MIAMI – On October 4, South Florida Ukrainians joined the worldwide community in commemorating the victims of the Holodomor in the “Light a Candle of Remembrance” project. The decision of cooperating organizations – Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Branch 17, the parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian-American Club of Miami – was to present this event in a public place where non-Ukrainians could observe and learn about the Holodomor. The location chosen was the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami.
Prior to the event, mayors of Miami and the county of Miami Dade issued proclamations citing the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian nation. During the Candle of Remembrance program, Patty Krysa read the proclamation of Miami Dade.
After Oksana Piaseckyj, organizer of the event, lighted the symbolic candle, Father Andrii Romankiv, pastor of the Assumption Church, with Auxiliary Bishop Peter Baldacchino of the Catholic Diocese of Miami and Deacon Paul Galadza, led a panakhyda for Holodomor victims. Responses were sung by members of the church choir, led by Donna Maksymowich-Waskiewicz. The choir sang “Bozhe Velykyi,” and then the names of 85 children who perished from hunger were ready by Deacon Galadza, Karyn Wilk, Marijka Karachun and Patty Krysa. The commemoration ended with the singing of the Ukrainian and American national anthems.
During the month of November, several other events will focus on the Holodomor. On November 1, two classes of students at Miami Dade College at the Wolfson campus will hear a lecture/discussion on the Holodomor given by Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide Awareness, with the participation from Ukraine via Skype of Prof. Myroslava Antonovych of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Prof. Myroslav Marynovych of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.
On November 18, there will be a commemorative concert at the Koubek Center in Miami, featuring the Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North America. Finally, on November 24, the commemorations will culminate with a special Miami Tower lighting in blue and yellow lights shining over the city of Miami.