Volodymyr Duda
The Ukrainian community gathers at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Chicago to remember the victims of the Holodomor.
CHICAGO – In keeping with its mission, the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation-USA Inc. (UGFF) annually commemorates the victims of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933 with a memorial panakhyda and “holodnyi obid” (literally, hungry luncheon).
Nicholas Kocherha, president of the foundation, reaches out to one of the many Ukrainian churches in the Chicagoland area to co-host the commemoration. On Sunday, September 15, the UGFF, in cooperation with St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Chicago, co-hosted the 2019 commemoration in memory of 10 million victims of the genocidal Holodomor.
With the blessing of Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk, the memorial service took place at the iconic cathedral located in the heart of the Ukrainian village in Chicago. The Very Rev. Serhiy Kovalchuk, the Very Rev. Volodymyr Kushnir and the Rev. Roman Bobesiuk welcomed the Ukrainian community to the cathedral.
Church bells tolled as John Jaresko, president of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Bloomingdale, Ill., gave opening remarks and read off the numerous Ukrainian organizations that participated and support the foundation. The procession into the cathedral began with children carrying the cross and wreaths. Organizations and Ukrainian American Veterans Post 32 followed with their respective banners and flags.
The panakhyda commenced at the tetrapod with Very Rev. Serhiy Kovalchuck, the Very Rev. Volodymyr Kushnir and Father Roman Bobesiuk (St. Nicholas Cathedral, Chicago).; the Rev. Mykhailo Leshchyshyn, the Rev. Yaroslav Marykot, the Very Rev. Mitred Protopriest Victor Poliarny (St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Bloomingdale, Ill.); the Very Rev. Mykhailo Kuzma (Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church, Palatine, Ill.); the Rev. Roman Artymovych and the Very Rev. Oleh Kryvokulsky (Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, Chicago); the Rev. Anatoliy Basarab (Holy Patronage Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Chicago), the Very Rev. Bohdan Nalysnyk (St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church, Chicago); the Rev. Yuriy Sakvuk (St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church, Munster, Ind.); the Very Rev. Bohdan Kalyniuk (Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Bensenville, Ill.); and the Revs. Dmytriy Bihun and Rev. Bohdan Rudnytskyy (guests from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine).The memorial service was accompanied by the cherubic voices of the St. Nicholas Choir under the direction of Chrystyna Kosacz.
Following the memorial service, the assembled streamed solemnly into the St. Nicholas School auditorium for the “holodnyi obid” during which a very moderate cold luncheon was served in significance of the human suffering imposed upon the Ukrainian people by starvation. The holodnyi obi” was organized by Nestor Popowycz, president of the parish board, and board members Natalie Acevedo and George Matwyshyn with the gracious assistance of many members of the parish.
During the luncheon, Mr. Jaresko served as master of ceremonies of the artistic program. Participants in the program were the St. Nicholas Cathedral School Choir under the direction of Iryna Dychiy. Children performed a short presentation on the Holodomor, explaining the collectivization process imposed on the Ukrainian people. The children closed this powerful portion of the program with their angelic voices to the hymn “Hospody Pomyluy Nas” (Lord Have Mercy on Us).
Yulia Perohozhuk, an award-winning 10-year-old violinist, performed Mozart’s “Ave Maria” and Myroslav Skoryk’s, “Melody.”
Keynote speaker Lesia Lesyk delivered an informative presentation on the “Psychological Effects of the Genocide on Generations.” Ms. Lesyk, a registered nurse, explained the physiological changes that occur to the human body during deprivation of food and the effects of the Genocide on Ukraine and future generations. Ms. Lesyk clarified the importance of worldwide recognition of the Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainians.
Volodymyr Duda
Lesia Lesyk, the main speaker at the commemorative event.
In his remarks, Mr. Kocherha of the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation-USA commented: “…although many of our intelligentsia question and dispute the numbers that perished during the genocide, we have researchers currently analyzing newly discovered documents… initial indicators are that a minimum of 10 million were exterminated during the famine genocide in Ukraine.”
During the event’s closing remarks, the Very Revs. Kovalchuk and Poliarny stressed the importance of disseminating awareness of the tragic years 1932-1933 years in the history of Ukraine.
St. Nicholas Choir concluded the program with “Hospody Pomyluy Nas” (written by Taras Petrynenko).