Orthodox and Catholic Churches plan joint celebration (04/30/00)

Orthodox and Catholic Churches plan joint celebration

by Cornel Osadsa

PARMA, Ohio - Faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches have celebrated secular Ukrainian events together and joined together in social events for countless years. They have, in unofficial ways, attended liturgies and other spiritual events together.

Now, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio, under the guidance of Metropolitan Constantine, and St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, also of Parma, under the guidance of Bishop Robert Moskal, are hosting a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago in an event called "United in Christ!"

On Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21, the two cathedrals and the faithful of Cleveland-area parishes will combine their efforts in a jubilee weekend of spiritual activities. This Christian celebration begins at 5 p.m. on May 20 with Vespers at St. Vladimir's; Metropolitan Constantine and Bishop Moskal together with their Churches' respective clergies will participate.

A banquet on May 21 will take place at St. Josaphat's "Astrodome" Hall. The banquet begins at noon and will be followed by a concert featuring extraordinary liturgical music. Singing in the concert will be a youth choir and an adult choir. Both choirs will bring together singers from local Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic churches under the direction of Anna Keller, who will direct the adult choir, and Markian Komichak, who will direct the youth choir.

Metropolitan Constantine said he believes the immediate effect of this event and others like it will be will be multi-faceted. "First, mutual respect for one another as we are of the same blood," he explained, "also to present a united front in reaching out to humanity in general and our Ukrainian brethren in particular - not only in the diaspora but also on the home front in Ukraine."

Bishop Moskal said the event will "uplift our people in spirit and bring us closer together, because we're closer than we are distant." He added, "we can learn from each other so as to strengthen our love of God and our great hope in Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior of us all."

The metropolitan added that he also sees long-term effects from the jubilee weekend, in particular, greater dialogue within the United States regarding what unites us, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "Such a dialogue can only lead to greater respect for one another," he added.

"Two thousand years ago God became man in Jesus Christ. A little over a millennium ago, Ukrainians embraced the Christ child, and, as Ukrainians, we unite in celebrating that event in prayer and song as only the Ukrainian spirit can deliver it," Metropolitan Constantine underscored.

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