As
envisioned by pioneers, the “Oseredok” became the center of the
Ukrainian American community of Southwest Florida and it continues
proudly in its role to this day. Many civic, cultural and entertainment
activities have taken place there over the years, including fundraising
bazaars, concerts of world-renowned performers, lectures and dances,
just to mention some. As mentioned previously, Branch 56 of “Soyuz
Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies) and Post 40 of the Ukrainian
American Veterans have their offices and hold their meetings there.
Other organizations, including the Coordinating Committee of the
Ukrainian American Clubs and Organizations, currently headed by Roma
Guran of Venice, hold their meetings there also.
The leaders and members of the Oseredok felt very strongly that the
North Port community needed a church, which historically is the mainstay
of Ukrainian civic and spiritual life. The initial group of pioneers
was not large enough to build two churches to accommodate the two major
groups of the faithful, Greek Catholics and Orthodox. It was decided to
build one church as part of the Oseredok’s complex at 4100 S.
Biscayne Drive, named St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church, to serve both Greek Catholics and Orthodox. The historic
idea was blessed by two metropolitans, Mstyslav Skrypnyk of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Myroslav Lubachivsky of the Ukrainian
Catholic Church. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox
priests did the actual blessing of the building, and served the
liturgies and “molebens” (special prayer services) for a long time.
Due to an influx of more permanent settlers in our area, the church
building became too small to adequately accommodate the worshipers, and
in the early 1990s, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics built their own
church at the corner of Biscayne Drive and West Price Boulevard.
The first presidents of the executive board of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian
Religious and Cultural Center was Volodymyr Riznyk, retired entrepreneur from New York state, who resided with his wife Paulina in the Warm Mineral Springs community.
Canadian Senator Paul Yuzyk, who visited Warm Mineral Springs Day Spa
quite frequently due to his wife Maria’s ailments, was elected the
Oseredok’s vice president and public relations officer. It should be
noted that Riznyk and Yuzyk were natives of the United States and
Canada, respectively; neither ever visited their ancestral country of
Ukraine, and both were active in the Ukrainian American and Ukrainian Canadian communities’ organizations throughout their lives.
Riznyk was succeeded by Roman Shramenko of Venice, and Shramenko, by
Dr. Wolodymyr Korol of Warm Mineral Springs. The current president is
professor Victor Lisnyczyj of North Port.
•••
To
commemorate the 24th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s
independence (Aug. 24, 1991), molebens services will take place at both
St.
Andrew’s and St. Mary’s churches after the divine liturgies on Aug. 23.
At 8 a.m. Aug. 24 at City Hall, there will be the raising of the
American and Ukrainian national flags by our veterans and a reading of
the proclamation honoring Ukraine’s independence by the mayor of North
Port. All (except the veterans) are asked to come wearing their
traditional embroidered shirts and blouses.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.
Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn
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