UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA
CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRESS RELEASE

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City Offers Assistance to Ukrainian Orphanages!

Sunday, February 12, 2012 was a special day for Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City, NY and a special day for the children of Puhachiv and Znamyanka Orphanages in Ukraine as faithful of the parish community in New York City, NY hosted a fundraising event to benefit the needs of the disabled children. 

Through the pastoral vision of Very Rev. Todor Mazur, pastor of the Holy Trinity UOC community, the faithful spent several days (especially cooking for over a hundred people event) preparing for the visit of His Grace Bishop Daniel to share with the faithful and guests of the parish family the information about the most fulfilling ministry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA – the Orphanage Program.

The bishop arrived to the cathedral accompanied by the entire student body of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary of South Bound Brook, NJ, who led the parish congregation in chanting the responses to the Archpastoral Divine Liturgy. It was quite a sight to hold as the escort of numerous cars drove through the streets of New York City’s China Town in order to reach the Ukrainian Orthodox community of Holy Trinity’s Cathedral.

As the bishop entered the church, the youth of the parish community offered him flowers of love, which the bishop immediately shared with each of the children that with smiles on their cheeks and joy in their eyes listened to the bishop’s questions and Archpastoral guidance.

As the Divine Liturgy progressed, more and more faithful arrived to share the Eucharistic service with the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Following the Gospel reading, Bishop Daniel offered an inspiring sermon, reflecting upon the life of two brothers (Sunday of the Prodigal Son) and the choices that we often make in the relationship with our Heavenly Father and His unconditional love towards His creation.

Dozens of children and faithful of the cathedral’s community received the Holy Eucharist from the hands of His Grace Bishop Daniel, who lovingly lowered himself to distribute the Holy Gifts to the smallest of the parishioners.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the pastor of the parish family – Very Rev. Fr. Todor Mazur along with his parishioners welcomed guests and visitors to the parish community to their social hall, where a home prepared luncheon took place.  Namely there, during the Agape meal in the social hall, the bishop shared a Power Point presentation and a slide show about the Church’s work-ministry with the children of Ukrainian orphanages. Prior to his remarks, the bishop welcomed to the community several past Mission Team members that were in attendance: Katia Kosiv of Holy trinity Cathedral in New York City, NY; Olga Coffee of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, MD; Subdeacons Vasyl Pasakas and Vasyl Dovgan of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary in South bound Brook, NJ, as well as Zoryanna Bruher, a volunteer of Children of Chornobyl and Relief Development Fund, who joined the parish congregation for the presentation from Ukraine.

The emotions of the afternoon were painful… the tears on the eyes of people, as they looked at the images of handicapped children, brought them to a resolve to assist the Church in her charitable ministry. As the presentation came to a conclusion Bishop Daniel presented the faithful with two short movies created by Adam Kennedy of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia, PA and Monty Swan of St. Michael and St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, MN, reflecting the ministry of the Church in 2007 and 2010 years of our Lord.

As the day concluded, the faithful in attendance presented the bishop with a donation to the Charitable Orphanage Mission Fund in the amount of about $4,000.00, for which His Grace Bishop Daniel expressed profound gratitude and stated that “…it is through the Grace of God and the generosity of the faithful of the UOC of the USA and the Church’s friends that this unique ministry of saving and improving lives in the name of Christ is possible. I am grateful to all of you for the one in a life time opportunity that I enjoy – representing the faithful of our Church among the disabled children of the orphanages in Ukraine. It is quite a ministry, and because of it my personal spiritual life journey has been touched and nourished by each of you and love that you offer for the children of Ukrainian orphanages.”

The day concluded and the faithful were heading homes, offering their pledges to continue their active participation in the living ministry of Christ’s presence in the charitable actions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.