Buffalo community remembers victims of Famine-genocide (12/26/99)

Buffalo community remembers victims of Famine-genocide

by Osyp Hawryluk

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The local Ukrainian community on Sunday, December 5, gave respect to the victims of the Great Famine of 1932-1933 engineered by Stalin in Ukraine. Under the capable leadership of Chairman Pavlo Bandriwsky, 21 Ukrainian organizations of Buffalo, N.Y., united to produce a successful commemoration.

Over 1,200 people attended 10 a.m. liturgy in St. Joseph's Cathedral, and 500 took part in a solemn memorial march to City Hall.

Ukrainian Catholic clergy concelebrated together at the altar with Bishop Henry J. Mansell of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Bishop Mansell gave a very strong sermon on the Ukrainian Famine-genocide, quotes of which appeared in The Buffalo News.

Gloria Grega-Long and Maria Dranka, famine survivor, took part in the processional, bearing communion gifts to the altar. The Boyan choir of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, directed by Zenon Deputat, sang the "panakhyda," with Ukrainian Orthodox clergy participating and the entire church congregation joining in toward the end. All who attended were deeply moved.

The march featured men, women and children in Ukrainian embroidered shirts (Buffalo weather cooperated with temperatures reaching 64 degrees F), carrying church banners, Ukrainian flags draped with black ribbons, and posters of starving victims of the Famine.

A proclamation declaring December 5 "Ukrainian Genocide Day of Remembrance in Buffalo and Erie County" was read at City Hall by Thomas E. Gleed, representing Buffalo Mayor Anthony M. Masiello. Mr. Bandriwsky read the "Great Famine" address delivered on November 20 in New York City by State Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), which said in part: "Today, too many do not know enough of this great tragedy - one of the greatest tragedies in the history of mankind."

Articles about the event appeared in the Saturday, December 4, and Monday, December 6, editions of The Buffalo News; local TV affiliates of NBC and ABC carried news clips of the event on their evening broadcasts.

Organizers extended thanks to Yuri Darmohrai's "Ukrainian Radio Program" (2 p.m. Saturdays on radio station WHLD AM 1270) for publicizing this event weeks in advance, and also for providing carpooling information for Sunday morning. The "St. Sophia Patriarchal Society Radio Program" (1:30 p.m. Sundays on radio station WHLD AM 1270) was cited for encouraging the Ukrainian community of Buffalo to attend this event.

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