WHIPPANY, N.J. – Archbishop Borys Gudziak, who was enthroned on June 4 as metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, made a pastoral visit on June 16 to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany, N.J.
He was welcomed by parishioners and faithful from the surrounding area, including large numbers of children and youths, among them members of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the Ukrainian American Youth Association who arrived with their organizations’ flags.
At the entrance to the church, Metropolitan Borys was greeted by the pastor, the Rev. Stepan Bilyk, and teenagers of the parish. The church was filled to capacity with over 300 people in attendance. The choir of the Ukrainian Catholic University, which was visiting from Lviv, sang the responses.
After the liturgy, the parish welcomed the metropolitan at a luncheon in the adjacent Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey. Performances were given by local talents, including bandurist/vocalist Oksana Telepko; bandurists/singers Kalyna and Ulana Leshchuk, accompanied by violinist Andriy Gavrysh; Iskra Ukrainian Dance Academy; Mothers in Prayer; and the Whippany chapter of the Ukrainian American Youth Association; as well as the visiting choir from UCU. Several local organizations presented special greetings and gifts to Metropolitan Borys. Dr. Roksolana Leshchuk served as master of ceremonies.
Flag bearers of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the Ukrainian American Youth Association lead the procession toward the church.
Altar servers listen to Metropolitan Borys’s homily.
The choir of Lviv’s Ukrainian Catholic University sings the responses.
A view of the June 16 liturgy inside St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, where a new iconostasis was blessed just four weeks earlier.