Patriarchal Commission for Priestly Formation in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Truskavets, Ukraine May 15-17, 2013: The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchal Commission for priestly formation under the leadership of Most Rev. Ken Nowakowski, Bishop of New Westminster for Ukrainian Catholics in British Columbia and Yukon are holding their annual meeting in Truskavets, Ukraine. The members of the commission comprise of rectors of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from around the world. This year the spiritual directors of the seminaries were also invited to join the Commission Members for a joint session before attending a special retreat directed by Rev. Andrij Onuferko, spiritual director of Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa and a professor at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute for Eastern Christian Studies at Saint Paul University also in Ottawa, Canada.
The Commission updated the Vocational Awareness Directives brochure that they had published last year, reviewed seminary programs and policies regarding married seminarians, courses on monastic and religious life, and programs for on-going formation of clergy.
Vibrant Parish meeting in Ukraine
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| Vibrant Parish meeting in Ukraine - May 2013 |
Brukhovitsi/Lviv, Ukraine, 13/14 May 2013: The Working Group for the Strategic Development of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for the period until 2020 under the leadership of Most Rev. Ken Nowakowski (Bishop of New Westminster, Canada) and Most Rev. Bohdan Dzyurakh (Secretary General of the Synod of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishops) held a working session in Brukhovitsi on 13 May. The Working group is comprised of clergy and lay-faithful from Europe, North & South America and has the responsibility to assist the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops in implementing the pastoral plan based on the Pastoral Letter of HIs Beatitude Sviatoslav, father and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church "The Vibrant Parish, the place to encounter the Living Christ!"
On May 14th the Working Group met with coordinators of each of the Archeparchies, Eparchies and Exarchates (Archdiocese, Diocese) of Ukraine to review the progress, and challenges of the last few months in Ukraine with regard to the Pastoral Plan. The coordinators were also introduced to new documents produced by the Working Group to assist parish priests with pastoral planning and the administration of the parishes.
The members of the Working group also had an opportunity to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with clergy from the Sokal-Zhokva Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy who were on their annual retreat. The Liturgy was celebrated in Blessed Nykyta Budka Chapel. Blessed Nykyta Budka was the first Ukrainian Catholic Bishop in Canada.
Bishop Ken celebrates Divine Liturgy at Sts. Peter & Paul in Lviv
Bishop Ken Nowakowski, Eparch of New Westminster for Ukrainian Catholics in British Columbia and Yukon celebrated Divine Liturgy at Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Lviv, Ukraine on Sunday 12 May 2013. Fr. Stephan Susse the pastor of the parish welcomed Bishop Ken and Fr. Andrij Onuferko (Spiritual Director of Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa, Canada) to the parish. Bishop Ken is in Ukraine this week chairing the Ukrainian Greek Catholic's Pastoral Plan Implementation Team "The Vibrant Parish" and later the Patriarchal Commission for Priestly Formation. Saints Peter & Paul Parish had been closed for public worship since the mid 1940s by the Soviet Authorities. Two years ago the local government opened the church for public worship by Ukrainian Greek Catholics. The church is located in the centre of the City of Lviv and serves more than 2,000 faithful.
Letter from His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the Beloved Mothers of Priests serving in the Ukrainian Greek-CatholicChurch throughout the world
Picture: Bishop Ken, Edward & Sandra Shawchuk
Edward Shawchuk was elected the State Deputy of the British Columbia and Yukon Knights of Columbus at their 102nd Annual Convention held in Richmond, BC 26-28 April, 2013. Bishop Ken and the Clergy and Lay-Faithful of the Eparchy of New Westminster extend their congratulations and prayerful support to Edward as he assumes this very important and highest position in the Knights of Columbus in British Columbia and Yukon.
Eparchy of New Westminster celebrates the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus'!
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| Click to view photoalbum |
This year all Ukrainian Christians celebrate the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of the Kyivan Rus’ – Ukraine. In 988, during the reign of St. Volodymyr the Great, our forefathers believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized. Without fear of contradiction, it can be said that this is the most important event in the history of the Ukrainian people. That event had a profound and indelible impact on our history and culture. The values of the Gospel and of the Christian faith have permeated our way of living, our customs, our tradition. The Baptism of Kyivan Rus’ – Ukraine made us what we are – a Christian people.
The Ukrainian Catholics of the New Westminster Eparchy together with the Orthodox parishes of the Lower Mainland were the first who start to celebrate this event. The official celebration took place on Sunday, April 14, at the St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Center. At the beginning of the festivity Most Rev. Ken (Nowakowski), Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster, together with Rev. Fr. Roman Tsaplan, the pastor of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, greeted all the participants and reminded them that absolutely everything that is best, finest and loftiest we owe to our Christian faith, that our forefathers received 1025 years ago. The musical performance of the joint choirs of the Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Choir, (Director Lydia Gennai), the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral Choir, (Director Willi Zwozdesky), and the Svitanok Chorus, (Director Ann K. Kozak) has created an unforgetful atmosphere of the feast. A prayer-aria “Vladyko Neba i Zemli” permormed by Rev. Fr. Edward Evanko became an “adornment” of that musical part.
In addition to the musical performance, the participants of the celebration also have heard the presentations on the various topics: the history of the Baptism of the Kyivan Rus –Ukraine (by Fr.Andrii Chornenkyi); the cultural and religious impact of the acceptance of Byzantine Christianity by St. Volodymyr on Europe and eventual the New World (by Most. Rev. Ken (Nowakowski)); the influence of Kyivan Byzantine religious practices on the Church in Canada (by Sr. Angelica (Hodowansky) (SSMI)).
The performances by the children the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox School and the Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Heritage School gave hope to all the attendants that in another 1000 years our Ukrainian Christian culture will be alive.
At the conclusion of the celebration Bishop Ken led the rite of the renewal of baptismal vows and
blessed all the participants. The official part of the festivity was closed with the traditional “Mnohaya
lita”.
Stake Your Claim in Faith
Pastoral Letter for the Year of Faith Bishops of British Columbia and Yukon
HIS BEATITUDE SVIATOSLAV HAS INVITED YOU TO KYIV IN 2013!
Celebration of the 1,025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivian-Rus, UkraineHIs Beatitude our Patriarch Sviatoslav has invited the faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Church to make a pilgrimage to Kyiv in 2013 to celebrate the 1,025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivian-Rus, Ukraine! The major celebration will be a special Divine Liturgy on Sunday August 18 at the Holy Resurrection Sobor in Kyiv. Join Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, OSBM of Winnipeg and Bishops David Motiuk of Edmonton, Ken Nowakowski of New Westminster and Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R. of Saskatoon on an official pilgrimage to Ukraine 7-21 August. The Pilgrimage will begin in Western Ukraine visiting Lviv, Zarvanytsia, & Ternopil before heading out to Kyiv for the major celebrations. In the next few weeks more details will be announced as soon as the program is finalized. Solaway Travel has been commissioned to assist our Church in arranging for our travel plans and accommodations on this pilgrimage.
Myrna Arychuk
Solaway Travel
3819 Sunset Street,
Burnaby, BC V5G 1T4
myrna@solawaytravel.com
Tel: 604 430 6789 Fax: 604-430-2244
Solaway Travel
The First Biography of Bishop Budka
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| Bishop Budka, Fathers Jean and Bala. Sifton, January 1913 |
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| Sembratovych and Budka, Kolomya 1912 |








