www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News VOLODYMYR PRYIMA PROCLAIMED PATRON OF LAYMEN BY UGCC SYNOD

http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/catholics/ugcc/49633/

The bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) proclaimed Blessed Martyr Volodymyr Pryima patron of the laymen of the UGCC and encouraged all the faithful to venerate the holy laymen of the Ukrainian Church.

Let us remind that the year 2012 has been proclaimed the Year of Laymen in the UGCC. Therefore, the members of the Synod discussed the role of laymen in the life and mission of the church, which became the main theme of the Synod.

According to the results of the consideration of the theme, the members of the Synod passed a number of decisions to help laymen better fulfill their mission in the church.

In addition, the synod members sent a special pastoral address to the laymen of UGCC.

Background: Volodymyr Pryima died as a martyr on June 26, 1941. He served as a deacon in a church in Stradch. On their way back home from the home of a sick woman who needed confession, Fr. Mykola Konrad and Volodymyr Pryima were captured by NKVD soldiers and were cruelly tortured to death in a forest.

The distorted bodies of the martyrs were buried at the parish cemetery.

Fr. Mykola Konrad and Volodymyr Pryima were beatified as martyrs by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Ukraine.

Me: What I want to know is, if he was a deacon, then he is not a layman. Also, why is he not referred to as Dn. Volodymyr?

John

Because he was not a deacon; he was a cantor (diak). The two are sometimes confused in English translations.

Jeff

OK. Now I understand. I guess I would have to look at the Ukrainian version. Thanks!

The Ukrainian version says Blessed Volodymyr served as "dyak" (lay cantor) for the parish in Stradch. The term for the lay cantor of a parish (дяк) is a different term than that used for an ordained deacon (диякон). As mentioned above there is sometimes confusion when transliterating or translating those two terms.

That is wonderful news! I venerate Blessed Volodymyr and meditate on his role as cantor and assistant to his pastor in carrying out pastoral duties.

Right, Cantors and Lectors are in the subdiaconate, only sworn to handle certain tasks within the Church service, so Diak has a point there.

You mean by subdiaconate, the minor orders? The subdicaonate is an order by itself...

Sbdn John

Anyone got any more info on him and his life?

There is an idea now for the naming of a new parish somewhere ( *whispers* hopefully in Ireland *nudge nudge* ). :-)

From Fr. Borys Gudziak's brief history:

"Sacrificial cantor

Martyr Volodymyr Pryima was born on July 17, 1906, in the village of Stradch, Yavoriv District. After graduating from a school for cantors he became the cantor and choir director in the local church. He took active part in the life of his parish. Always and in everything he respected human dignity and built his life on the principles of the gospel. On June 26, 1941, agents of the NKVD mercilessly tortured and murdered him along with Father Mykola Konrad.

“Father Konrad went with the holy sacraments to fulfill his sacred obligation, hearing a woman’s confession in the neighboring village. He felt he had to go, though he was stopped. I know that they stopped him and said: ‘Father, don’t go. Look what’s happening: the war has started, anything could happen.’ He said that this was his sacred duty and he had to go. He got dressed and left together with Volodymyr Pryima, the cantor. They didn’t come back. After a week they were found there, murdered. People thought something was wrong. So they went to look for them and they found them there. It was awful. The cantor’s wife had two children. One was three, the other was four. Mama told me how when they were found everyone was overcome by what they saw. The cantor was especially cut up, his chest stabbed with a bayonet many times.”

- From an interview with Yuriy Skavronskyi.

Very sad very sad. Man is a Saint. Both of them, all of them in that house that day are Saints.