YONKERS, N.Y. – Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization of Yonkers, N.Y., participated in the Good Friday evening service on Friday, April 14, at the Holy Protection of the Mother of God Parish in Mount Kisco, N.Y., headed by the Rev. Taras Chaparin.
The traditional service was followed by a procession of children carrying the Holy Cross and the Holy Shroud, or “Plashchenytsia.” They circled around the church three times with Father Taras before laying the Plashchenytsia down at the altar. Children then stood on each side of the Plashchenytsia as parishioners went up to pay their respects to the Lord.
Members of the Yonkers branch of the Ukrainian American Youth Association and young parishioners also participated in the procession.
On Holy Saturday, April 15, members of Plast Yonkers, as well as UAYA Yonkers, also participated at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers, N.Y.
There the children participated in the tradition of standing guard at each side of the Plashchenytsia as parishioners came to pay their respects to the Lord. This took place during the blessing of Easter baskets outside on the church lawn. The Very Rev. Fr. Kiril Angelov is the Yonkers pastor.
The Plast group in Yonkers was organized in the 1950s when a large Ukrainian community had settled there after World War II. Meetings were then held in the church hall of St. Michael’s original site located on Chestnut Street. The current church was built in the 1980s and is located on 21 Shonnard Place.
Plast meetings are held on Wednesday evenings at the Ukrainian Youth Center on 301 Palisade Ave. in Yonkers.
– Hurtok Yastruby, Plast-Yonkers: Mark Myskiw, Mykola Pawliczko, Pavlo Williams and Luka Holian.