraine or in this settlements. This is one and the same God's vineyard, which the Lord our God planted, whom He protects and whom He cares about in an extraordinarily merciful fatherly way.

Finally His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the parents of the Bishop Andriy for such a wonderful son. 

The UGCC Department for Information

By Frances Borsodi Zajac This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Uniontown, PA - Preparations are nearly complete for the 83rd annual pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, to be held Saturday and Sunday at Mount St. Macrina, just west of Uniontown along Route 40.

“A lot of things can’t be done until the last minute,’’ explained Sister Ruth Plante, provincial of the Byzantine Catholic Sisters of St. Basil, who hosts the event.

Volunteers and staff this past week have been preparing the outdoor sound systems, readying to place benches and to do food set up. People have been donating their time throughout the summer.

“We couldn’t do it without all the volunteers,’’ said Plante, noting they paint, weed and make beds. “During the course of preparation and the pilgrimage, over 200 people help in some way. If it wasn’t for their help, we wouldn’t be able to do it.’’

Philadelpia - Metropolitan Stefan Soroka, together with Bishop John Bura and Bishop Andriy Rabiy, clergy, religious and faithful, pray for those suffering as a result of the damage and flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, especially in Texas and Louisiana:

Let us remember in our prayers those who died and their grieving families and community.  Let us also remember those who suffered loss of their homes and earthly possessions as we ask Our Lord to give them His grace, wisdom and courage as they move forward with their lives and look forward to a new day filled with hope.  Let us offer prayers of gratitude for the many first responders and the medical professionals who so quickly rendered life-saving help to rescue many of the victims, especially those from the flooded communities.

We pray that the victims may find comfort in the reassuring words of the Prophet Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11).

newsworks.org - Only a few structures still stand in what was Centralia, Pennsylvania. Even fewer are visible through the tree cover from the top of an adjacent mountain overlooking what was once a thriving community.

The most notable and recognizable structure is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, whose bright-blue domes rise out of the foliage on the side of the mountain. Though all but seven of the town’s residents relocated because of the ongoing fire in the anthracite coal mine below its surface, the church continues to serve a successful parish.

On Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, the church was the site of the second annual “A Call to Prayer” pilgrimage. Two years ago, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav Shevchuk visited the church and suggested it as a place for pilgrimage. He marveled at the beauty of the property, the number of vocations from the parish, its rich history in Centralia, and qualities about it that are endearing to prayer and a place for gathering.

Centrailia, PA (ugcc.org.ua) - This Pilgrimage was inspired by His Beatitude Sviatoslav during his historic visit to the Centralia church in November 2015. He marveled at the continuing presence of the church in Centralia, where an underground mine-fire resulted in the abandonment of the town, the demolition of almost all buildings and the relocation of all but less than ten residents. Patriarch Sviatoslav felt a sense of true holiness which pervades the entire church property. His desire is for all people of faith to come and experience this holiness, sanctity and serenity as pilgrims to this holy place on the mountain.

ugcc.org.ua - All are invited to join Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka and clergy on a Pilgrimage at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Centralia, Pa. on Sunday, August 27th. The pilgrimage begins at 12:00 noon with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy with Archbishop Stefan as the main celebrant. There will be a Living Rosary prayed at 2:00 PM before the historic and jeweled 18th century copy of the Icon of Our Lady of Pochaiv. At 3:00 PM Akafist to the Mother of God will be sung. At 4:30 PM a candlelight procession to the church for the celebration of a Moleben to the Mother of God with Metropolitan Stefan Soroka as main celebrant and homilist. At the conclusion of the Moleben, prayers for healing and the anointing with holy oils for the healing of soul and body will take place. Pilgrims will have an opportunity to venerate the icon and relics of Blessed Martyr Bishop Mykola Charnetsky, C.Ss.R., the healer of souls.

CWN - Concluding a meeting in Dimane, Lebanon, the patriarchs of the Eastern churches in communion with Rome have issued a “prophetic appeal” warning agains a “plan of genocide” that threatens to eliminate the Christian presence in the Middle East.

In their statement the Eastern Catholic prelates urge international leaders to bring an end to the warfare in their region. They encourage Pope Francis to bring world leaders together to plan action to protect the Christians in the Middle East.

Noting the dramatic decline in the Christian presence in their region, the patriarch attribute the flight to both the violence that troubles the Middle East and the deliberate choices of some actors. Of the wars in their region, they say, the “goals are now clear: destruction, killing, exile, boosting terrorist organisations, spreading the spirit of intolerance and conflict between religions and cultures.”

This year’s theme is “Mary: Lifegiving Spring”

Uniontown, PA - The 83rd annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held Sept. 2 to 3 at Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pa. This year’s theme is “Mary: Life-Giving Spring.” Preparations for this year’s Pilgrimage have already started and will continue throughout the summer.

As in previous years, the Sisters will welcome all those Pilgrims who come from all over the country and beyond. They will continue to welcome those who come early and camp on the race track or stay on the Mount. Light fare will be available at the Lunch Stand starting on Friday evening. Liturgical prayers will be held at the Shrine Altar on Friday evening for those arriving early and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Monday morning, Sept. 4 for those who stay on Sunday evening.