www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Church Slavonic liturgies in the Ruthenian Metroplolia...

True story, going back several decades. A town in the west (yippee-ky-ay, dude!) had a number of families from western Ukraine. This came to the notice of clergy of the Van Nuys diocese, and one of them arranged to serve the Liturgy there. It was publicized among the Ukrainians, and many came, expecting the service they had had in the staryj kraj, including Slavonic. However, it was *all* in English, and the result was great disappointment. Nevertheless, a mission was organized, and a cantor trained in Europe who lived in retirement right in town offered his services. Everyone on the scene recognized the importance of the immigrants--and therefore of Slavonic--for the success of the mission; there were also a number of former Latins, refugees from post-Vat-II innovations (you know what I am talking about), so of course no one suggested all Slavonic, but the parish started out using more Slavonic than English. Recall too that the cantor, who had lots of experience, had never sung a word of English in church, only Slavonic (he could sing Hungarian too, but never spoke of it because he had something of a grudge against the Magyars).

Mostly the chant was CR, because that was what the cantor knew, but with Galician melodies where there was overlap because most of the Europeans were Galician. After a time, a permanent priest was assigned.

Then a priest representing the diocese came to check up, and gave the parish hell for singing a lot of Slavonic. Turned out that his home parish refused to switch from Hungarian to English, and withered and died, but it was pretty clear also that the diocese disliked Slavonic.

In the end, the parish switched to another jurisdiction, not just because of the language issue--there were various difficulties. As the immigrant generation passed on, more and more of the service was done in English; there was no desire to cling to Slavonic at all costs. But the folks in LaLa land seemed totally unwilling to understand that the actual demographic circumstances of the parish required a deal of Slavonic at that time. They were quite convinced that Slavonic = Ethnic and English = American, and in general Slavonic was a Bad Thing (esp. for the pocketbook, I suspect).

Stephen

When the exclusion of Slavonic is couched in don't sing anything in Slavonic or else... phraseology, one might get the distinct impression there is a considerable ill will toward even the use of the minutest syllable of Slavonic used in the Divine Liturgy.

I would hope that retaining at least a small vestige of Slavonic in the DL would be acceptable even in our modern age.

It would seem (to some) that to be a 'non ethnic church' we are to abandon the language of our forebearers completely? I would certainly hope not! In time the usage of Slavonic may well trail off, but to mandate it away in order to hasten it's demise when there is comfort among the parishioners is foolhardy, in my humble and insignificant opinion.


Steve

In Pennsylvania, there are several Churches where the Sunday Liturgy (although predominantly in English) does have some use of Church Slavonic. As far as parishes that still have a "Slavonic Sunday Liturgy," I had heard that the parish in Levittown, PA still had an all Slavonic Liturgy - but I have not validated that personally.

From what I have heard, the 9am Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Uniontown Otpust will be celebrated in Church Slavonic. If it's like previous years, that means EVERYTHING, including readings, communion prayer--everything, that is, except a Ruskyj sermon.

There is no reason why in "centers" like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, one parish--perhaps a parish that needs a reason to hang on such as Holy Ghost Cleveland or Holy Spirit Oakland--could not become a sort of centralized Slavonic Liturgy site for those of us who are willing to travel to celebrate.

The Latins, who need an indult to celebrate the Old Mass in the Old tongue, have seen great success with such centralized Tridentine churches. Our need is far simpler--just the one and only Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom/St Basil, celebrated in Slavonic.

Until then, mnohaja l'ita to Munster, Hillsborough, Levittown and any other parish that can still celebrate in Slavonic.