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Why not Church Slavonic? Perhaps, it is just me but I think there are less "ethnic" associations with Slavonic in the same way when we Roman Rite Catholics use Latin i.e. we're all in the same boat in that few of us have mastered of Church Latin, but we make the best of it and follow along and realize that this language unites us more than divides us.


Too funny, but I suppose the Irish have very little exposure to the Eastern Rites.

Byzantophile

Our Parishioners converse in Ukrainian - they still [ many of them] THINK in Ukrainian , they are using their mother tongue

However when there is no education in Ukrainian , the language gets lost , becomes spoken only,and indeed limited in vocabulary.

The liturgical language is understood but the homilies are beyond the second and third generations - they do not have enough language knowledge, particularly when only one parent was Ukrainian .

Lest you think this applies to the Uk only - it doesn't - I mentioned this to a Bishop who was talking about putting out information in Ukrainian for visitors , and after some thought about it , he agreed - information has to be in the language that people can understand.

Now I'm not against the use of Ukrainian - I use as much as I can during Liturgy - but to introduce another language , one that is not spoken - I have to wonder if that is a good idea

This makes sense if the majority of the parish speaks Ukrainian and Ukrainian speakers are the people you are reaching out to. I only suggested Slavonic since I thought your parish was a mix of both English & Ukrainian native speakers like the most of the UGCC parishes are here in the States.

X. B!
C. I. X!

Ukrainian is a living, changeable language so what it says today may say something different tomorrow needing revision. Latin, classical Greek and Slavonic are not, they're exact. If the new Tchycovsky wishes to gain immortality in composing for the Divine Liturgy do you think he will write for Ukrainian or Slavonic? There may be diction exceptions but usually one text. How many times have you started to join in on a communal �Oche Nash� for it to be another version? I'm not saying exclusively but enough Slavonic that everyone is comfortable with it. Besides why snub a millennium of expression, just handing it over to the Russians as if they haven�t enough without us abandoning our own?

Mykhayl,

You make some very good points...

-Miguel

Hmmmmmmm, This is unbelievable and I have to say it bothers me greatly. I am a member at St Nicholas UGCC in Raleigh, NC and our liturgy is in English but it is sung. http://www.saintnicholasraleigh.org/

Converted Viking