New Ukrainian Catholic church is dedicated in Georgia city (01/03/99)

New Ukrainian Catholic church is dedicated in Georgia city

by Tony Jatcko

CONYERS, Ga. - The new Mother of God Catholic Church of the Byzantine Ukrainian Rite, the fruit of many long hours of work and prayer by Msgr. John Stevensky and his congregation during the long hot Georgia summer of 1998 - was dedicated here on October 11, 1998. Bishop Robert Moskal, Msgr. Tom Sayuk and Deacon Mike Levy joined the Rev. Stevensky and his congregation on a beautiful fall Sunday morning, and performed the dedication rite witnessed by over 3,000 attendees.

The date for the dedication was chosen to coincide with the annual pilgrimage of more than 200,000 faithful from around the world to a site nearby where an apparition of the Blessed Mother of God was expected.

Morning and evening divine liturgies conducted at the new church were attended by tens of thousands of visiting pilgrims. A special outdoor covered platform and altar were constructed to accommodate the crowds for the liturgies, while a continuous flow of visitors came to pray and admire the new church.

The dedication rite began with a procession from the new church, the interior of which was recently adorned with a display of the art and icons of the renowned iconosist Mila Nina, assisted by the Rev. Basil Krayniak.

Bishop Moskal and his procession were met at the outdoor altar and welcomed with traditional gifts of bread and salt to begin the ceremony. A bouquet of roses was presented and a welcoming poem was recited by two students, Andrew Pfundstein and Steven Luong of the Mother of God Learning Center, which was recently established adjacent to the church.

"We are very pleased to be blessed by the establishment of the new Mother of God Parish for our faith-community here in the Atlanta area," said Tony Jatcko, a representative of the parish community. "We are also blessed by the presence of a fine priest like Msgr. John, Sister Cecelia Sworin, [SSMI] and Sister Evelyn Stock [SSMI] to lead us in our spirituality within the Eastern Rite doctrines," he added.

Bishop Moskal began the dedication ceremony by leading his group of concelebrants into the church for anointing and blessings. The Revs. Omar Huesca, Basil Krayniak, Msgr. Sayuk, Deacon Mike Levy and Msgr. Stevensky assisted Bishop Moskal in a very beautiful outdoor divine liturgy. Sister Cecelia led the congregation choir and as the crowd joined in the divine liturgy was heard afar.

After the liturgy, members of the congregation hosted a brunch reception in the rectory for Bishop Moskal and visiting clergy.

"I sincerely thank Bishop Moskal and my fellow priests for being with us to bless our new church this fine morning," said the Rev. Stevensky. "I also especially want to thank my new faith-community for doing the impossible to prepare this dedication and assure them all that God has to be with us to bless us as He has."

"And I would also like to thank the many pilgrims who have visited, and continue to visit, us here," he added. "We are blessed with an outstanding Center of Spirituality right next door, by merit of the apparition site of our Blessed Mother as well as the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, that are both an attraction for many Christians." Combining this now with our new Catholic parish, Mother of God, makes for a complete spiritual journey for our visitors," he noted.

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