www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology The Uniontown Otpust - A Time of Spiritual Graces and Personal Remembrances

To Our Forum Community:

Slava Isusu Christu!

After returning from this year's Otpust - the Pilgrimage in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, held at Mt. St. Macrina in Uniontown, PA, the Motherhouse of the Ruthenian Province of the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, I felt inspired to put into writing, some reflections on the experience of this most sacred and important weekend in the life of our church.

As I began to compose the account of yet another year of wonderful memories from Mt. St. Macrina, it occurred to me that, to the best of my knowledge, nothing of extensive detail has been written about the Otpust for some time.

In 1985, after the observance of the 50th. Jubilee of uninterrupted pilgrimages to Uniontown, Msgr. Basil Shereghy, STD, our eminent priest-historian of blessed memory, compiled a priceless booklet. In addition to providing an historical background to the Uniontown Otpust, Mt. St. Macrina itself and the tradition of pilgrimages among the Carpatho-Rusyn people, the work gave an extensive account of each annual pilgrimage that had taken place on the Mount to that date. Many found that reading the accounts of the fifty pilgrimages provided a unique means with which to reminisce, remember and preserve, the tradition that has endeared itself to Ruthenian Greek Catholics and many others for so long a period of time.

While surely not of the same eloquence and renown that Msgr. Shereghy exemplified in his many written and oral testaments, I decided to offer my own humble attempt at sharing the spirit of the Otpust with the community at large.

As I continued writing, it dawned upon me that there are many people throughout the church at large, who have not had the privilege of making a pilgrimage to the Mount. For this reason, and in order to preserve the rich heritage that is ours in the Otpust, I decided to give an expanded account, not only of this year's pilgrimage but also of the deep history that has developed over these past sixty-eight years. My intention is to give the reader the opportunity, in as much as a work of this nature can provide, to experience the great miracle that is the Otpust, through the eyes of those of us who make Mt. St. Macrina our annual spiritual home over the Labor Day Weekend.

With some encouragement from others, particularly our esteemed Administrator, I have decided to share these reflections with all of you in our Forum family. Because of the length of the article, John has suggested that I offer it to you all in a series of installments, that will be posted over the course of a period of time, allowing as many people as possible, to read the individual sections and reflect themselves, upon the precious significance of our pilgrimage tradition.

While we will surely all be interested in your own personal reflections of the pilgrimage experience, my intention here, in order to be faithful to the purpose proposed by our Administrator, is more to share the contents of the article, than to open up a thread for specific comment and discussion. If some of you wish to do so (and I hope that you will), we can open up another thread for the express purpose of sharing our continued thoughts on the many spiritual and temporal benefits of the Uniontown pilgrimages.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that, through the offering of this history, tradition and personal reflection, we can all continue to be blessed with the many graces that flow from Our Lord Jesus Christ during the Otpust and the maternal protection of the Most Holy Mother of God - Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Faithfully in Christ and the Bohoroditsa,

Fr. Joe

The 2002 Uniontown Otpust
Another Year of Spiritual Graces and Personal Remembrances

I. Introduction - The Call to Pilgrimage With Open and Loving Hearts

As I walked the grounds of Mt. St. Macrina this past Labor Day Weekend, for by far the "thirty-somethingth" time, it was easy to reminisce about the many pilgrimages of years past and the distinct characteristics that each one conveyed to the thousands of "palomniki" or pilgrims who make the yearly excursion from their home parishes to the Mount. As the liturgical services resounded over the audio systems that reach even the most remote corners of this beautiful shrine and to the areas beyond, I could hear in my heart, the voices of the past that for many of us, have become inescapably connected with the tradition of the Uniontown pilgrimage.

While many of these illustrious voices have become silent and new ones taken on the important role of leading the people in their pious devotions, nevertheless our tradition continues to nourish our lives with a whole year's worth of spiritual graces and personal encouragements, that will, God-willing, bring us through another twelve months of life's joys, predicaments, sorrows and expectations, until we can gather once again on our beloved Mount, to sing the praises of our God and His most holy Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, according to the customs and traditions that have inspired pilgrims now for sixty-eight years.

The Otpust holds specific memories, levels of importance and meanings for different people, as we all come to Mt. St. Macrina from various parts of the world, of multiple backgrounds and with changing needs and expectations. Several factors are common to all of us pilgrims however, as we make the annual trip to Uniontown to: renew our spiritual lives and our relationship with God; ask the intercession of the Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help; rekindle friendships forged over past years and begin new ones; and take time away from the busyness of life in modern times to afford ourselves a much needed change of scenery from the ordinary and every day routine. We will achieve our goals if we do so "with open and loving hearts" (1) heeding the present call of the Sisters, inspired by the poetic voice of their foundress, Mother M. Macrina Melnychuk, OSBM, uttered those many years ago.

My purpose is several-fold. It began out of a desire to reflect on this most recent pilgrimage. While reflecting on the time spent on the Mount, I realized that it was necessary, for a varied reading audience, to delve into the historical circumstances that led to the beginnings of the Otpust and also to mention some of the distinct identifying characteristics of more notable pilgrimages past, in order to create a composite picture, however lacking in its entirety, of this miraculous event that has taken place in the midst of our church community for now 68 years.

For those who are yearly pilgrims, I hope that these reflections can create a sense of continuity and remembrance of those many special moments that we remember from the days of our youth until now. To those who have never experienced a pilgrimage on Mt. St. Macrina, I ask you to explore with me, the many contributing factors that make the experience of the Uniontown pilgrimage a unique event to which thousands return year after year. To everyone, I invite you to journey with me through the years, to discover the spirit of the Otpust, built upon tradition and sustained by faith. This precious jewel in the life of our church is one that we should continually return to in our hearts and minds, just as we return each year to Mt. St. Macrina itself, to constantly rediscover the essence of that which beckons us on - our love for God, devotion to Mary our heavenly Mother and the strength gained from gathering together, from all parts of the nation and the world, into one pilgrim community - continually on Optust - on the move toward greater union with our Creator and ultimately, our heavenly home.

A. Beginnings of the Pilgrimage

The Uniontown Pilgrimage originated out of the need for Ruthenian Greek Catholics in the United States to have a central place where they could gather to engage in spiritual renewal and strengthen their community through friendship and camaraderie, discussion of items of importance and the sharing of ideas and goals. Long before the age of personal computers, e-mail, lower long distance rates, easy highway travel and other forms of mass dissemination of information and intra-personal communication, an actual physical gathering of this nature, drawing people together from distances far dispersed, was indispensable to the health of the local church, which exists as a "synaxis" ("communio") or a "coming together" of particular communities into part of "the whole" - the church universal.

As then, so still now, this physical gathering is necessary, in order to keep the church functioning as it should, to its greatest potential. No matter how beneficial "virtual reality", through the technologies of today, has been for creating a world that is smaller, bringing many diverse people closer to each other and promoting greater understanding of the differences that exist among people, we as human beings are still in need of this physical, actual experience of God and one another.

Following a momentous event in 1934, and in keeping with the tradition well established at the various shrines and sacred spots in their homeland, Carpatho-Rusyn Americans began a new tradition in the "new world," namely the pilgrimage to Mt. St. Macrina in Uniontown, PA. Since a large crowed participated that Labor Day, 1934, in the dedication ceremonies of the new Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great, located at the former estate of coal-baron Josiah Van Kirk Thompson, the first Ruthenian bishop in America, Bishop Basil Takach and the foundress of the Ruthenian US province of the Basilian Sisters, Mother M. Macrina Melnychuk, OSBM, had the foresight to suggest that the gathering should become an annual event. And it was received by the faithful with enthusiasm, despite the difficult material struggles of the 1930s.

The estate was renamed "Mt. St. Macrina", in honor of the sister of St. Basil the Great, father of monasticism in the Eastern Church and patron of the Basilian Order. The following year, on March 25, 1935, Pope Pius XI issued a decree which gave official papal approbation for the Sisters to conduct an annual pilgrimage during the festal period of the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Aug. 28 according to the Julian Calendar, then in use), lasting a maximum of ten days. The Sisters were also presented with a special pilgrimage icon - a painted copy of the famous icon of Perpetual Help, with the express exhortation to spread devotion to the Mother of God under this title. The Basilian community took seriously the instruction of the Holy Father, and made the Uniontown gatherings an annual tradition, honoring Mary as Our Lady of Perpetual Help. To this day, the icon accompanies all processions during the pilgrimage.

B. Origin & Meaning of the name Otpust

Many people have asked about the meaning of the common-language term used to refer to the pilgrimage - Otpust (also rendered as "Vidpust" or "Odpust" depending on dialect). While this can be loosely translated today simply as "pilgrimage", it holds a deeper and more precise meaning, for which it has been applied to exercises of this nature.

On the surface, some try to equate Otpust as it refers to pilgrimage with a more technical meaning of the term, from the modern Ukrainian and Carpatho-Rusyn word for "indulgence." This concept comes from the literal interpretation of Otpust as a "putting out" or "taking away" of something, be it an object, a spiritual state or even people. In this sense Otpust can also mean "dismissal" and has been used as such to refer to concluding portions of the liturgical services, in which the people are dismissed. Because many pilgrimages have been endowed with special indulgences or spiritual graces for those who attend them and participate in the prescribed sacraments and prayers, some people feel that Otpust as it describes a pilgrimage, simply refers to this factor. However, the meaning goes much deeper.

An Otpust involves a moving from one place to another and back again, of a person or group of persons, for the express purpose of attaining some religious benefit or blessing. Pilgrims begin from their homes, they "go out" and travel long distances, reach the designated sacred place, spend a specific amount of time in prayer and attendance at liturgical services and then make the return trip, "going out" once again, retracing their steps until they reach their hometowns once more. Although a pilgrimage may indeed be a time to obtain specific "indulgences" or other canonically defined graces, it is this "going out" and "returning again" that captures the true meaning of our word, "Otpust" as it applies to the pilgrimages that are part of our spiritual heritage.

When we leave our parishes for the Otpust, it is traditional that those journeying first receive the blessing of their pastor, for a safe and successful pilgrimage. Upon arriving at the Mount, the group travels under the banner of their parish cross, to the top of the hill, to the shrine which contains the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, so that they may venerate the sacred image and receive a blessing from one of the priests who is awaiting them. There are many such "processions" during the course of the weekend. After the days of pilgrimage are concluded, the pilgrims gather one last time as a group and march behind their cross to the shrine, to obtain a blessing of "dismissal", invoking the protection of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, for a safe trip home and an enriched spiritual life.

As our physical lives are a circle of "comings and goings", of traveling from place to place throughout the various periods that mark the course of our earthly sojourn, so too our spiritual lives are a journey towards union with God, ever growing in our awareness of the duties to which we are obliged to be faithful. No Christian can ever be perfect in this world. People marked by imperfection and human frailty, we must strive to continually better ourselves and be formed more fully into the image of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the only perfect human person. The time of Otpust is a special opportunity for us to take a step back and reflect on the ways in which we can accomplish this growth. During pilgrimage, not only are our sins sacramentally forgiven (otpuskati - vidpuskati: to put out - remit - take away) and our souls fed with the Bread of Life in holy communion, but we receive direction for the future - to make our spiritual growth more complete, our hearts more filled with love for our neighbor and our minds more open to the activity of the Holy Spirit.

It is in this sequential, linear sense of the spiritual life, in which we continue to "go out" from the imperfect state of human weaknesses to a better and more Christ-like demeanor, that the pilgrimage is referred to as an "otpust". It is an opportunity, during a concentrated period of time, to collect ourselves and to "move away" from imperfection towards a fuller realization of the exhortation of Jesus in the Gospels, to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:48).

Next installment:

II. Friday & Saturday - The Momentum Builds

A. The Opening Procession & Services
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Notes:

(1) From the letter of invitation written to the potential pilgrims by Mother Macrina in 1943.

[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: Fr. Joe ]

II. Friday & Saturday - The Momentum Builds

A. The Opening Procession & Pontifical Divine Liturgy

This year's Otpust began as almost all of the previous 67 pilgrimages have, with the opening procession with the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the focal icon of the pilgrimage, followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of Water at the Lourdes Grotto. As we each make the trip from our respective parishes and homes to Mt. St. Macrina, carrying in our midst, the processional cross, adorned with its traditional wreath of flowers and attached ribbons, identifying the name and location of our home churches, the Sisters of St. Basil the Great pick up the icon of the Mother of God and walk from their home in the Motherhouse monastery to the Shrine, in order to greet the pilgrims "with open and loving hearts" (1) and to begin yet another period of spiritual and social exercises aimed at enriching the lives of each and every soul present on the Mount. With this merging of those "in the world" and those "set apart from the world for the service of God and the church" began the pilgrimage of the year 2002.

Our Otpust is built upon tradition and sustained through faith and the application of this sacred sense here and now. It is not only a mere attachment to custom and habit for the sake of these things themselves, but it uses these tools to ensure the organic development and growth of the community that we call our church for years to come.

With the number of pilgrims who attend the annual pilgrimage, one would almost have the impression that most everyone who frequents one of our churches has surely experienced at least one Otpust during the course of their lives. Over the decades, the crowds reached their peek at 120,000 in the mid 1950s. But, as popular as the Uniontown pilgrimage has been and continues to be, there are still a large number of those among our communities that have not been able, for whatever reason, to make Mt. St. Macrina an integral part of their yearly routine. For that reason alone, it is important for all of us who have been blessed to be among those faithful and consistent pilgrims, who could not imagine a Labor Day Weekend without the Otpust, to foster a deeper awareness of and dedication to this remarkable event among those of our fellow-parishioners, neighbors and friends who have not ever taken part in the pilgrimage.

B. The Lesser Blessing of Water

After the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Pontifical Altar, all present process to the Grotto, where, since 1948, the Blessing of Water, a standard during pilgrimages throughout the Eastern Church, has taken place. That first year, Bishop Ivancho blessed the water in the newly-erected pool that graces the front of the grotto, adding some holy water from Lourdes itself, to commingle with that which the faithful will drink and take to their homes.

As the Otpust itself is integrally connected with a major August holyday - the Dormition of the Mother of God (Aug. 15/28), so too the Blessing of Water has an origin in the monthly liturgical calendar for August. Besides being a standard pilgrimage ceremony, the service known as the "Lesser Blessing of Water" is prescribed for Aug. 1/14, the feast of the Procession of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. (The "Great Blessing of Water" is taken on the feast of the Theophany, the Baptism of Our Lord - Jan 6/19.) Midway through the calendar year, the church again blesses water, which is often needed to replenish the supply of holy water sanctified in January.

The Cross is intimately tied to water-blessing. At the conclusion of the blessing-prayers, the celebrant immerses the hand cross in the newly-blessed water, illustrating the baptismal theme of uniting ourselves to Christ's passion and death through the waters of illumination. As the cross is raised out of the water, we are reminded of our own transformation of life - death to our former selves and rising to a new and changed way of life - the Gospel life. The pilgrimage is a time to recommit ourselves to our baptismal promises. It is a chance for a "second baptism" through the spiritual exercises, sacraments of reconciliation and communion and personal reflections. Through a refocusing of our lives on the Cross of Our Lord, the Otpust can help us to grow more fully into that person "who is Christ come to full stature." And so we focus on the Holy Cross, as we participate in the service of the blessing of water.

When the services are concluded, the procession continues to the "shrine altar" near the chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Special prayers are offered to the Mother of God under this title, setting the theme for the weekend.

C. A Traditional Basilian Welcome

One activity of every year's pilgrimage is the message of welcome offered by the Provincial Superior of the Sisters of St. Basil, given at the shrine altar, at the conclusion of the opening day's services. Sr. Ruth Plante, OSBM, like all of the superiors before her, once again welcomed the pilgrims to Mt. St. Macrina and invited them to make themselves at home on this beautiful site, and to take advantage of the many spiritual and social opportunities of the weekend. One can only imagine that Mother Macrina is with her Sisters and the pilgrims in spirit, as she speaks again through her successors, and reminds those present to "put aside your personal problems and come to Uniontown, come to bathe your soul in the slivery dew of divine grace. Come to the pilgrimage, put on the golden vestments of spiritual renewal and ask our Heavenly Mother to heal all the ills of your hearts." (2)

While Friday evening at today's pilgrimages may attract only several hundred pilgrims, the momentum quickly builds as the days go on. Saturday morning is marked by Matins and the celebration of several Divine Liturgies. Already by Saturday afternoon, the Mount is bustling with people, as cars and busses arrive from near and far. The pilgrims walk in groups with their parish processional crosses, up the hill to the Shrine while singing Marian hymns, to receive the welcoming blessing, be sprinkled with holy water and venerate the icon of the Mother of God. Friends excitedly await the arrival of their loved ones, many of whom see one another only once a year, at the Otpust. There are various services during the day and many confessions are heard by the priests. By late afternoon, with the celebration of Vespers, one cannot but be aware that a great spiritual event is unfolding.

D. A Visit to the Cemetery

One popular event of the Otpust remains the Pontifical Divine Liturgy celebrated in Mt. Macrina Cemetery (formerly called Calvary Cemetery). In the past, this service was a complete requiem liturgy, celebrated in black or red vestments and with the melodious chants of our hymns for the departed. Our people love to visit the cemetery and sing the services for the deceased. The minor tones of the liturgy, its troparia and other songs resounded throughout the Mount, as the people prayed for their departed hierarchs, clergy, the sisters, family and friends. The pilgrims still walk among the graves and reminisce about days past and those buried there whom they knew personally. With many prominent figures of the Ruthenian Church in America interred at Mt. Macrina, a visit to the cemetery can also serve as a lesson in church history and a reminder of the many sacrifices, accomplishments and impact of those who have gone before us.

Even though today, this evening Divine Liturgy is one of anticipation of Sunday, with its bright vestments and resurrectional tones, the experience of the services in the cemetery still speaks to the many gathered pilgrims of the meaning of life and the direction in which we are all headed - eventual union with God in his heavenly kingdom. Once again, it is also a reminder of the thousands of pilgrims who have gone before us, especially those clergy, religious and faithful who have played an integral role in the history of the Uniontown pilgrimages.

Notable among those interred on the Mount are six of the departed hierarchs of the Pittsburgh Metropolia. These are Bishops Basil Takach, Emil Mihalik, John Bilock and Metropolitan-Archbishops Stephen Kocisko, Thomas Dolinay and Judson Procyk. For many years, the cemetery altar was known as the "Bishop Takach Memorial Altar," a granite holy table which was erected in front of our first bishop's tomb. From 1948 - 1984, Bishop Takach remained the only hierarch buried in Calvary Cemetery on the Mount. As the years past, more bishops were laid to their rest in Mt. Macrina Cemetery and eventually, the altar had to be removed, in order to accommodate the newer sepulchres. Today, a portable altar is set up in front of the hierarchs' graves, for the celebration of the pilgrimage liturgy.

A beautiful granite replica of the "Golgotha" - a "crucifixion group" containing the passion narrative personalities of Mt. Calvary - the precious cross with Our Lord's crucified body, flanked by images of the Mother of God and St. John the Evangelist, the "beloved disciple," serves as the backdrop of the bishops' tombs. The sacrifice of Our Lord is vividly brought to life before our eyes, even as it is renewed yet again, in the offering of the unbloody Eucharistic sacrifice on the cemetery altar. As we gather on the Mount to honor our Heavenly Mother, we are reminded of Jesus' words from the cross, addressed to the entire church through St. John, "Behold your mother" (Jn. 19:27).

So that we do not loose sight of our history and those who contributed to the life of our church, it is important to mention that not all of the hierarchs of the Pittsburgh Ruthenian Province are entombed on Mt. St. Macrina. Bishop Daniel Ivancho, successor to Bishop Takach, was responsible for the building of our SS. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary which, when it was dedicated in 1951, was a monumental achievement for that time. Bishop Ivancho used the occasion of the Otpust of that year, to thank the 65,000 pilgrims gathered on the Mount, for their support of this critical eparchial institution, which was but the first of several ambitious building projects he envisioned for the erection of a permanent complex of ecclesial structures. A beloved father to his people, who possessed a strong vision for emphasizing our particular liturgical and cultural heritage while making necessary adaptations to the contemporary situation, Vladyka Daniel died in 1972 and was buried with family members in St. Petersburg, FL.

The erection of the new St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Munhall, PA during the 1990s, was inspired by Bishop Ivancho's original Byzantine design, the historic blueprints for which I was privileged to see during the early 1980s. More pressing issues of the time did not permit the bishop to see this phase of the construction project to its fulfillment. Finally, his dream for a majestic cathedral, which would speak of the sacrifices and achievements of the Byzantine Catholic faithful in America was brought to fruition through the efforts of his eventual successor, the then Msgr. Judson Procyk, rector of the cathedral.

Bishop Nicholas T. Elko, a visible figure during the Uniontown pilgrimages from 1955 - 1966, after his departure from the administration of the Pittsburgh Eparchy, served for a brief time as ordaining prelate for the Byzantine Rite in Rome Italy, for which purpose he was awarded the title of "titular archbishop." Subsequently, he was given "the next available assignment in the United States," as auxiliary to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cincinnati. Archbishop Elko would never celebrate the Divine Liturgy of his heritage with the people again, nor was he ever to return for another Otpust on Mt. St. Macrina. He eventually retired from active ministry after reaching the canonical age of 75. Later, he died and was buried as a Roman Catholic prelate, where he resided near Dayton, OH.

The most recent bishop to be entombed on the Mount was sadly, Metropolitan Judson M. Procyk, who passed away suddenly on April 24, 2001. After barely six years of a promising archpastoral career, the Metropolitan, who was the motivating force behind many of the recent liturgical and theological reforms, died in his residence near the Pittsburgh seminary on Riverview Avenue, during the paschal season of that year. One can only imagine that Metropolitan Judson, now of blessed memory, a native himself of Uniontown and vocation from St. John Greek Catholic Church there, would be grateful to hear the prayers of his devoted faithful, as they sing the somber but hopeful requiem melodies for his and the others' repose.

Of special note these past several years, is the presence of the newly-constructed "Holy Resurrection Mausoleum" which was dedicated by Archbishop Procyk on April 29, during the Jubilee Year of 2000. Built in the form of a Byzantine Church, this new structure offers an alternative to the traditional "in ground" burial, using the most modern advancements of the funeral industry. This is yet another praiseworthy accomplishment of the Sisters of St. Basil, who have also expanded and added considerable beauty to the beloved cemetery on the Mount. As always, the Sisters are quite capable of adapting their traditional ministries to the needs of modern times. Their success is a testimony to the foresight, dedication and sense of practicality which has always characterized the Basilian charism.

The Divine Liturgy still concludes today, with a Panachida celebrated for all those departed members of the Metropolia, bishops, priests, religious, faithful and their families and loved ones. It is a great comfort to the pilgrims to know that, after their own earthly sojourn - their pilgrimage through this life has ended, faithful visitors to Uniontown will offer prayers for their repose and blessed memory each year during Otpust. In this way, despite the often difficult path that life places before us, the words of St. Paul can serve as a source of encouragement, "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows (2 Cor. 1:5).

The candlelight procession and Akathist to the Mother of God which follow the cemetery liturgy are a sure sign of our people's love for Mary our Mother and a foretaste of what will occur the following evening, in the large Eucharistic procession and moleben, in which thousands participate and is surely the highlight of the entire Otpust.

While the official services for the day conclude with the Akathist, Mt. St. Macrina does not grow quiet until very late into the night. As is tradition every year, the pilgrims stay up until the early morning hours, spending time with family and friends. Many participate in the traditional "hymn singing sessions" held on the porches of the buildings in which a good number of the pilgrims stay. Yet others are walking the grounds, singing hymns and making devotions at the various shrines.

Notes:

(1) From the letter of invitation written to the potential pilgrims by Mother Macrina in 1943.

(2) Invitation of Mother Macrina, 1943.

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Next Installment:

III. Sunday - A Day for Devotion and Tradition

A. The Many Faces of Otpust

[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: Fr. Joe ]

III. Sunday - A Day for Devotion and Tradition

Sunday morning begins early on the Mount. Before noon, several Divine Liturgies are offered at the various altars and the number of pilgrims continues to build. For me and several colleagues, the morning began with the 9:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy in Church Slavonic, celebrated at the "Shrine Altar" directly across from the "Old Motherhouse" which was the Thompson mansion and which contains the shrine with the large icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Originally, there was a painted copy of this pilgrimage theme icon inside the Old Motherhouse shrine chapel. Today, it has been replaced by a beautiful and life-size mosaic of the same depiction and the original painted icon, which endeared itself to hundreds of thousands is now the backdrop for the outdoor shrine altar. Before construction of the other shrines and the Pontifical Altar, this "shrine altar" was the focal place of the Otpust and it remains still, the site of many liturgies and services.

A. The Many Faces of Otpust

At the Slavonic Divine Liturgy, the pilgrims were happy to see that the bishop-celebrant was none other than Bishop Michael J. Dudick, DD, retired Eparch of Passaic, who at 86 years of age, still attends every Otpust. The life of an eparchial bishop is not one of leisure, but of many cares and responsibilities and we have lost a number of hierarchs at ages too young to consider that their careers have come to completion. The vigor with which Bishop Dudick continues his ministry in retirement is a form of encouragement to those of us who are now in the so-called "middle age" bracket but are fast becoming the "old timers" on Mt. St. Macrina. It is a happy thought, that the retired Bishop Michael can enjoy these latter days of his life, after having ministered effectively as the Bishop of Passaic for nearly 30 years. The bishop is the last in line of an entire generation of hierarchy that once were the epitome of the Ruthenian Metropolia.

It is interesting to note that, most all of the chief hierarchs of the late 1960s, throughout the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s, were of the same seminary class or very close to each other in years of formation. Bishops Michael J. Dudick, Emil J. Mihalik and John M. Bilock, classmates at St. Procopius Seminary in Lisle, IL, were ordained by Bishop Basil Takach in late 1945 and early 1946. This ordination class which boasted three bishops in their midst, gathered yearly for a "reunion liturgy" until not that many years ago. Their pictures could be seen each year in the eparchial newspapers, as they traveled to a different parish every time, where one of the classmates would act as host pastor for the reunion. Metropolitan Archbishop Stephen J. Kocisko was just slightly ahead of the other bishops. Having completed his theological studies at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Seminary in Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood there on March 30, 1941.

It would be remiss not to mention this piece of our history, which was characterized by the service of these closely-related and illustrious hierarchs. As I walk the paths of the Mount, my mind so clearly recalls the voices of Archbishop Kocisko and the other bishops, during the many Pontifical Divine Liturgies that they celebrated during Otpust. These were truly among the "golden years" when the loudspeakers reverberated with the sound of our beautiful chant sung in Church Slavonic, Hungarian, Croatian and English.

Historically, it is necessary to mention one of the infamous personalities that graced several pilgrimages on Mt. St. Macrina during the 1950s. In addition to our own hierarchs, there have been many notable personages on the Mount over the years, including apostolic delegates, nuncios, representatives of the Sacred Oriental Congregation in Rome and local Roman Catholic diocesan bishops. None however, were of the same international renown as His Excellency, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, then Auxiliary Bishop of New York, who during his lifetime, was a notable television and radio personality, author and speaker. He preached and celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Mt. St. Macrina in 1955, 56 and 57 and was the first prelate of the Latin Rite to receive a special indult from Rome, to celebrate the Byzantine Divine Liturgy in the United States, using the English language. The bishop's popularity and well-delivered sermons attracted crowds of pilgrims that exceeded one hundred and twenty thousand to the Mount during those years. Besides at Mt. Macrina, Bishop Sheen occasionally celebrated the Byzantine Liturgy in the New York City area, accompanied by choirs of our Greek Catholic churches from the greater New York region. Those particular years in Uniontown were not ones easily forgotten by the throngs of pilgrims who had the privilege of participating in the memorable liturgies and sermons.

I would do a great disservice if I were not to also mention the many of our dedicated and talented cantors who availed themselves to lead the singing of the divine liturgies and other services at the pilgrimage. Many sang numerous services during the course of the Otpust, especially in the days when there were multiple and frequent liturgies that were both well attended and inspiring to see. Our "professors" were diligent and extremely capable men who had a firm understanding, both of the spirit of our church and their particular role in service to it. We would not have much of our treasured musical or cultural heritage, were it not for the sacrifices and labors of these "ministers of music." Additionally, there were many accomplished choirs from our parishes and eparchies that enhanced the divine services at the pilgrimage over the years.

B. The Sacrament of Repentance & Renewal

In the afternoon, people continue to receive the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) and there are different molebens and services. A lasting impression is made on the pilgrim to Mt. St. Macrina, as one witnesses the long lines of people waiting to receive the mystery of forgiveness. At one time, easily over 50 priests would be sitting in the confessionals, lined up in the peaceful, tree-lined grassy hill behind the Old Motherhouse patio. Even today, there can be seen at almost any time, 15, 20 or more of our priests hearing the confessions of those who come to the Mount to experience a renewal of heart, a strengthening of faith and an increase of hope for the future. Some of the bishops spend time in the confessionals. It is said that Bishop Daniel Ivancho would lead his priests in the administration of the mystery of repentance, often listening to confessions well past midnight. An integral part of many pilgrims' weekend is the reception of the sacraments of confession and holy communion.

C. Otpust is For All Ages

Programs for children and young adults have become traditional at Otpust, affording the future leaders of our parishes to deepen their appreciation for their faith and the history and traditions of the Byzantine Church. The children take part in a procession from the Old Motherhouse (Thompson mansion) to the Pontifical Altar, carrying flowers and singing Marian hymns. At the altar, they receive a special blessing for the beginning of the school year, from the priests assembled for this purpose. In the past, there was often a special Divine Liturgy celebrated for our youth on Sunday evening, also to bless the commencement of the new school year. These began under the inspiration of Bishop Nicholas T. Elko and continued during the early days of Bishop Kocisko.

In recent years, complete schedules have been initiated for children, teens and young adults, whose gathering area has been established around what was formerly the "swimming pool", a glass enclosed and heated pool that provided refreshment for both J. Thompson and his friends and later the students at Mt. Macrina Academy as well as those attending retreats and spiritual conferences. Today, the area is known as the "prayer garden" and serves as a tranquil and personal meeting place for our young people.

Family counseling, provided by professionals among our clergy and religious and informational lectures are also a part of the experience. Still yet, there is the traditional celebration of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick and blessing of the disabled and infirm pilgrims, which takes place either at the Mt. Macrina Manor Nursing Home chapel or more recently, in the Motherhouse chapel.

D. Various Traditions Important to the Individual Pilgrim

Otpust is built on tradition and sustained by faith. Besides the obviously important spiritual aspects of the pilgrimage, there are other customs that become part of each and every year's visit to Mt. St. Macrina. Among these are the purchase of religious articles and icons, which are then blessed by the clergy assigned to this task, at the special altar erected for this purpose in front of the Old Motherhouse. Holy water, blessed at the Lourdes Grotto at the opening of the pilgrimage is also a popular item to be taken back by the pilgrims, to sprinkle throughout their homes and to drink in times of need.

A tradition for us priests, is the purchasing and ordering of vestments and other liturgical supplies, from the Sisters who work in the ecclesiastical arts department. During Otpust, these are displayed at a kiosk in the foyer of the Old Motherhouse. Personally, I feel that one cannot find the same level of quality and value, not to mention beauty, above that of the vestments made by our Basilian Sisters in Uniontown. They will last a lifetime and are unique in several ways. When I order a set, I ask the Sisters to make the crosses which adorn the vestments themselves, rather than choose those from "stock" which are mass produced and seen on many sets made elsewhere. To me, they are so unique and pleasing, that I could not see the point of using the common stock crosses. But, while everyone's taste is different, the fact remains that I consistently encourage my priest-colleagues who are looking to buy new vestments, to patronize the vestment department - "Ryznica" at our own Mt. St. Macrina in Uniontown. The current Sisters who operate the vestment department are Sr. M. Isidore, OSBM and Sr. M. Anastasia, OSBM.

Besides priestly vestments, epitrachils (stoles) and various liturgical accoutrements, the Sisters also make other unique items, found only at Mt. Macrina. Some of these items are hand-macram� Gospel book ribbon-markers, ciborium covers, communion linens (purificators) and the very popular "communion spoon covers." These are made of fine white satin and hand painted with Eucharistic symbols by one of the Sisters. They are absolutely beautiful and a very appropriate and practical manner in which to keep the sacred communion spoon as it rests on the altar - the holy table. Rather than simply allowing the spoon to sit out in the open, I couldn't imagine not having one of these precious covers on my altar.

The pilgrims spend time shopping in the religious article store, the icon shop and the greeting card department. In these places, one can find all sorts of religious items, icons, chotki, recordings and videos of liturgies and sacred music, Easter basket covers and unique gifts. There are also the excellent liturgical books published by the Sisters' liturgical commission, containing the texts of Vespers, Matins, the Hours, as well as the Festal Menaion, Lenten Triodion and Pentecostarion, books which contain the special hymns and texts for the various holydays and seasons throughout the year. These books have been an invaluable resource, rendered according the the Ruthenian Recension and in readable, contemporary English. They are used throughout the Metropolia and in churches of many other jurisdictions.

In the Greeting Card Shop, there are cards in various languages and for all occasions, including Christmas and Easter. For sale also are sheets of stamps with the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, perfect for your Christmas and other card envelopes as well as many other devotional items. Next door to the card shop is a small room where imported items from Ukraine and Slovakia are sold.

One very popular tradition is that of the "medovniki" or honey cakes which the pilgrims buy to eat and take home to their loved ones, as a souvenir of their experience at the Otpust. The tradition began in Europe, to give the pilgrims some sustenance for the long trip home. Honey, a natural preservative, would not spoil quickly and thus was an appropriate food item to take along. Then, as today, they are decorated with brilliant colors and religious images. Mother Macrina began this tradition at the Uniontown pilgrimages, using a recipe she brought from Europe, to add another characteristic of the traditional pilgrimages in Ukraine and Subcarpathian Rus'.

Today, our medovniki come in various shapes and sizes: crosses, hearts, stars and more, and they contain an icon-stamp of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, as a reminder to those consuming them, of the focal point of the Otpust. The medovniki are so popular that the over 30,000 made each year often sell out long before the pilgrimage is over. Delicious to eat, they can last a very long time and almost seem to possess some heavenly preservative. I have been known to eat a medovnyk even a year or more after they were purchased. Each time they are eaten or looked upon, they serve as a reminder of the wonderful weekend on Mt. St. Macrina.

Lighting votive candles is another "must" during Otpust. There is something about lighting devotional candles that brings solace and strength to our spiritual lives. Long after we leave the Mount, we know that our candles burn brightly for our intentions, in front of the icon-shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help or at one of the other devotional sites spread across the spacious grounds. It is a comfort to know that our prayers continue to rise before God at this holy place while we have returned to our normal daily lives. Each year, I bring to the Mount, so many intentions, both for myself and for my parishioners, family and friends. When I tell them that I will light a candle for them while at the pilgrimage, it is always received with sincere appreciation.

I and many other pilgrims also purchase the candles to take home and burn during the year, in times of special supplication or need. The Uniontown "seven-day" votive candles are special because they contain a beautifully etched icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the words identifying their origin from the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great on Mt. St. Macrina. It is comforting to have these in our homes. Last year, shortly after Otpust, when our country was violated by the horrendous terrorist attacks, it was the candles from the Otpust with their beautiful icon of the Mother of God that I burned for the intentions of our nation and the many thousands effected by the unforgettable tragedy.

When I went to "Ground 0" - the site of the World Trade Center and of the greatest catastrophe our country has seen, to minister in the recovery efforts, I wore an epitrachil made by the Uniontown Sisters to consecrate that "hallowed ground", bless the discovered remains of so many and to administer the "last rites." At this most solemn time, I also took with me the candles from Mt. St. Macrina, along with some "holy cards" with the icon of the Mother of God of Perpetual Help. How comforted were many of the firefighters, police officers, other recovery workers and family members, to receive this loving icon of our Blessed Lady.

Walking the grounds, rising early in the morning, attending multiple divine services also gives quite an appetite to the many pilgrims who avail themselves to the delicious food served at various stands and counters on the Mount. There is the standard fare of ethnic delicacies - including pyrohy, halushki, homemade soups, and also American dishes such as burgers, sandwiches and salads, all available at the outdoor cafeteria referred to on the Mount as "light lunch" and staffed by the Sisters and their team of volunteers. Holupki (stuffed cabbage) is available at a food concession located at the "racetrack." In the Academy dining room, full course hot meals are available at certain times of the day. I've heard some people say that the ethnic food is one of the determining factors behind their yearly return to Mt. St. Macrina. Whatever the reason, the important thing is that everyone is there.

E. We Gather Together to Give Thanks

As one of the highlights of the day, the pilgrims assemble at the Pontifical Altar for the 4:00 p.m. Pontifical Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Metropolitan Archbishop who is joined by the other bishops and many priests and deacons. At this Divine Liturgy, it is impressive to see the great number of people who receive Our Lord in holy communion, distributed by the bishops and priests at various "communion stations" so ingenuously designed by the late Bishop John M. Bilock, who was a major impetus behind many of the practical aspects of the weekend and who was the director of the pilgrimages from the 1960s until his death in 1994. He had a deep and unwavering devotion to Mary the Mother of God and his episcopal motto was "Under the Patronage of Mary." His heavenly patroness graciously granted to him, the privilege of passing from this earthly life on the feast of her birth into this world, "The Nativity of the Mother of God" - Sept. 8, 1994.

Bishop Bilock is remembered by many, for his personable style and hard-working, hands on methodology. He personally designed and executed the former Pontifical Altar during the 1970s, with its enlarged worship space and beautiful mosaic of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This altar, which showed the signs of its age, has since been replaced by a similar structure, make of wood in the Carpathian style. It is located in the spacious natural grove, just across and to the side of the Lourdes Grotto.

As the Pontifical Divine Liturgy concludes, the procession of cross bearers, religious, clergy and hierarchy makes its way back across the Mount, to the Old Motherhouse. This year, it was noticeable that, after both the Sunday and Monday pontificals, as the priests and bishops approached the historical mansion, pilgrims lined both sides of the path as a sort of "reception line" and greeted their shepherds with enthusiastic rounds of applause, a first and new tradition, as far as I can observe, but one that is surely appreciated by the bishops and their priests, whose task these days is often difficult and whose journey can indeed be a lonely and isolated one. May God grant them many happy and blessed years.
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Next installment:

IV. Sunday Evening - The Highlight of a Weekend of Prayer and Devotion

A. The Candlelight Procession

IV. Sunday Evening - The Highlight of a Weekend of Prayer and Devotion

A. The Candlelight Procession

As the late summer sky gives way to the darkness of evening, everyone on the Mount anticipates with excitement, the traditional candlelight procession. During almost every pilgrimage, this procession has been conducted in the usual way. After the hierarchs, clergy, religious, cross and icon bearers make their way from the Old Motherhouse (current Retreat Center) to the Pontifical Altar, to the singing of our Marian hymns, the beautiful Moleben to Jesus, Lover of Mankind begins.

Our six hierarchs participated in this moving service and, of special note this year, they were joined by the Most Rev. John Pazak, CSsR, Bishop of the Eparchy of SS. Cyril & Methodius in Toronto, Ontario, a jurisdiction that was once part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic eparchies of Canada but was canonically separated by the Holy See in 1981. The eparchy serves primarily Ruthenian Greek Catholics in Canada who identify themselves as Slovaks.

The presence of Bishop Pazak on Mt. St. Macrina was notable from a historical perspective, because it was the first time that a hierarch of that particular jurisdiction attended a Uniontown pilgrimage since Bishop Michael Rusnak, CSsR was present at the 1965 Otpust. Actually, at that time, Bishop Rusnak was an auxiliary bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Toronto, with a special ministry to those of "Slovak" descent. Later, following the canonical erection of the Slovak eparchy, Bishop Rusnak became the eparchial bishop and now, since his retirement, is eparch emeritus. There has been a close spirit of cooperation between the Ruthenian Metropolia in the US and the Slovak eparchy in Canada for a good number of years. Bishop Rusnak served as a co-consecrator for several of our episcopal ordinations in the 1960s and 70s, including that of Bishop Michael J. Dudick in 1968. Bishop Pazak delivered the homily at the conclusion of the evening moleben and procession and spoke of the universal character and unity of the Catholic Church.

After some time with an incomplete Council of Hierarchs, it is historically pertinent that this year's Otpust once again saw the presence of a full synodal gathering of the US Ruthenian bishops on Mt. St. Macrina. During the past year, two new bishops were consecrated and a new Metropolitan Archbishop installed, in the person of His Eminence, Metropolitan Basil M. Schott, OFM. Bishop William C. Skurla of Van Nuys and Bishop John M. Kudrick of Parma were consecrated to fill the vacancies in those sees left by the retirement of Bishop George Kuzma and the elevation of Bishop Schott. Our two retired hierarchs continue to be active at the Uniontown Otpust. Besides the great agility of Bishop Dudick, it is also good to see Bishop George "out and about" on the Mount, both concelebrating the various Divine Liturgies and visiting with the many pilgrims who take delight in his company. Since his retirement, he has become part of the community on the Mount, residing at Mt. Macrina Manor. He is truly a remarkable, sincere and approachable man and this does not go unnoticed by our people who make the pilgrimage to Mt. St. Macrina.

During the course of the traditional evening moleben, the bishops take up the large ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament, the Bread of Life and, beneath a canopy held by four laymen, they lead the procession of thousands throughout the grounds of Mt. St. Macrina, pausing at various points, while each bishop takes his turn carrying the Divine Eucharist. From the Pontifical Altar, where several priests remain to celebrate the service, can be heard the refrains of the moleben supplication, "O Jesus, Lover of Mankind, have mercy on us" - "O Svjatishe Serdce Isusa, pomiluj nas" repeated over and over again in English and Church Slavonic, in response to the intonations of the priests. Many pilgrims choose to walk in the procession, while others stand or set up chairs along the pathways, to watch the procession and pay homage to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist as it passes by. The people walking and those watching from the sides of the paths, join in singing the refrains of the moleben.

It is a sight to see, while innumerable flickering lights illumine the late summer sky, both from the candles held by the pilgrims and the many votive lights which adorn the various altars and shrines throughout the Mount. This year, as the procession passed the "light lunch" area, the stand was lit by red, white and blue candles, a tribute to the heroes of September 11, 2001 and the spirit of patriotism that rebounded throughout our nation. With the approaching anniversary of this tragic event only days away, and having had the privilege to participate in the recovery efforts, the sight of the candles brought a warm feeling to my heart and tears to my pensive eyes.

The procession winds down the paths that we have all walked so many times during this sacred weekend, until once again, it reaches the Pontifical Altar, where the Metropolitan Archbishop bestows a blessing with the Holy Eucharist, intoning "O Lord, save your people, and bless your inheritance" a remnant of previous times, when the entire "Supplication to the Holy Eucharist" or "Suplicatsia" would be celebrated. This was a service well steeped in the historical tradition of our people from Subcarpathian Rus' and Ukraine, both Greek Catholic and Orthodox alike.

Whatever one's opinion on the actual origin of this devotion, it cannot be disagreed that the melodies are haunting and inspirational and the prayers, now suppressed, were quite meaningful, especially for our present age. A few of them are: "From pestilence, famine, fire and war, deliver us, O Lord." "From sudden and unexpected death, preserve us, O Lord." "O Jesus, Son of God on High, be merciful to us." "O Mary, Virgin and Mother of God, intercede for us." No more appropriate words can we pray, after the sudden and tragic events of last September. It is my humble opinion, that this service should be restored in its entirety, as an expression of the devotion of our people to Our Blessed Lord, and to reiterate the intentions of our hearts, for peace in the world, stability in our homes and parishes and protection against the terror that we know all too well, can come upon our world and change our lives when we least expect it.

B. Mt. St. Macrina - A Living City Well into the Night

While the services officially end with the closing procession of cross bearers and clergy that concludes the inspirational moleben, the Mount, like the evening before but on a more intense scale, continues its activities far into the hours of early Monday morning. This is a time for all the prayers, hopes, reunions and dreams of the weekend to come together. Everywhere on these sacred grounds, people can be seen and heard - talking, singing hymns, laughing and continuing devotions that speak from the needs of the individual heart. With this mixture of the human and the divine, the ordinary and the extraordinary, Mt. St. Macrina serves as a unifying haven for those pilgrims who make it their yearly home.

During this particular pilgrimage, I had the blessing to share in several wonderful activities that both characterize the Uniontown pilgrimages and lend an invaluable mark on my personal life and I'm sure, the lives of many other fellow pilgrims, that will last another year until, God-willing, we can meet again for this much needed spiritual refreshment at the shrine of our loving Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

C. Fraternity Among our Priests

For those of us priests who are faithful attendees at the Uniontown Otpusty, one very important aspect of the weekend, is the opportunity to gather with our brother clergy and reinforce friendships of years long past; reminisce about earlier and perhaps simpler times; share and compare where our ministries have called us presently; and gain strength from the knowledge that we are not alone in our joys and struggles, our hopes and goals, the frustrations and also the great satisfactions that come from the privilege of serving God's holy people.

In today's world, we priests are often scattered far and wide and the occasions to gather together are few and far between. There can often be a feeling of isolation, of being in this all by one's self. To whom can we turn for that unique perspective of understanding and common experience? Even though our parishes are filled with wonderful and dedicated faithful, there is something that cannot quite be expressed in its entirety, that comes from the fraternal and caring support of our brothers in the priesthood. These often include seminary classmates with whom we shared our journey or those priests who, when we were beginning our seminary formation, were particularly supportive and encouraging, helpful and understanding to us, as we persevered on the sometimes turbulent road to ordination. The Otpust is a much needed opportunity to revisit those days and to obtain that brotherly and fatherly perspective for the crossroads we face daily as servants of the Christian community.

As the flickering lights of the processional candles faded, the Mount remained aglow with both the illumination of the shrines and the light of the love that the pilgrims clearly have for one another. Before moving down the Mount, to the area in which, from time immemorial, our people have sang our beautiful hymns and services late into the night, I had a precious few moments to gather with some other clergy. In the company of old and dear friends and some new acquaintances as well, it was refreshing to simply take time to laugh and to listen, to share a part of my present life and receive encouragement from the anecdotes of those whose daily experiences are, while different to the respective person and place, interestingly the same across the country and from parish to parish. Almost unanimously, the spirit of the priests was light and joyous. The ability of the Otpust and the intercession of our Heavenly Mother is always able to break through the cares of daily life and, even if for a precious few days, allow one to "set aside all earthly cares" and concentrate on those things which are lasting, central and sustaining.

D. The Blessing of the Presence of our Seminarians from Eastern Europe

This year, as has been building over the past several pilgrimages, a blessing in our midst has been the presence of our seminarians from the homeland of Subcarpathian Rus' - Ukraine and present-day Slovakia. Many are studying in Rome, at the Pontifical universities that form the future scholars and historians of our church - the Father Pekars and Msgr. Shereghys of tomorrow. (3) Others are studying at the seminaries in Uzhorod and Prjashev, now bustling with the activities of priestly formation, after the bleak decades of Soviet and Russian Orthodox suppression. They come to the United States for a period of time, usually during the summers, to forge an important relationship with their brothers in the "new world." They are encouraged by our bishops and priests, who see the importance of maintaining the rich historical ties between the eparchies in Subcarpathia and the Ruthenian Metropolia of the United States, ties without which we would loose that precious foundation, the solid rock upon which the church was built and through which, with a firm self-understanding in the present, it will be able to reach out to new generations of all backgrounds.

For so long, our church in America was cut off from the mother eparchies in Europe, which were forced to enter the world of the underground, catacomb church. Now, just in enough time so that the spirit of connection between our two worlds was not completely obliterated, we can once again enjoy the benefits of another type of "coming together" with these representatives of our cultural and spiritual heritage. It is good and even necessary that today, our church is not simply an ethnic enclave of a certain cultural subgroup, built on the situations of the past. The presence of faithful of various backgrounds is a sign that we have successfully been able to "open wide the doors to Christ" (4) and share the beauty of our ritual tradition with the masses.

But, this does not mean that in the process, we must become a "generic expression of the Byzantine legacy", neither this nor that, searching aimlessly for our niche in church society. We cannot take the "melting pot" model to its ultimate extreme, combining traditions at whim, so that one would not recognize what particular church they were in. Our precious heritage does not end in the eparchial cultural museums or the heritage rooms in the basements of our parish churches. Far from making the church itself an ethnic museum piece, as some have alleged, it is the combination of the Byzantine liturgical inheritance with the express legacy of Carpathian Rus' that creates the environment which indeed does attract people of all backgrounds to the doors of our churches and lends credence to our existence as a "particular church."

By fostering a keen understanding of the heritage of our church, its particular spirit and unique ethos, the historical circumstances and personalities that have shaped its present form, some of the language and all of the traditions that have contributed to the beauty that we see expressed at Mt. St. Macrina and throughout the Metropolia, we can give to the church of the future a strong identity and solid sense of direction. And this can be shared with everyone. It is not limited to those whose particular family heritage is of the land of Rus'. Any organization that looses its sense of history and through it, their identity, will eventually be assimilated into larger and more firmly rooted entities. A solid self-awareness, sense of history, concrete goals and association with others who share our particular heritage can assist in securing a stable future.

Our church, has always taken on a strong sense of patriotism for its present home, the United States of America. This was evident even more so in the past, when both love for country and love for heritage were motivating elements in our parishes. Ruthenian Greek Catholics proudly served on the battlefields of World War II and most every other conflict that our nation has been involved in. This did not effect their love for the faith and culture of their ancestors, but in fact strengthened it. I again reiterate that today, all those who have made the Byzantine Ruthenian Church their spiritual home, are the heirs to not only our rich spiritual heritage and theological and liturgical tradition but also to the culture that shaped its distinct expression in the Ruthenian community. Both must be kept alive for all to make their own.

That evening, our seminarians treated us to a rare spontaneous rendition of folk songs from the Subcarpathian region. The clarity of their voices, the heartfelt meaning of the lyrics and the melodious natural harmonization are seldom heard in the United States. The joy that radiated from their faces spoke of a less complicated, perhaps happier time, when people took pleasure in the activities that truly come from the heart, using natural, God-given talents and capabilities. It caused me to reflect on how we go to extremes in today's world, to gather more and more of the latest and most sophisticated means of entertainment. These pastimes, while often most helpful and productive, just do not seem to have the ability to replace that instinctive human capability to pass the days and nights in harmony - both actual, through song and metaphysical, through intrapersonal contact, dialogue and integration.

As our seminarians added joy to the already wonder-filled pilgrimage weekend, I thought of a particular line of one of our spiritual songs, "Sohlasno zaspivajme, veselimsja razom dnes . . ." - "Let us sing with harmony and rejoice together today . . ." In the confusion and busyness of our modern lives, especially with the uncertainty that has been a part of daily existence for all of us since last September 11, we should not forget that it is still possible, with God's help, to attain this harmony, this joyous strain of togetherness, in the here and now which is life today.

E. The Ever-Popular Hymn Singing Sessions - (a)

If time could stand still or be infinite, I could have sojourned on in the joy of this brotherly gathering for many more hours, perhaps even days, but the spirit deep within the soul of Mt. St. Macrina was calling me on, to travel yet again to another part of this holy mountain. Faithful and pious pilgrims were awaiting me on the porches, in front of the buildings used to house the many who travel by bus from their parishes far away. It is across from what is colloquially referred to as "the racetrack" - once an sports entertainment showplace for J. Thompson and his colleagues and now a parking ground for busses and a camping spot for those pilgrims who prefer a more serene and natural setting to the dormitories and nearby hotels.

Something should be realized about the nighttime "hymn singing sessions." These are as old as the Otpust itself and are unique, as far as I know, to our people, who love to sing from their hearts, most especially at Otpust, the wealth of our repertoire of religious melodies. While the porches may not be as crowed as in times past, the singing is still a popular event for many pilgrims. These sessions well predate me, but I do remember some of the more memorable song fests of previous pilgrimages.

Certain of our priests have always been looked to to lead the singing. In my day, I can recall Msgr. Nicholas Alishofski, of blessed memory, leading the pilgrims in all of our music, which would begin with the Marian hymns, continue with songs to Our Lord and then, to everyone's delight, the entire liturgical year would come to life in front of our eyes and in our ears, as the people would sing the services and hymns of Christmas, Easter and all the other major holydays of the church year. This custom continues to this day.

When I reached the racetrack area, the "pobozhnykh palomnikiv" or "pious pilgrims" were already singing. The vicinity resounded with the beauty of our spiritual songs. I immediately joined in the singing and, together with John Kelnock, a most gracious and devout cantor from the Philadelphia area, began to page through the abundance of religious hymns that are traditionally sung at Otpust.

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Notes:

(3) At the time of the Soviet takeover of Transcarpathian Ukraine & Czechoslovakia, there were some seminarians studying abroad, mainly in Rome, who, not being able to return to their home eparchies, opted to immigrate to the United States to serve the Ruthenian Church here. Among these were several priests who became well-known for their contributions to the theological education of American seminarians and for their writings on the history of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. Included in this group of post-war immigrant clergy were: Fr. Athanasius B. Pekar, OSBM, Msgr. Basil Shereghy, STD, Fr. Sebastian Sabol, OSBM, Msgr. Basil Smochko, STD, Rt. Rev. Canon Julius Marina, JCD, Msgr. Ernest Dunda STD and many others.

(4) Theme of the Jubilee Year 2000

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Some highlights from the next installment:

F. Eternal Memory - Fr. Basil W. Kraynyak

I. The Unique "Uniontown Hymns"

K. The Litmanova Presence - A Coming Together of the Old & New Worlds

Bless me a sinner, Fr. Josyp!

O.K., so you guys have more experience on putting on a good Odpust . . .

Congratulations.

Alex

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F. Eternal Memory - Fr. Basil W. Kraynyak

This year, a very noticeable void was left by the sudden death of Fr. Basil Kraynyak, who was the leader of the late night singing during the past decade or more. Fr. Basil was the type of priest that sincerely endeared himself to the people, who loved our heritage and our traditions and most of all, who loved God, the Blessed Virgin Mary and took great delight in celebrating all of the liturgical services of our church. Being a priest was never a burden for him. There was never a service that he did not care to celebrate, not a pastoral duty that was too demanding.

Fr. Basil was talented in many ways. I can see him in his rectory in White Plains, NY, hand shaping "troitsas" or the three-branched candlesticks, for the feast of the Theophany - Yordan. One was not sufficient for Fr. Basil. Since the parish required three receptacles of water to be blessed, he lovingly made a troitsa for each one. He was of the school that some would characterize as "High Greek Catholic" giving an added touch of class to each and every holiday and custom, well mindful of the traditional "Ruthenian" way of celebrating. Additionally, he was an accomplished artist and painter of icons.

In the days of my youth, we would attend the church picnics hosted by the choir of his parish of St. Nicholas of Myra, Yonkers, NY on the grounds of their White Plains mission. These were no ordinary picnics, but rather were more like pilgrimages or Otpusty. The Divine Liturgy would be solemnly celebrated outdoors to begin the day. There was not just an ordinary table to suffice as the altar. A properly designed sanctuary would be set up, complete with the icons of Christ and Mary in front of which were placed the stands of votive candles. The church grounds were prepared as for Otpust. During one memorable of such picnics, the celebrant of the Divine Liturgy was none other than the noted Archbishop Joseph Raya, Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Galilee, who was in NYC for a summer lecturing position at Fordham University's John XXIII Center for Eastern Christian Studies. During Fr. Basil's pastorate in Yonkers, you never could tell just what well-known personality of the Eastern Church might appear on the scene. I recall visits of our noted liturgist, Fr. David Petras, SEOD and musicologist/historian, Sr. Joan Roccasolvo, CSJ, among others. It was like a microcosm of the extended church.

During the picnics, prayer did not cease with the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy. After lunch - in the afternoon - there would be a Parastas for the departed loved ones of the parishioners, often molebens for various intentions and finally, the day would conclude with the celebration of Vespers or "Vechirnya" in the chapel. Outside of the Uniontown pilgrimage, these Yonkers picnics during the tenure of Fr. Kraynyak are among the fondest memories of my youth.

Fr. Basil could never pray too much. He loved dearly, that which he was ordained to do and to which he was commissioned by his ordaining bishop on the day of his ordination: "Receive this liturgikon, so that with the utmost attention and fear of God, you may perform sacrifices acceptable to the Lord. Axios!" This he did and much more and God rewarded him for it in the manner in which he called him to himself.

G. A Truly Blessed Repose - Breaking-through of the Divine into the Human World

From the accounts of those who were with him at and near the time of his repose, we can clearly see that God was gracious to Fr. Basil, if not in the number of years, because he was only 62, then certainly in the way that he died. To the best of my ability, I recount the events as told to me, because of their deep spiritual significance and opportunity for our reflection. Fr. Basil and some long-time priest friends, some of them seminary classmates, traveled to Ukraine and present-day Slovakia (Transcarpathia), to celebrate Easter according to the Julian Calendar which is still followed in our mother eparchies. While there, they had the opportunity to hear and celebrate our divine services, our "Bohosluzennya" according to the ancient Church Slavonic usage.

Fr. Basil, who loved dearly his ancestral language, both liturgical and vernacular, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Slavonic the morning of his passing. It was Bright Week - the week after Our Lord's radiant resurrection, during which all of the services are the same as on Pascha itself. One cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of the joy that characterizes the Ruthenian paschal services until they have experienced them in Church Slavonic with a singing congregation. As the day progressed, Fr. Basil and his colleagues prepared for the return trip to the United States.

It was on the return flight, that Fr. Kraynyak was called to his Creator. He was afforded that rare blessing - the opportunity to be aware, if even for a few brief moments, that the end is imminent. Feeling not so well, he was given oxygen by the flight crew. As things did not improve and having that intuitive sense that death was near, Fr. Basil turned to his classmate, Fr. Francis Gera with whom he was traveling and simply said, "Frank, I'm going, hear my confession." What a wonder for the eyes of the believer, to see in motion, the act of God calling one of his beloved to himself. Having obtained sacramental confession and absolution from Fr. Gera, and nourished earlier with the Bread of Life, the priest Basil Kraynyak left this earthly domain.

In an ironically poignant way, he passed from this life as he had lived it and surrounded by the things that were important to him - God, heritage and friends. Few of us can hope for such a meaningful and blessed repose. With reflection, how fortunate would all of us be if we had that opportunity, in the final moments of life, to realize that we were about to meet God our Father and Maker and to be in the company of a priest who could provide for us those things of ultimate importance which we lived by - the grace of the chance for final sacramental repentance and the remission (here again - (Vid)Otpuskati) of our sins. Having received the Bread of Life that morning, in his ancestral homeland and according to the liturgical language which he loved, he was graced by the God whom he served so faithfully, to avail himself to literally, the "last rites" of the church - confession and communion.

G. Bright Week - An Extraordinary Privilege & Blessing

And that is not all that was appropriate (for a lack of a better word) about the repose of Fr. Basil. As I mentioned above, it was Bright Week or "Svitloho Tizdnya" when, according to a traditional Ruthenian belief, special graces are afforded the souls of those who pass during this joyful time. After the resurrectional services, the "royal doors" or central gates of the iconostasis, the icon screen which separates the altar, the "holy of holies" from the nave of the church, remain open during the entire week that follows. Often, the side doors of the screen are also left open. This rich symbolism indicates that Christ, by his passion, death on the cross and radiant resurrection from the dead, opened for we who believe in him, the gates of paradise, once and for all. No longer are we orphans without a spiritual home, but Christ has conquered the trials of this life and prepared the path to heaven - our true and lasting home.

A pious belief among our people and many other Eastern Christians, is that those who die during Bright Week are able to immediately join their Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom. Whatever our belief concerning the manner of our final union with God, all traditions seem to point to some type of final "cleansing" or additional purification that the soul must endure before entering fully, the bliss of heaven. For such a cleansing of transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, we pray during the funeral services and other liturgies in commemoration of the faithful departed. Those who pass from this life during the Bright Week, it is said, must certainly enter directly, the kingdom of God, since during this special and extraordinary time, the gates of heaven are wide open to receive the souls of those whom loved God during this life and who served him to the best of their human capability.

Regardless of the theological approach we take to life after death and the ultimate fate of the Christian soul, these are all but attempts to understand, in as much as human limitations allow, the things of eternal value and ultimate significance. Be it purgatory, toll houses or the gates of heaven being open just a bit wider during Bright Week, humankind is in need of the comfort of knowing to some measure, that their departed loved ones are in the hands of God and that we will one day be reunited with them. Traditions such as that of the Bright Week repose, point to the ultimate mysteries of life and help us to understand better with our minds, the truths that we accept by faith. For Fr. Basil, these mysteries came together in a marvelous way, during the most liturgically joyful week of the year - the week of Christ's radiant resurrection.

H. A Final Return Home & Last Farewell - Poslidnnje Ciluvannya

Although he was assigned as pastor of St. Anne Church in New Port Richey, FL, the priestly body of Fr. Basil Kraynyak was transported to Holy Ghost Church, Philadelphia, PA, his home parish and the church with which he remained associated in many ways during his entire priesthood. Not a few of us are familiar with several of the now famous recordings of the Divine Liturgy made at this majestic church - a jewel in the crown of parishes of our eparchies and with an iconostasis that is nearly identical to that in the ornate chapel of SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh.

Holy Ghost Church is well known for its accomplished choir, under the direction of the illustrious Professor Daniel Kavka. It was in the late 1960s that the choir first began to make professional recordings, one of the most significant being a Divine Liturgy in Church Slavonic at which Fr. Paul Vasko, then pastor in Philadelphia was the celebrant and Fr. Basil Kraynyak, parish vocation, concelebrated. I've heard this liturgy time and time again and still pass long drives in the car listening to the excellent choir and the crisp priestly voices of Fathers Vasko and Kraynyak. Later on, during the early 90s, Father Basil again joined the choir for a recorded Slavonic liturgy celebrated in Holy Ghost Church. This time he was the principal celebrant and was joined by several priests, some current and former pastors of Holy Ghost Church. With the advancement of technology since the first recording, this liturgy is available in both video and audio format. It is a gift from God, that his voice and the harmonious voices of the choir will be for ever perpetuated through these tapings. I advise anyone who loves our liturgical services, especially in Church Slavonic, to avail themselves to these timeless recordings.

Many clergy and faithful gathered with Bishop Pataki in the historic Holy Ghost Church, to bid a final farewell to a priest that epitomized for them, so much of our faith and heritage. Once again, as at Otpust, busses arrived from the Yonkers parish, so that all who were able, could pay their last respects to their beloved former pastor. With this "poslidne cilovannya" or "last kiss" according to our time-honored ritual, Fr. Basil Kraynyak was laid to rest with his family, from his home church, in his home town. May God grant to his devoted servant, the priest Basil, blessed repose and eternal memory - Vichnaya jemu pamyat'! May we who survive, live by the example which he gave us and be faithful to the spiritual and cultural heritage that he strove to leave us as a legacy of faith and love.

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Continued:

E. The Ever-Popular Hymn Singing Sessions - (b)

There were about 40 people gathered on the porch that Sunday evening. It has become a type of family atmosphere on the porches, with a nucleus of faithful singers that participate each year. Although we are all from different areas and walks of life, there is that inherent feeling that we know each other well. There are of course, many of our cantors present. Others record the sessions each year, both on audio and video tapes, to thankfully preserve this aspect of our Otpust heritage for generations to come. Still others are yearly pilgrims who come by bus and stay in the dormitories on the Mount. They begin singing and praying from the moment the bus departs their origin location and continue to raise their voices in song until they have once again reached their homes. Some come out of curiosity, because they have heard of the unique beauty of the sound of the hymns. Whatever reason prompts so many to gather for these hymn singing sessions, all are present with a deep love for Our Lord and His most holy Mother, and all these aspects combine to make one unique and breathtaking experience.

I. The Unique "Uniontown Hymns"

A small framed picture this year, marked the place where Fr. Basil would sit to lead the songs. Lovingly placed by an anonymous pilgrim, it was a touching reminder of the days he spent among us singers. Not only did Fr. Basil possess a God-given strong leading voice and a keen memory for our many varying melodies, but he kept alive a particularly unique chapter of our Marian hymns - those written particularly for the Uniontown Otpust. Certainly, he familiarized himself with these hymns during the long bus rides from Philadelphia or Yonkers to Uniontown. Today these hymns are rarely heard, but there is a recent attempt to preserve and restore them to their rightful place as characteristic of the trip to Mt. St. Macrina. Without Fr. Basil's more recent restoration of these songs, they may well have been lost forever. These meaningful hymns speak directly of the pilgrims' journey to Uniontown, to the holy Mount which contains the sacred image of Mary of Perpetual Help. They call upon "glorious Mary" as "our protection" "white rose and Mother of God." One can picture the many pilgrims journeying by bus, train and car, singing in heartfelt anticipation of their approaching time at the Mount:

"We go to Uniontown, where is our Protection, the Virgin Mary of Perpetual Help" "Mary, O Mary, the flowering rose, under your protection will we see the glorious light"

"On the Uniontown mount there is a most beautiful flower, for there Mary joyfully greets us - White rose, white lily, the Mother of God, the most holy Virgin."

"Greetings, greetings, my dear children, what beautiful prayers will you pray."

"To Mt. Macrina, to the Otpust we go, most pure Mary we gloriously will praise." "On Mt. Macrina we pray to you Mary, from your Son, beseech mercy for us."

"We ask you, Virgin, to give us a joyful life, and after our death, the light of heaven." "O how beautiful and sweet, Mary of Uniontown, our loving Mother and helper."

"Brothers and sisters, come to the Virgin Mary, to the miraculous, heavenly lily. Let us go to the garden, let us see the lily, the beautiful vine, the Virgin Mary. She helps us all under the holy protection of her omofor."

"O Mother of God, do not forget us at all times. Pray, O pure One, to you Son, for us."

"Our Mother of Uniontown never forgets us. Her motherly intercession protects us always." "Pilgrims to Uniontown, sing joyfully, the holy Virgin is now raised up on the Mount."

These are but a few excerpts from the special Uniontown hymns that explain so well, our reasons for coming to this holy Mount - the factor that keeps us returning year after year - our love for Mary, our Mother of Uniontown, who we know will always help us, protect us and lead us to her Divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. No better helper do we have than our heavenly Mother, the "gentle protectress of Christians and unfailing mediatrix before the Creator" (Theotokion, tone 6). I sincerely hope that these precious and invaluable hymns for the Uniontown pilgrimage can be learned by future generations and preserved for a long time to come.

J. In Loving Memory & For Blessed Repose

The singing group had some special requests this year and they were all executed lovingly, out of respect and admiration for our dearly departed leader Fr. Basil. Each participant in the hymn singing sessions opened their hearts and their resources, and a collection was received, in order to give to the Sisters of St. Basil, so that several Divine Liturgies could be celebrated at the Mt. St. Macrina monastery chapel, for the repose of the soul of God's faithful priest-servant Basil Kraynyak. This loving gesture of the pilgrims touched my heart, as did their other request - that, during the course of our hymn fest, we sing a Panachida for and in memory of Fr. Basil.

As the Panachida began, I had a heart full of emotion. How could it be that I was standing in this spot on the dormitory porch, intoning according to our ancient requiem melodies, the memorial services for this priest who taught me so much and inspired me deeply on the road to the priesthood? I would not have imagined a year ago, that we would be doing this, that Fr. Basil would have passed on before the next Otpust. The passing of those "shining stars" of the priesthood, who encouraged and motivated us to follow in their footsteps, brings to the forefront for each of us priests, the reality of our own mortality and the fact that we are fast becoming, not the younger clergy but the "old timers" called upon to preserve and continue the traditions taught us by those who came before us. It is a awesome and certainly humbling thought, to reach this point in life, but one which, with God's help and Mary's protection, we will try to fill to the best of our human capability.

Our people sang the Panachida with the usual devotion and fervency. One very special thing about our Rusyn people is that they know their music so well, from their heart and most notably, from memory - "na pamjat'." The late evening air reverberated with the minor tones of our requiem service and many people were noticeably in tears, including myself. I am grateful to our people for their scrupulosity in giving attention to those things of ultimate importance, including the requests for Divine Liturgies to be celebrated for Father Basil's repose and the proper remembrance of our departed priest-song leader with the offering of our voices in a Panachida. It was truly a privilege that I will never forget and I am eternally grateful to God, to Mary and to our good people, for bringing this to fruition.

K. The Litmanova Presence - A Coming Together of the Old & New Worlds

Time passes so fast at the Otpust. Before we knew it, it was well past midnight and I reluctantly took leave of the wonderful people on the porches and prepared to retire for the night. Tomorrow was another active day and we had to be ready to begin the day of the Otpust's conclusion. As my priest-companion and I left the grounds to return to the hotel, we could still hear singing coming from several areas of the Mount. Some were chanting the rosary or other prayers. Others were singing yet more hymns, notably the group of pilgrims from the New York/New Jersey area, who originated in Litmanova, a village deep in the heart of the Carpathians.

They come each year to Uniontown and from them we can truly take yet another example. If there is such a thing as "doing it right" at Otpust, the Litmanova pilgrims are the ones to watch. Rather than spend idle time, they are constantly on the move the entire weekend. In addition to singing late into the night, they can be seen during the daytime hours, making devotions and celebrating other services. They observe the "Way of the Cross" or "Krestna Doroha" as they walk from station to station, singing Lenten hymns and then stand in front of the beautifully artistic replicas of Jesus' last walk through Jerusalem, that are spread throughout the Mount, offering pertinent prayers at each one. For every procession and devotion, they walk behind their parish's cross, as they sing hymns appropriate to the particular service. Their presence on the Mount, which includes people of every age, young and old alike, is appreciated by all and we are to be grateful for their example of piety and holiness.

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Next installment:

V. Monday - Labor Day - The Culmination of our Prayers and a Melancholy Return to our Individual Parts of the World

VI. A Message for Each - The Lasting Efficacy of the Uniontown Pilgrimages

Father Joe:

Thanks for these beautiful posts.
I was especially interested in your writings on those who meet thier Maker during Bright week, because this has become something of a tradition in my family: my grandfather, followed some years later by his oldest son, then later still by second oldest son, all passed away on Great and Holy Thursday and were buried on Bright Monday. Instead of the customary parastas and funeral service, we reprise the Resurrection Tropar & verses, and the Canon of the Resurrection. It is utterly awesome and transforming to sing out, at such a moment: "Pascha Hospodn~a Pascha ot smerti ko zhizni, i ot zemli ko nebesi..."; "Sej den~ jehozhe sotvori Hospod' vozradujemsja i vozveselimsja vo on!"

Actually, it should be the Resurrectional Matins service (in it's complete form) that should be sung instead of a Parastas at the wake service. I had the priveldge to be present during the wake service of a Rusyn immigrant who passed into eternal life during Bright Week. He was about 98 or 99 yrs. old when he died and was burried out of Sts. Peter and Paul Carpatho-Rusyn Orth. Greek Cath. Church, Central City (Somerset Co.) Penna. Truely, it felt like we all were in Heaven and that Christ was waiting for us to enter the Heavenly Paradise. May good continue to give a blessed repose and eternal memory to Mr. John Varvarinec and his wife Mary, the were truely God-fearing and faithful Christians til the end!

Ung-Certez

You are both right. What djs gave is the basic order of the paschal matins: Resurrection Tropar & verses, and the Canon of the Resurrection. . . . (then the "praises" and the paschal stichera:) . . . "Pascha Hospodn~a Pascha ot smerti ko zhizni, i ot zemli ko nebesi..."; "Sej den~ jehozhe sotvori Hospod' vozradujemsja i vozveselimsja vo on!"

At a Bright Week funeral, interspersed into the canon are the kontakion and ikos of the departed and the trisagion ("All you who have been baptized . . . "), the prokimenon and readings of the day. After the canon and exapostilarion, the hymns, "Anhelskyj Sobor" or "Angelic Choirs" are sung, followed by the paschal stichera, quoted above, which are sung during the "last kiss" or "poslidnnje ciluvannya" with the veneration of the glorified cross after the faithful have bid their last farewell to the departed.

It is interesting, the connection between the veneration of the cross and the "last kiss" which are always taken together at a funeral but which during Bright Week, are even more related, in that the cross is always venerated during the paschal stichera. This is also repeated each Saturday evening during the paschal season, when the paschal stichera with the kissing of the cross form the bulk of the Apostica or "stichery na stichovnyk."

A beautiful time of the year.

Fr. Joe

V. Monday - Labor Day - The Culmination of our Prayers and a Melancholy Return to our Individual Parts of the World

For a long time, Labor Day attracted the greatest number of pilgrims to Mt. St. Macrina. During the past several decades, this trend changed somewhat, making Sunday the day that normally draws the largest crowds. Either way, Monday during Otpust is the culmination of the entire weekend's activities - of the liturgies and prayers, the devotions and sacraments, the sermons, blessings and friendships renewed and initiated. As the day begins, there is always a melancholy feeling in our hearts, as we know that we must soon take leave of our beloved Mount and those dear to us with whom we have shared this special encounter. It is with this mixture of joy and tears, that we proceed through the final day of Otpust.

Labor Day has also traditionally been an opportunity for the pilgrims to witness some historic events in the life of the Sisters of St. Basil and the Metropolia. In 1961, Bishop Elko, together with Bishop Kocisko and Bishop Vasile Cristea, Ordinary for Romanian Greek Catholics in exile, broke ground for the new Motherhouse of the Sisters. The cornerstone for the new structure was laid during the pilgrimage in 1962. Everyone on the Mount shared in the joy of the Basilian community as the new Motherhouse was solemnly dedicated by Bishops Elko and Kocisko in 1964, on which occasion they celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy at an altar specially erected in front of the site. In 1965, the Sisters opened the doors of their new home for the pilgrims to tour and admire the progress of the religious community. During the 1977 Otpust, it was the site of an exhibit of over 250 artistic, liturgical and historical items arranged by Msgr. Basil Shereghy, using the vast collection of rare items from his cultural museum. Over 3000 of the tens of thousands of pilgrims were guided through the exhibit by the seminarians.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were also held in 1969, as Mt. St. Macrina prepared for the construction of the new "Mt. Macrina Manor" a state of the art nursing facility that provides care to those who physically need it. At subsequent pilgrimages, the cornerstone was laid for this facility in 1970 and it was dedicated in 1971. In addition to these historic milestones, the Otpust has occasionally been the scene of ordinations of eparchial seminarians to the various minor and major orders as well as the time for some of the Sisters to profess both temporary and perpetual vows. Whenever possible, the directors of the pilgrimage have incorporated these important events into the schedule, so that those coming to the Mount might share in the joy of the whole church.

It should be mentioned that much planning goes into not only the practical aspects of the Otpust but also the spiritual mood of each gathering. Every year there is a different theme for the pilgrimage, which is published in the schedule and around which all of the sermons, conferences and activities are centered. At each Divine Liturgy and service, a different homily is presented on some aspect of that particular year's theme, bringing the entire weekend together in a focused, reflective manner. The themes have concentrated on both spiritual and historical topics, as Holy Years, eparchial growth, jubilees, Eucharistic and Marian years, anniversaries and other events have been observed at the Otpust. This year, 2002, the theme was "Mary our Mother, Model of Peace" - so apropos for the climate of the nation and the world following last September 11 and the events subsequent to it. Certainly, many pilgrims came to the Mount this year "seeking true peace and a respite from the cares which face them everyday" (Pilgrimage schedule 2002).

A. The Early Morning Liturgies

The agenda of Labor Day on Mt. St. Macrina has changed somewhat from years past. In those times, it was a day of multiple Divine Liturgies early in the morning, celebrated at the various altars set up around the Mount. Today, the focus is on fewer liturgies and communal participation in the hierarchical liturgy which now concludes the pilgrimage. For many years, the day did not wind up until early afternoon, when there would be a solemn Eucharistic procession, but now, more practically, the day ends around noon, after the concelebrated Pontifical Divine Liturgy.

One must admit however, that in years past it was a sight to see, when in addition to the many scheduled liturgies of the day, unscheduled Divine Liturgies would seem to "just happen" spontaneously, as priests secured an available altar, sacred vestments, vessels and other necessary items, and would begin the celebration. Sometimes, a particular group of pilgrims would request their pastor or a closely associated priest to offer a liturgy. Other times, it "just seemed right" to join together with other priests and faithful and offer the holy sacrifice. Even unannounced, the Divine Liturgies drew large crowds of pilgrims. No schedule was necessary on Labor Day morning. As soon as word spread that the liturgy was to commence at a given place, the groups of faithful would begin to build. After the sound of "Blahosloveno carstvo . . . Blessed is the kingdom . . ." and the subsequent chants of the liturgy, the chapels and altars would fill up with praying pilgrims, wishing to assist at the holy liturgy and receive Our Lord in holy communion. Special permission was always given by the bishops on occasions such as these, for the faithful to receive communion twice in the same day namely, at an early liturgy and again at the concelebrated Pontifical Divine Liturgy. This same dispensation, to my knowledge, remains in effect today.

There were many altars set up in those days - on the Old Motherhouse patio; in the chapel there; outside around the Mount - in the cemetery, the Lourdes Grotto, Shrine Altar, beside the Old Motherhouse and in countless other spots across the Mount. The liturgy was celebrated in various languages and styles - in Church Slavonic, English, Hungarian and Croatian, among others. There were even occasional celebrations of the Latin Rite mass, for the numbers of Roman Catholic faithful who attend the Otpust.

According to the Sisters' records, there were years when the liturgy was celebrated even in rites other than the Byzantine or Roman. On Labor Day of 1955, a Pontifical Divine Liturgy was offered by Benedict Mar Gregorios, Patriarch of the Syro-Malankara Church and Archbishop of Trivandrum, India, using the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus and his disciples. All in all that year, there were Divine Liturgies celebrated in seven different ritual traditions. Statistics tell that in the year 1958, 155 Divine Liturgies were celebrated by 146 priests in attendance. As many as fifteen altars were set up in the different areas of the Mount.

Even though our theological trends have changed presently, often for the good, and emphasis is placed on fewer liturgies and greater community spirit, there was nothing that could quite compare to the piety and fervor and also the spontaneity of those many early morning liturgies on Labor Day. Rather than preclude the pilgrims' attendance at the concluding Pontifical Liturgy, they seemed to serve as a preparation or impetus for that culminating event, to which our people flocked with already uplifted spirits, gleamed from those more smaller and perhaps more personal liturgies earlier in the morning. Times do indeed change, but the memory of so many priests and faithful participating in the ultimate sacrifice of praise - the various divine liturgies, is a piece of our history that we can well be proud of.

B. The Concluding Pontifical Divine Liturgy

Shortly before 10:00 a.m., the procession begins one more time, from the Old Motherhouse to the Pontifical Altar, for the concluding Divine Liturgy. The pilgrims gather one last time, to "sing praises to God from their hearts." The cross bearers, icon bearers, Sisters, clergy, and finally the bishops with their assistentia make their way to the "house of the Lord." During the 1980s, there was a new trend, in which every priest on the Mount would be a concelebrant at this concluding liturgy. It was a site to see between 60 and 100 priests, each vested in his own unique vestments, gathered around the Pontifical Altar. On the lighter side, with no disrespect at all, it served as a type of "liturgical fashion show" as we priests compared each other's vestments and got ideas for potential new sets of our own. Needless to say, this custom did not survive into the 1990s and the concluding liturgy is now celebrated as the rest, with our hierarchs and a select number of concelebrants, which is certainly sufficient for the occasion.

C. Z'bohom - May God Be With You

For many years, several decades to be exact, the principal celebrant of the final Pontifical Divine Liturgy was one of our eparchial bishops, while Metropolitan Archbishop Stephen J. Kocisko presided and delivered the homily. Vested in his mantia and mitre, Metropolitan Kocisko would also deliver the closing remarks which were characterized as the infamous "z'bohom" talks. The Metropolitan would comment on the weekend's events and conclude by wishing everyone the traditional Rusyn "z'bohom" - literally "God be with you" or in a more general way "may you go with God."

"To the reverend fathers here present, we say 'z'bohom' and thank you for the services you have provided, confessions heard, divine liturgies and devotions celebrated and holy communion administered. To our precious Sisters of St. Basil, we say 'z'bohom' and offer our gratitude for providing this lovely Mount to which our people come year after year for spiritual devotion and sanctification. To our cantors, for leading the people in our beloved prostopinije, our spiritual songs, we thank you and say 'z'bohom' - may God watch over and protect you. To all of you, our beloved faithful attending this Otpust, we say 'z'bohom' until we meet again, please God, next year at this picturesque, holy and sacred Mount. To those of you who will not be with us for the next pilgrimage, whom God will call to himself in the coming year, we also say 'z'bohom' until we are united again at the heavenly Otpust in God's kingdom."

This was the basic content, although not an exact quotation, of the words uttered each and every year by the Metropolitan, as he strove to instill in the hearts and minds of the pilgrims, the customary traditional words and expressions of the people who established and built our Metropolia. "Z'bohom." Many languages and traditions have a form of this type of commendation that God be with the ones we love as they travel and we take leave of them for a time. To this very day, pilgrims wish each other a "z'bohom" as they take leave of the Mount and of each other, praying that God in His infinite goodness will grant that we pass another year in peace and return to the Otpust to once again renew our spiritual lives and offer praise to Him and to His Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

D. A Final Word of Thanks from the Sisters

Certainly not least among the concluding traditions of the Otpust, are the words of gratitude spoken by the Provincial Superior of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great. This year, as in recent ones, the address was given by Sr. Ruth Plante, OSBM, who is ultimately responsible for the organization and carrying out of the entire pilgrimage weekend. With a humble but warm tone in her voice, Sr. Ruth thanked the thousands of pilgrims for their support and for making the pilgrimage a success. Additionally, she remembers each year, the bishops, many priests, deacons and religious who contribute to making the Otpust what it is. Speaking on behalf of the entire community of the Basilian Sisters of the Uniontown Province, Sr. Ruth, with "an open and loving heart" invited everyone to return again next year, to the hallowed grounds that are Mt. St. Macrina, for the 69th. annual pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, to once again join in spiritual renewal, devotion to Mary and precious time spent among each other.

E. The Apostolic Blessing

Traditionally, the final blessing of the Otpust is bestowed by the Metropolitan Archbishop to the gathered crowds of pilgrims, as the last spiritual gesture of the pilgrimage. This "apostolic blessing" is the one that is associated with the notion of "indulgence." The Uniontown pilgrimage has been endowed from the beginning, with the notable distinction of being a place where both the apostolic blessing (equivalent to that which the Pope himself bestows) and a "plenary indulgence" can be obtained. The "apostolic blessing" is an extension of the ministry of the Roman Pontiff, and those who receive it do so as if the Pope himself were blessing them. Through this "economia" or extension of canonical principles, many thousands are able to receive the papal blessing, who would never have had the opportunity to travel to Rome to receive in person, the benediction of the Holy Father.

During the recent Holy Year in 2000, similar opportunities were afforded the faithful in their local cathedral churches and other designated shrines and parishes, so that the graces and blessings of the Jubilee Year could be attained by as many faithful as possible. Here enters the concept of the "plenary indulgence" which can be received under the "usual conditions" - namely the reception of the sacraments of confession and communion, a visit to a basilica, cathedral, shrine or other designated sacred place, and prayer for the intention of the Holy Father - normally one "Our Father," one "Hail Mary" and one "Glory be to the Father . . . "

The "plenary indulgence", rather than merely some legalistic measure for "circumventing temporal punishment resulting from our sins," should be understood in a more positive light, as an opportunity for reconciling our lives more closely with Almighty God and the chance for a "new beginning" with God's help, free from the burdens, obstacles and cares that have gotten in the way of the path to Christian perfection. This is the true meaning of the indulgence - a means through which, with the help of the grace of the holy mysteries - the sacraments of renewal - we can set aside our former mistakes, faults and human weaknesses and be given the grace of a fresh start, "having no care for our former sins" but walking now in the light of life which is Our Lord Jesus Christ. Beyond any doubt, the occasion of the Uniontown Otpust is one during which the opportunities for this "metanoia" or "change of heart" and a greater conversion to Christ and one another are more than sufficiently abundant.

As the chief hierarch of the Byzantine Ruthenian Church of Pittsburgh sui ijuris, Metropolitan Basil, as each of his predecessors before him, bestowed the apostolic blessing upon the crowd of pilgrims. Blessing with his hands, the Metropolitan effected the benediction with the words of the final blessing of the Divine Liturgy:

"The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and loving-kindness, always now and ever and forever."

The people confirmed this blessing with an unequivocal, "Amen" Let it be so!

F. The Final Procession - A Return to Our Individual Worlds

As it began, so the Otpust ends, with the procession with the pilgrimage icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from the Pontifical Altar back to the Motherhouse monastery, located at the highest point of the property. The Sisters and the clergy and laity each go their individual ways - the Sisters back to their life of prayer and service centered around the monastery, and the clergy and faithful back to the gathering location in front of the Old Motherhouse, now Retreat Center. Thus with the divergence of these two categories of Christian faithful, sent back into the world to carry on their respective evangelical missions, concluded, as so many before, the Sixty-Eighth Annual Otpust to Mt. St. Macrina.

The closing procession is not exactly the end of the day for the pilgrims. Just as is often characterized in the Byzantine Church, "it's never over until it's over" and there are several smaller processions, prayers and devotions before the Mount is quiet once again. This time, as before, the groups of pilgrims gather together to process up to the shrine, carrying their parish cross and singing Marian hymns. They pause at the altar in front of the Old Motherhouse, where they obtained the initial blessing of arrival, to once again be sprinkled with the blessed water by one of the priests assigned to this duty, accompanied by prayers for a safe journey home.

After paying homage to the shrine icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, bidding a "z'bohom" to their dear heavenly mother, the groups descend back down the hill to the awaiting busses and/or cars. As they pass the other pilgrims, family members and friends, the word "z'bohom" can be heard over and over again, as the people bid each other farewell until next year. Those who live near one another sometimes say "see you at home" but for the majority, it will be another full year before they are once again reunited at Mt. St. Macrina. Refreshed by a weekend of spiritual renewal and social interaction, it is time to return to the world in which we each live. "Z'bohom mamko, z'bohom" we all say in our hearts, as we thank the Mother of God for permitting us to share for another year, the hospitality of her holy shrine, for the gift of her Divine Son and for the love shared by one another. Yet again, a successful Otpust has come to its conclusion.

G. A Fellowship Luncheon

For the priests, cantors and religious, the Sisters of St. Basil have, over the past decade or more, opened their home to us for a final dinner and camaraderie, as a way of saying "thank you" for the services which they rendered during the pilgrimage. What a gracious gesture this is on the part of the Sisters and I can attest that it is well appreciated by us priests. It is one last chance to be together before leaving for our respective parishes and it extends the Otpust just a little while longer, so that that warm and wonderful feeling emanating from the weekend's experience can be preserved for a precious few moments more.

As we leave the Motherhouse refectory, a Sister distributes to each priest and cantor, a large "medovnyk" in the shape of a heart and with a beautiful image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I can't express completely just what receiving this yearly medovnyk means to me. It is something that I cherish each year and which is almost too beautiful to consume.

With the gift of this special medovnyk, I have started a little tradition of my own. Normally, I bring the medovnyk to church with me on the Sunday following the Otpust and place it on the tetrapod, similar to what we do with the Artos at Easter. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, I bless the medovynk with a special prayer that recalls the ideals of the Otpust, beseeches the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for our parish and asks that we remain always, faithful children of Christ, the Mother of God and our beloved church. With the sprinkling of holy water, I bring the brief service to its conclusion and then break the medovnyk into pieces to be shared by the congregation. Between my assistant and myself this year, we are fortunate to have two wonderful medovniki to share with our people back at home.

I find that the parishioners appreciate this gesture and, particularly those who are unable to travel to Uniontown, are happy to have some share in the graces that emanate from the Otpust. Sometimes I also distribute the "badges" of Our Lady of Perpetual Help that the Sisters sell in the card shop and which have been touched to the relics of the True Cross and the Veil of the Mother of God. Often, it is small gestures such as these, that sincerely speak to the hearts of people and we will never know exactly, the extent to which God has worked in their lives, because of a simple prayer or act of thoughtfulness such as this.

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Next and final installment:

VI. A Message for Each - The Lasting Efficacy of the Uniontown Pilgrimages

VI. A Message for Each - The Lasting Efficacy of the Uniontown Pilgrimages

As I was talking with a brother priest over the pilgrimage weekend, I brought up a point that has struck me each year for some time now. "Father," I asked, "isn't there always something unique, some distinct message that we take with us from Otpust each year?" My friend agreed with me. It can be a certain message, a confirmation of something that we've been waiting for, greater inner peace, increased enthusiasm for ministry or involvement in parish life, a more concrete sense of direction, a particular point that, while present all along, speaks to us in a new or transformed way. The possibilities could go on endlessly, but the point is clear: each pilgrimage leaves us with something, an indelible mark gained from participation in yet another year of spiritual exercises, services and friendship.

Sometimes the message of a particular year is not immediately evident, but as the days and weeks progress, and as we spend time in prayer and reflection on the days we were at the pilgrimage, God in his own time and infinite wisdom will reveal it to us. The underlying fact however, is common to every pilgrim to Mt. St. Macrina - God has touched our lives in a very special way during these days of Otpust. We have traveled, sojourned with our heavenly Mother in the hospitality of her home, her holy shrine and now we return to the world in which we each live, as changed individuals. We have crossed the threshold, we have made the journey, we have seen and experienced the light of Divine Grace breaking through into our human world - and we can never be the same.

As pilgrims, we continue to travel, to grow and to expand our spiritual horizons, but we do so with the knowledge that God can, has and will work wonders in our lives. The road continues as it had before, but we ourselves have changed - and for the better, because we have lived the great mystery of our wonderful God and His all-loving and powerful Mother - Our Lady of Perpetual Help - during the Otpust on Mt. St. Macrina. May she always intercede for us in our every need and be our constant source of strength, inspiration, help and protection, drawing us ever closer to her Son and Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Already, I prayerfully look forward to next year's Otpust. Z'bohom!

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"O gentle protectress of Christians, unfailing mediatrix before the Creator, do not despise the prayerful voices of sinners, but in your goodness, hasten to assist us who trustfully cry out to you: Inspire us to prayer and hasten to hear our supplication. Intercede always, Mother of God, in behalf of those who honor you." (Theotokion, Tone 6)

"We hasten to your patronage, O Virgin Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our time of need, but deliver us from all danger, O only pure and blessed one."

"O most glorious, ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ our God, accept our prayers and present them to your Son and our God, that through you he may deliver and save our souls."

"O Mother of Perpetual Help, listen to our fervent plea, you can help us in our needs, O Mary, with hope, we call on you."

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THE END
GOD BE PRAISED!
CHVALA BOHU!

This year's Uniontown Pilgrimage is August 29 - September 1 (Labor Day Weekend). Detailed information has just been received and should be online within a few days. Please plan now to participate.