700 attend Stamford Eparchy's Jubilee Day for Women (05/07/00)

700 attend Stamford Eparchy's Jubilee Day for Women

STAMFORD - More than 700 Ukrainian Catholic women from New York and New England filled the campus of the Ukrainian Catholic Seminary of St. Basil's College on Saturday, March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, to celebrate the International Jubilee Day for Women.

The large number of attendees - representing 41 of the eparchy's 49 parishes - was a testament to the strength of the Ukrainian Church, organizers said. They had expected only 300 women to attend the daylong event of prayer, lectures and sharing.

"The significance of such a large turnout is that our women are truly dedicated to the church, and they want the Church to serve them," said the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Morse, director of the Religius Education Department of the Stamford Eparchy.

He stated that the Church often has not done enough to recognize the importance of its women parishioners.

Pope John Paul II had called on Catholics around the world to celebrate women and recognize their contributions to the Catholic Church, and designated the Feast of the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God, as the day of recognition.

The Rev. Morse said women deserve the credit for sustaining the Ukrainian Catholic Church during the 70 years it was forced underground in Ukraine by the Soviet Union. Because women taught their children about the customs and faith at home, the Ukrainian Catholic Church was able to emerge [from the underground] with a base of 4 million members when the Communists fell in 1991, he said.

"We have never had anything like this before," said Olga Krohley of Stamford. "It's important to show that women have a lot to do with keeping the Church together by raising families together and in solidarity. I'm amazed so many showed up, it's very gratifying."

Roma Hayda of Easton, Conn., director of Obnova, the Ukrainian Catholic lay movement, used three icons of the Mother of God during her keynote address to talk about the meaning of being a Ukrainian Catholic woman.

"The image of the Annunciation shows how Mary is accepted and honored by God," Mrs. Hayda said. "The icon of 'Mary of the Sign' shows her as the carrier of the Gospel, and the image of 'Mary in Eternal Prayer' signifies that all of life is worship to God," she added.

"Mary is responsible to God and he is the full definition of a human being, physically and spiritually, in being accepted by God," Mrs. Hayda said.

"She gets her dignity from God, her orientation is to God, and that has helped women to survive through the centuries in the Ukrainian Catholic Church," Mrs. Hayda added.

Mrs. Hayda also said that she was heartened to see the large crowd at the event.

"There is a tremendous interest, and women want to be involved," she said. "It's important because we believe in our Church, we believe in His Holiness, and we believe in our future."

Women at the event also heard a panel discussion on the role of women in the Church titled the "Life Cycle of a Woman," and a presentation on "A Woman's Call to Beauty" by Sister Helena Paskevich, SSMI, of Reading, Pa., editor of "Awakening to Our Treasures," a Jubilee Year newsletter. A Ukrainian rendering of Sister Helena's talk was delivered by Sister Natalya Stoczanyn, SSMI.

Ksenia Dragan of St. Vladimir Parish, Stamford, introduced the moderator of the panel, Martha Andriuk, also of St. Vladimir's. Panelists speaking on "The Role of Women" included Dr. Marie Hilliard, executive director, Connecticut Catholic Conference; Ann Marie Homicki, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish, Spring Valley, N.Y.; Orysia Yanovski, St. Mary's Parish, Bridgeport, Conn.; Myroslava Rozdolska, The Sower; and women of St. Michael's Parish, Hartford, Conn.

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