Dual Celebration Takes Place at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, OH
Dual Celebration Takes Place at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, OH

Archpastoral Parish Feast Day Visit – July 2021: St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (Parma, OH)

On July 28, the Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir. With the example of his grandmother, Blessed Equal-to-the-Apostles Olha (whose memory our Church celebrates just a few days earlier on July 24), Saint Vladimir baptized the Kyivan Rus’ in 988. For this reason, many of our Ukrainian churches have Saint Vladimir (or Volodymyr) as their patron saint.

On Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio was honored to welcome and celebrate their feast day with His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, Archpastor and the ruling hierarch of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Very Rev. Fr. John Nakonachny, pastor; Very Rev. Fr. Michael Hontaruk, assistant pastor; and Protodeacon Ihor Mahlay concelebrated along with Archbishop Daniel and the other clergy present.

Celebrations began with Vespers on Saturday evening, with many parishioners attending the service and singing under the direction of Fr. John. Archbishop Daniel offered a reflection on his recent experience at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., urging the faithful to take the example of St. Olha and St. Vladimir and remain strong in their faith. In the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Hontaruk served with Protodeacon Ihor Mahlay, Very Rev. Roman Yatskiv from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Monessen, PA), and Very Rev. Dmitri Belenki from St. Mary Dormition Parish (Lorain, OH).

On Sunday morning, Archbishop Daniel was welcomed to the St. Vladimir parish family by Mykola Logvynyuk and Sophia Zhuchyk, representing the parish youth; Serhij Nahornyj, Parish Board President; and Very Rev. Fr. John Nakonachny. Very Rev. Fr. Ion Gherman from the Romanian Orthodox Church and Very Rev. Roman Yatskiv from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Monessen, PA) joined Very Rev. Fr. John Nakonachny, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Hontaruk, and Protodeacon Ihor Mahlay in the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Our young readers, Christina Logvynyuk and Sophia Zhuchyk, read the Epistle.

Under the direction of Markian Komichak, the choir was especially beautiful on this Sunday morning, which Archbishop Daniel noted in his remarks at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Mr. Komichak was recognized with a well-deserved hramota and Centennial Medal, awarded to him by Archbishop Daniel, in honor of his 30 years of service to the parish as choir director.

The high school graduates of St. Vladimir Cathedral, Serhiy Duntsiv, David Greaves, Iryna Kryvyak, and Christina Logvynyuk, were also celebrated today and were given an Orthodox Study Bible, generously donated by the Senior UOL. David Greaves received a plaque noting his many years of service in the Holy Altar as an altar boy. Additionally, in recognition of their dedication to our parish family, David Greaves and Christina Logvynyuk were awarded the Fr. Stephen Hankavich Fund Scholarship by the Brotherhood to support their future endeavors.

Following the Liturgy, everyone was invited to the Grand Hall for a parish dinner, and everyone was glad to be together for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and after a most-extraordinary year. Under the direction of Oksana Logvynyuk, the children of the St. Vladimir School of Dance delighted all present with a performance of “Hopak.”

Serhiy Zadko of the Cleveland Maidan Association greeted and thanked the parish family for their continuous support of the veterans and their families over the last eight years.

The parish family also welcomed guests from the St. Mary Protectress Parish in Southfield, MI: Irene Smyk, Parish Board President, and Vera Murha, Parish Board Vice President. They greeted the St. Vladimir parish family with their feast day and complimented the cooperation between the two parishes.

Following reflections from Fr. John, the event concluded with a prayer, with Archbishop Daniel offering a blessing for parochial love, peace, and cooperation for many years, as the parish approaches its centennial in 2024. Everyone was glad to see their spiritual father, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, and they look forward to seeing him and hearing his sermons more often in the future.

Archpastoral Parish Feast Day Visit – July 2021: St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (Parma, OH)

Text by Yulia Hontaruk-Levko

Photos by Subdeacon Yaroslav Bilohan

(82 images)


Share This:



< PreviousNext >
You might also like:

Strategic Plan

image
image
Prayer Books
Prayer Books
Calendar 2024
Calendar 2024
Prayer Book
Prayer Book

  

Recent Galleries
Metropolia
Directories
Institutions
Organizations

Mailing Address
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
P.O. Box 495
South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

Offices:
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Metropolia Center
135 Davidson Avenue
Somerset, NJ 08873