Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg Media

UPCOMING EVENTS

National Volunteer Week takes place April 23-29. This week is a special time set aside to thank and honour the people who donate their time and energy. It is also a time to raise awareness of the vital contribution volunteers make to our churches, communities and to society as a whole. The Archeparchy of Winnipeg expresses its sincere gratitude to those who volunteer in many capacities, especially in sharing in the mission of the Church to bring the good news to the people of God.

The next meeting of the Presbyteral Council/College of Consultors will take place at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, May 3 at the Chancery Office. Future scheduled meetings are June 5, September 25, and November 20.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk, as well as Rev. Jaropolk Radkewycz, Vicar General, a memorial Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, May 3 at Saints Volodymyr and Olga Cathedral.

The next Clergy Conference will take place Thursday, May 4, 9:15 am – 4:00 pm at Saints Volodymyr and Olga Cathedral. Future conferences are scheduled for June 8, September 26, and November 21.

S.E.R.V.E. 2006 will take place May 11-26 at Welcome Home, Winnipeg. SERVE – The Summer Endeavour in a Redemptorist Volunteer Experience – provides an opportunity for young adults to deepen their Christian life through an experience of the Redemptorist way of life and vision of the Church, which emphasizes sharing the Gospel with the most abandoned, especially the poor. Participants help with daily programs and life at the Welcome Home, and are assigned to volunteer projects and social services agencies (inner-city missions, soup kitchens, nursing homes, etc.). For more info, contact Michelle at the Ukrainian Redemptorist Ministry Office at (204) 338-6823 or ukryvm@mts.net.

2006 Clergy Retreat: June 5-8, Villa Maria, Winnipeg, Retreat Master Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak (note change). With the sale of Villa Maria, the annual clergy retreat has been moved from September to June.

Unity 2006 is an extraordinary event for young adults from across Canada. It is being held in Muenster, Saskatchewan at Saint Peter’s College from August 24-27. Young adults (18-middles 30s) are invited to be a part of this exciting weekend which promises to energize, re-unite and re-commit Ukrainian Catholic young adults to their Catholic Church. Sister Darlene Pelechaty, ssmi, and Father Mark Gnutel will facilitate the event. For more info, contact Tamara, Archeparchial Youth Coordinator, and visit the Unity 2006 website at http://unity06.sasktelwebsite.net. Watch for the Unity 2006 banner coming to your parish.

Pastors are asked to encourage their young adults to attend Unity 2006 and to include the following petition in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy:

We pray for Unity 2006, that as young adults gather to embrace and celebrate their faith, they open their hearts to the Lord. That this experience may help them to grow in awareness of God’s image in others, let us pray to the Lord.

The Central Canada 2006 Franklin Graham Festival, in cooperation with the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, will take place October 20-22 in Winnipeg. The Festival is supported by the three Catholic Archbishops of Winnipeg. For more info, see http://www.grahamfestival.org/winnipeg/. In preparation for the Evangelistic Festival, a series of preparatory events are planned; further information will be forthcoming when available.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Easter Pastoral Greeting of the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada is attached.

His Grace, Metropolitan Lawrence issued his first Pastoral Letter on the 50th anniversary of the Winnipeg Metropolia, which sets out the Archeparchy of Winnipeg plans to celebrate the event over a period of nine months from September 2006 to May 2007.

Photos of His Grace, Metropolitan Lawrence, 28 cm x 36 cm (11” x 14”) suitable for framing are available through the Chancery Office at a cost of $45.00. Other sizes and formats are available upon request.

The Holy Father gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, of Fr. Yaroslav Pryriz C.Ss.R., Protosyncellus (Vicar General) of the Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych, Ukraine, as Auxiliary Bishop of the same eparchy (area 6,900, population 609,359, Catholics 403,248, priests 245, religious 35). The bishop-elect was born in Lastivka, Ukraine, in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1988.

On February 13, the College of Consultors of the Eparchy of Edmonton elected Very Rev. William Hupalo elected as Eparchial Administrator. The Eparchial See became vacant upon the enthronement of Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak as Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in Canada.

On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Lviv Pseudo-Council (Sobor), which took place March 8-10, 1946, His Beatitude Lubomyr issued the attached letter.

This year’s Archeparchy of Winnipeg’s Share Lent collection will be directed towards Aid to the Church in Ukraine (Pomich Ukraini) Fund, specifically to support the Emmaus Centre of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv, in their ministry of providing support for persons with intellectual disabilities. This program funds daily workshop programs which allow persons with intellectual disabilities to discover their innate worth, their unique beauty, to grow and express themselves creatively. The Emmaus Centre is under the direction of Zenia Kushpeta, a Canadian, who for the past 14 years has been living in Lviv as a volunteer of L’Arche, co-initiating five projects benefiting persons with disabilities in Ukraine. The Lenten collection is a project of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association in Canada (www.cnewa.org). Monies collected should be returned to the Chancery Office by Flowery (Palm) Sunday, April 9.

From information gathered for the Annual General Statistical Questionnaire on behalf of the Vatican Secretariat of State, as of December 31, 2005 the Archeparchy has a Ukrainian Catholic population of 29,740; 144 parishes; 2 bishops; 37 eparchial priests, 12 religious priests, 14 deacons, and 24 female religious; 217 baptisms; 135 First Communions; 83 marriages; 67 kindergarten children; 224 elementary school children; and 276 residents at a home for the elderly. In 2004, by way of comparison, there were 34 eparchial priests, 12 religious priests, 13 deacons, and 27 female religious; 262 baptisms; 151 First Communions; and 92 marriages.

His Grace Metropolitan Lawrence, His Grace Archbishop Michael, His Excellency Bishop David, Rev. Richard Soo, sj, and the entire Chancery staff and volunteers extend to the clergy, religious, monastics, and faithful of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg a blessed and holy celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord. Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Copyright © 2007 Archeparchy of Winnipeg