The Ukrainian American community today

There were many changes in the local Ukrainian American community since my wife, Katrusia, and I settled in our newly built home here in North Port in 1995, just as there are noticeable changes in our city of North Port, with some 12,000 inhabitants in 1995 and more than 60,000 now. There was never a known figure or a percentage of Ukrainian Americans in North Port then, nor is there one now. It is generally agreed that Ukrainian Americans constitute the largest ethnic minority of our city.
Twenty years ago, there were some clubs and organizations that are no longer active, even though some elderly former members, including officers, remember “the good old days” when they were younger and healthier. These were the Organization to Defend Four Freedoms of Ukraine (ODFFU), Ladies Organization of ODFFU and Ukrainian Gold Cross.
The oldest institution of Ukrainian Americans is St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, affectionately known by the Ukrainian name “Oseredok” (center).
It celebrated its 50th anniversary recently.
Membership is open to all regardless of political, religious, ethnic, etc. persuasion, and it is a home to St.Andrew’s Ukrainian Church, Sen Paul Yuzyk Memorial Library, Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), affectionately known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies) headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, and Cpl.Roman G. Lazor Post No. 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans (UAV) headed by retired U.S. Army Col. Roman Rondiak, of Osprey.
The center is open to other clubs and organizations for the meetings and other activities.
The umbrella organization, Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Clubs and Organizations of North Port and Vicinity”, known in Ukrainian as “Hromadskyi Komiter” now headed by Professor Vira Bodnaruk of Venice, meets there regularly.
St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church is the oldest Ukrainian American place of worship in North Port and Southwest Florida. It was established as an ecumenical Church, to serve Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox faithful. As a result, of the influx of more Ukrainian Americans to this area it soon became necessary to build another, larger church.
As a result St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church is now being used exclusively by the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful, now under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. John Fatenko of North Port.
The Ukrainian American Greek-Catholics built a new church, Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, or “Vvedenye” in Ukrainian, also known as St. Mary’s, whose current pastor is Rev. Vasyl Petriv.
The local Ukrainian American Baptists worship at the Ukrainian Baptist Church of North Port, located at 3950 Wall Street, North Port, now led by Pastor Vitaliy Bernatskiy.
He newest Ukrainian American place of worship is the Ukrainian Bible Church located at 3840 S. Biscayne Drive in North Port.
The First Slavic Pentecostal Church of North Port has, according to some estimators, more than half Ukrainian Americans, even though it is not a “Ukrainian” church.
Many Ukrainian Americans worship at San Pedro Roman Catholic Church and other local churches.
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