Ukrainian Orthodox Church in U.S. holds 16th triennial Sobor (10/28/01)

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in U.S. holds 16th triennial Sobor

UOC-USA Office of Public Relations

SOUTH BOUND BROOK, N.J. - It was a moving moment on Wednesday, October 10, when bishops, priests, deacons, monastics and delegates participating in the 16th Triennial Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. (UOC-USA) - under the theme "Sanctify them in the Truth. Thy Word is the Truth!" - carried an icon of the Mother of God of Pochaiv in solemn procession from St. Andrew Memorial Church to the main auditorium of the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Amid the prayerful refrains of the hymn dedicated to the Mother of God, the icon was solemnly enthroned and the sobor was called to order by Metropolitan Constantine.

A divine liturgy was celebrated prior to the procession, following which the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. - Metropolitan Constantine, and Archbishops Antony and Vsevolod - joined by Bishops Yurij of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada and Jeremiah of the Eparchy of South America, placed the United States of America, scarred by the horrific events of September 11, under the protection of the Virgin Mother of God. It was her apparitions in Constantinople, the bastion of Orthodox Christianity, and at Pochaiv, western Ukraine's center of Orthodox Christian prayer and thought, that served to unify and strengthen the faith and resolve of the faithful.

Throughout the four days of proceedings, primary attention was given to the agenda of spiritual growth and development through the holy mysteries. To this end, the holy mystery of confession [reconciliation], the divine eucharistic liturgy, and morning and evening meditations on the mysteries of faith were an integral part of the daily sobor program. Bishops, clergy and lay participants of the sobor began each day with the eucharistic Lord and concluded each day by reflecting on the goodness of God who invites all to personal and communal holiness and perfection.

Panel discussions held during the sobor, as well as committee and general plenary sessions, gave evidence of the workings of the Holy Spirit at the Sobor. All aspects of Church ministry - administration, youth ministry, religious education, missions, Christian charity, stewardship, family ministry, inter-Church affairs, education, finance, development, cultural and ethnic affairs, publishing and St. Sophia Seminary - were thoroughly studied and planned for during the sessions. The strong desire of every delegate to be faithful to his/her Orthodox Christian calling and to labor with zeal for the good estate of their local parishes and the entire Church was evident.

In their addresses to this 16th triennial gathering, the UOC-USA's metropolitan and archbishops focused on spiritual growth and maturity, as well as the nature and role of the Church in general and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in particular.

Participating in the sobor were over 200 clergy and lay delegates representing parishes in the three eparchies of the UOC-USA. Also present in addition to hierarchs of the UOC in South America and Canada was the Rev. Father Wasyl Makarenko, president of the Consistory Presidium of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada.

The normal sobor agenda was embellished by events that focused on unity, trust in God's help, cultural treasures and a vision of the future. Among these events were the planting of a tree by Junior Ukrainian Orthodox League members and the metropolia's youth minister, Natalie Kapeluk, symbolic of the unity between the youth of the UOC-USA and the youth of Ukraine; a candlelight memorial to the 5,000 innocent people who perished in the recent terror attacks on America; a moving concert of spiritual music executed by artists from Ukraine and the United States; and the blessing of the land upon which the museum portion of the UOC Historical and Educational Complex will be erected.

In his "State of the Church" address, Metropolitan Constantine covered all aspects of metropolia life and called for a new spirit of evangelism, one that begins with each individual and extends to parish, eparchial and Church life, and must include the Church's newest spiritual children - new immigrant brethren from Ukraine.

Archbishop Antony, in reflecting on the four-day sobor, stated that he could sense the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit in the way the sobor participants related to each other and called upon all to continue the journey to spiritual perfection and awareness as a unique, believing and noble people.

Archbishop Vsevolod noted that, as Ukrainian Orthodox by birth, heritage or adoption, the uniqueness of the faithful lies in the fact that they are spiritual children of a greater entity - the historic Kyivan Church of Rus'-Ukraine, which gave birth to the Church of the north in Moscow and many Slavic Church families.

Archbishop Yurij focused on the role of the Mother of God to whom two centers of Orthodox Christian faith turned in their time of need, Constantinople, the mother Church of the Kyivan Metropolia, and the Monastic Center of Pochaiv in western Ukraine. He called upon all to be imitators of the Virgin Mother's faith and devotion.

Bishop Jeremiah called upon all to be people of prayer and action, a loving and forgiving people who emulate the faith and devotion of those sainted men and women of Ukraine who changed the face of Ukraine and sanctified its life by their own example, which often led to martyrdom.

The 16th Sobor concluded as it began, with a divine liturgy and a response to Christ's invitation: "In the fear of God, with faith and in love, draw near!" The participants returned to their parish families filled with an even greater commitment to the Gospel, the teachings of the holy fathers, Church discipline and the spirit of fraternity and sorority that marks the lives of all who have been baptized and clothed in Christ - and "sanctified in His Truth."

Editor's note: This official press release ended with a notation advising readers to "refer to the next issue of the Ukrainian Orthodox Word for an in-depth presentation about the sobor."

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