THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE IN UKRAINE

Pastoral letter regarding observances of Day of Remembrance of Famine

My Dear Friends:

Man's inhumanity to man has never been more apparent than in the instances of genocide that have besmirched the history of civilization. Whenever a crime against humanity is perpetrated, right-thinking people are appalled, for it is so beyond our comprehension and contrary to human nature.

In 1932-1933, Lazar Kaganovich spearheaded Stalin's artificially orchestrated famine intended to drive independent farmers into collectivized Soviet agriculture and to crush Ukraine's growing national identity. Propaganda, manipulation of the truth, secrecy and even denial shrouded the starvation of 7 million Ukrainian peasants. They had no champion to give voice to their plight, and others - like The New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Walter Duranty who should have brought the genocide to the world's attention - either engaged knowingly in a shameful cover-up or turned a blind eye to its horrors.

It is now 70 years since this human depravity was visited on the innocents of our native land. The victims are, for the most part, unknown; but, if they were known, they would be too numerous to be counted - however, not too numerous for tearful remembrance.

At 2 p.m., on November 15, we will, once again, for the 12th consecutive year, gather for a memorial service in St. Patrick's Cathedral. I urge all Ukrainians in the New York metropolitan area to make every effort to join in prayer for those victims and show that we have not forgotten.

A solemn march, beginning at 11 a.m., from St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church to St. Patrick's Cathedral will give testimony to our outrage and pain. I call upon all of you who are able to join your priests, religious and schoolchildren in a public display of our solidarity, carrying banners and placards on high to let the world know about this "Hidden Holocaust."

To give further evidence of our compassion, I direct each of our parishes to conduct a food drive during the first three weeks of November, the food collected to be given to your local community food bank before Thanksgiving.

I will join you with a heavy heart on this Day of Remembrance, taking solace in our voices joined in prayer.

With all good wishes I confer upon you my episcopal blessing, and remain.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Basil H. Losten, D.D.
Eparch of Stamford

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, November 16, 2003, No. 46, Vol. LXXI

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