COMMENTARY: D.C. shrine seeks support to complete its interior (11/02/97)

COMMENTARY

D.C. shrine seeks support to complete its interior

by Eustachiy Derzko

WASHINGTON - In a neighborhood filled with educational and religious institutions, above the top of the surrounding trees rises the beautiful building of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family. Situated next to the Ukrainian Catholic Seminary, its golden domes shining in the sun, the shrine attracts tourists, - American and foreign. Unfortunately, most of the time visitors leave disappointed, because the interior of the shrine is not finished due to a lack of funds.

The Parish of the Holy Family is relatively small, and the initial plans for the erection of the church were modest. However, because Washington is the U.S. capital, the planning of the church was altered with the blessings of our religious leaders and influenced by the opinion and resolution of our community leadership. A decision was made to build a representative shrine of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S., with the understanding that the small parish could count on financial support from other communities and parishes in building the national shrine.

The name Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family and the architectural design by Myroslav Nimciw, AIA, were approved by then apostolic administrator Bishop Basil Losten on December 20, 1977, and later by Metropolitan Joseph Shmondiuk on February 3, 1978. Metropolitan Shmondiuk, and Bishops Losten, Innocent Lotocky and Robert Moskal gave their permission to collect funds for this project in their eparchies. The driving force behind the project was Holy Family's assistant pastor, and later pastor, the energetic Rev. Joseph Denischuk CSsR, who visited parishes in all the eparchies to collect funds.

In the first phase of building the lower part of the shrine was completed. It consisted of rooms for various purposes, a big hall and a kitchen. The first liturgy was celebrated on November 2, 1980, in the hall, which still continues to serve as a church sanctuary on Sundays and holidays. At present, only two rooms that are allocated to the store of the Marian Sodality and a bookstore-library, are the visible features by which the parish currently is able to present Ukrainian culture and art as a part of the Ukrainian Eastern-rite.

During the second phase, in 1988, the upper part of the shrine was built. However, only the exterior was finished, which was paid for by cash on hand and a mortgage.

In 1988, after the second phase, expenses stood at approximately $4,792,000. Collected funds, which at that time totaled $3,994,000 were used to pay off the expenses and since then, the mortgage of $800,000 and $367,000 of accrued interest has also been paid off. The parish currently has more than $600,000 in the Building Fund to complete the shrine. In the past 20 years, $5,761,000 have been collected for the national shrine.

Holy Family Parish has a little under 300 households, which includes families and singles. Out of the total collected sum of $5,761,000 for the building of the national shrine, the parishioners have donated $2,595,000. Although all Holy Family parish organizations continued to actively collect funds for the national shrine, in order to finish the shrine completely, an additional $3 million is needed.

In conjunction with that, in 1995, when the Rev. Thadeus Krawchuk was pastor (and for whom the completion of the shrine was an ever-present concern) he asked Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S., to approve a plan for the collection of funds for the completion of the shrine by sending an appeal to all parishioners of Ukrainian Catholic churches in the United States, and asking them to donate $10 per year for a period of five years. Unfortunately, only a few parishes answered the metropolitan's call, a fact that calls into question the seriousness with which all clergy and their parishioners accept the idea of finishing the shrine in Washington.

In February 1997, Metropolitan Sulyk again sent a letter to the archeparchial newspaper "The Way" on February 9), and again asked the clergy to remind, encourage and inspire their parishioners to make their minimal contributions for the year 1997 in order "to complete this symbol of our Ukrainian Catholic identity in our nation's capital."

The Parish of the Holy Family also turns to the entire Ukrainian American community, asking their support for completing of the national shrine, to make the words of the patriarchal blessing by Patriarch Josyf Slipyj come true: "May God bless you and help you to erect this shrine in the free land of Washington" (January 28, 1976).

The Parish of the Holy Family is grateful to Metropolitan Sulyk for his special attention and understanding, to all those who contributed to the Building Fund, and to everyone who paid off the memorials, which will be realized upon the completion of the shrine.

Holy Family Parish is most willing to provide any additional information to assist in fund-raising efforts in other parishes. For more information contact: Deacon Theophil Staruch, Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, 4250 Harewood Road NE, Washington, DC 20017; telephone, (202) 526-3737.

Eustachiy Derzko is a trustee of Holy Family Parish.

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