LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (04/25/04)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kudos to Losten for resolute stand

Dear Editor:

It was very gratifying to me as a Ukrainian Catholic to read the March 1 open letter to Orthodox patriarchs written by Bishop Basil H. Losten of the Eparchy of Stamford, who is also chairman of the Ecumenical Commission, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Synod of Bishops (April 4).

In his letter, Bishop Losten stands resolute on the issue of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Patriarchate as he tries to allay the anxieties of the Orthodox patriarchs by placing patriarchal developments in the appropriate historical and canonical context. At the same time, he does not shy away from describing the political machinations of the Moscow Patriarchate, which continues to use Church issues to consolidate Russian state power.

Bishop Losten's letter is the model of true ecumenical leadership. His is a rational discourse, sensitive to reasonable concerns of involved parties and open to dialogue with our Orthodox brethren in a spirit of true Christian charity.

As he exercises his diplomacy (in the best sense of the word) by his careful choice of words, what also strikes me in the letter is his confidence and great strength as a leader as well as his sense of dignity and self-respect for our Ukrainian Catholic Church, which has survived a tremendous trial by fire in the 20th century.

I believe I speak for many others of my generation when I say that I have never been more proud to have this hierarch as my Bishop. Thank you, Bishop Losten.

Which leads me to my next point. At this critical time, the Ukrainian Catholic Church is being buffeted about by the jostling of various religious and political power centers in the world. Our bishops, who in a Synod of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Bishops in 2002 unanimously agreed to a Patriarchate for our Church, face many pressures, and they need to be stronger than ever. We as members of the Ukrainian Catholic laity can and must support them on this question. Let the voices of the laity, young and old, be heard - after all, we are the Church, and we are concerned for its future.

Call, visit, write or e-mail your bishops. Let them know you support their commitment to the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Patriarchate. Ask them what they are doing at this time to move the process forward and ask them how you can help. By closely working together with our hierarchs, we will be active participants and not just passive observers in the Patriarchate movement, and we will create a stronger, more unified Church in the process.

Anisa Handzia Sawyckyj
Forest Hills Gardens, N.Y.

Why only 7,000 members in N.J.?

Dear Editor:

At the recent New Jersey meeting of members of the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union, Executive Vice-President Ihor Laszok cited a figure that stuck in my mind. He said that the credit union's New Jersey branches represent 7,000 members out of the total SUAFCU membership of 20,755. This 7,000 figure was hard to accept. We know that there are well over 100,000 Ukrainian Americans in New Jersey, and all we have is 7,000 members. Why?

My question to those who read this is very direct: Do you have the same privileges in your community bank that you have in a credit union, any credit union? When was the last time you were invited to the meeting of your bank? When was the last time that the board of your community bank donated money for SUM, Plast or any other Ukrainian or non-Ukrainian causes?

Your credit union offers online banking. You can scan your account at any time 24/7 and make financial transactions (not all commercial banks offer this service). The Parsippany branch, located in the Parsippany building of the Ukrainian National Association, is planning to have an ATM machine for your financial needs.

During a very interesting discussion at the SUAFCU meeting that I attended a suggestion came from the floor: "We who are present at this meeting and we who represent the recipients of the credit union's generosity should recruit at least one new credit union member in 2004." This concept should apply to all the Ukrainian credit unions in America. At our 2005 meeting we could show there are 14,000 New Jersey credit union members.

Zenko Halkowycz
Teaneck, N.J.

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