NEWS AND VIEWS: St. Andrew's Cathedral dedicates mosaic (02/11/01)

NEWS AND VIEWS: St. Andrew's Cathedral dedicates mosaic

by Eugene M. Iwanciw

SILVER SPRING, Md. - The celebration of the Feast Day of St. Andrew by the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle had an added dimension on December 10, 2000. The parish witnessed the blessing of the mosaic of St. Andrew that graces the facade of the cathedral. Created by artist Sviatoslav Makarenko, the mosaic was funded by the Petrenko family in memory of Orest Petrenko.

The blessing of the mosaic took place after the divine liturgy and was followed by a lunch and program. The parishioners and guests were greeted by the president of the Parish Council, Dr. Peter Chopivsky. The children of the Church School then provided a short skit for the audience. The entertainment also included a narrative of St. Andrew hosted by Lydia Chopivsky Benson and a musical program by Laryssa Pastuchiv Martin. The Very Rev. Stefan Zencuch of the parish led the prayers.

Anya Dydyk-Petrenko, sister-in-law of the late Orest, addressed the parishioners and guests on behalf of the Petrenko family. She thanked everyone who contributed to the fund, with "Very special thanks to the Bingo family, our sisterhood and choir, and Orest's friends - Eugene Iwanciw, Andre Filipov, Roman Stelmach, Hanja Cherniak and Orest's godsister, Dr. Inia Tunstall, and her husband, Brian, for their very generous contributions in memory of Orest."

"The mosaic is truly spectacular," she continued, "whether the gold glistens in the morning sun, or the colors of the stones are picked up by afternoon rays or its splendor is dramatically accented by spotlights against the backdrop of a star-studded evening sky, or in the snow, as we witnessed today. Everyone who sees it is struck by its majesty."

Ms. Dydyk-Petrenko concluded: "May this mosaic always remind us of our faith in God and dedication to our Church, and may the memory of Orest live in our hearts always."

Also addressing the gathering of parishioners and friends was Orest's mother, who reiterated the commitment of the family to making the mosaic a lasting tribute to her late son, a parishioner of St. Andrew's.

While the blessing ceremony and program were enjoyed by all, a trace of sadness about the passing of Orest Petrenko a little more than two years ago at the age of 46 was evident among those assembled. Many in the room had known Orest from his youth and had watched him grow. Others had become friends with Mr. Petrenko during or after college days. All knew him as a person who was friendly, funny, caring, dedicated and always ready to help others. He contributed a great deal of time and effort to his Church, as well as to other Ukrainian organizations. But his real legacy is the legion of friends he left behind in the community, among his colleagues at work and in society as a whole.

Throughout the recent Christmas season the movie "A Wonderful Life" no doubt was shown many times. In the movie, Bedford Falls would have been a dismal place had George Bailey not lived and touched so many people in so many wonderful ways. People who knew Orest feel like the population of Bedford Falls; they are richer in spirit for having known and been touched by Orest Petrenko.

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