Celebrations continue to mark the centennial of the founding of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., with the milestone already marked on July 27-28 in South Bound Brook, N.J. Upcoming celebrations include the UOC-U.S.A.’s centennial on September 22-23 in Los Angeles for the West Coast, and the annual Family Fest on Labor Day weekend (September 1-3) at All Saints Camp in Emlenton, Pa. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada marked its own centennial on August 9-12 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The centennial celebrations were announced by a proclamation that was issued in 2017 by the hierarchs of the UOC-U.S.A. – Metropolitan Antony and Archbishop Daniel. The proclamation notes how Ukrainian immigrants – seeking freedom from “suppression and oppression they had known in their native land” – formed communities across the United States, erecting churches in large cities at first, and then spreading into suburban areas.
The proclamation states: “…We commemorate all those hierarchs, clergy, monastics and faithful who came before us, sacrificing so much more than most of us do 100 years later, for the extension of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Through those first 100 years of our history, our founders and benefactors gave the best of what they had, in order to endure the preservation of our rich spiritual legacy, inherited from our ancestors, preserving it in a land free of fear, repression and extinction. We thank God for their conviction, dedication and devotion, which continues to inspire us to follow their example.”
During these celebrations, that proclamation reminds us of the mission of the Church to work for the salvation of souls and “…to offer healing, comfort, wholeness, spiritual fulfillment and joy as we work together to reveal the beauty of God’s creation by proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
An extensive bilingual overview of the history of the UOC-U.S.A. was included in the beautiful commemorative books that were distributed at the centennial celebration’s banquet in South Bound Brook. The book traces the Church’s roots from Ukraine’s declaration of independence in 1918, to the formation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church under the leadership of Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky in 1921 in Kyiv, to the arrival of Archbishop John Theodorovich in 1924 to the United States, the first Sobor in the U.S.A. and the creation of the Archdiocese of the American-Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.
The book underscored the work of Patriarch Mstyslav, then archbishop and later metropolitan of the UOC-U.S.A., who as president of the Consistory during the 1950s and 1960s was instrumental in the creation of the Metropolia Center of the UOC-U.S.A. in South Bound Brook, N.J., where the centennial celebrations were held. The center serves as the spiritual, education and cultural center for all Ukrainian Orthodox Christians outside of Ukraine.
Archbishop Msytyslav was also described as the “driving force” for the unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America and the American Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. during the 1950s into the UOC-U.S.A.
The Metropolia complex today includes St. Andrew Memorial Church, St. Andrew Cemetery grounds, the Sisterhood hall, the historic Fischer House and Fischer family graveyard, St. Sophia Theological Seminary building (including Three Hierarchs Chapel), St. Sophia Library, the Ukrainian Cultural Center, the Ukrainian History and Education Center, the Consistory administrative offices, St. Andrew Bookstore and St. Andrew Ukrainian School.
Patriarch Msystlav’s crypt is located beneath St. Andrew Memorial Church at Holy Resurrection Mausoleum, along with historic personal items.
The book also includes descriptions of the various Church organizations, a parish and clergy directory, as well as descriptions of each parish.
Archbishop Daniel, looking to the future of the Church, called upon the faithful during divine liturgy on July 29 at St. Andrew Memorial Church to concentrate on their spiritual journey, raising the next generation of spiritually and morally solid Ukrainian Orthodox Christians and citizens of the 21st century.
“…We must act in faith. We must stand on the promise of Christ that if we are busy going about the duty the Lord has assigned us, just as the disciples were busy getting their boats to the other side of the shore as Jesus had instructed them, then He Himself will come to us walking on the very waves that threaten to swallow us up. As the Church in the modern world, like Peter’s boat, sails through the stormy seas of our time, we need to keep an eye on those very seas for Jesus who comes to bring deliverance, peace and love…”
The Ukrainian Weekly wishes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., its hierarchs, clergy and organizations many more blessed years of service. Mnohaya, mnohaya lita!