Mourning death of renowned poet

The North Port and Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community bid farewell to a poet and writer, member of the Association of Writers of Ukraine, read and celebrated here as well as in Ukraine and worldwide Ukrainian settlements.
Halyna Pankiw, 92, known by her pen name Hanna Cherin, died Tuesday, July 19. 2016, and was laid to rest at Venice Memorial Gardens on Friday, July 22.
The traditional “Panakhyda” (requiem service) at the local Farley Chapel was celebrated Thursday by two Ukrainian Orthodox priests, the Rt. Rev. John Fatenko and the Rev. Oeh Saciuk, and the Solemn Requiem Liturgy (Mass) was celebrated by these two priests at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church, where the deceased worshiped. The church choir under the direction of Anastasia Fatenko sang beautiful responses at both services.
Speakers at the service and during the “Tryzna” (memorial luncheon following the interment) at the Family Table Restaurant were the Rt. Rev. John Fatenko on behalf of the local Ukrainian Orthodox community and Maria Nikitin on behalf of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center. They thanked her for many years of dedicated service at the center and at the Sen. Paul Yuzyk Memorial Library which is located at the Center, Mykola Weremijenko, a longtime friend of the deceased also spoke.
Halyna Pankiw, aka as Hanna Cherin, was born April 29, 1924, in Kyiv, now capital of Ukraine. She started to write poetry as a child. After graduating from high school she was accepted, without having to take entrance examinations because she graduated with honors from her high school, to study at the Kyiv Shevchenko University. Her studies were interrupted by World War II. After the war she wound up in the displaced persons camps in Germany, where her first book of poems “Crescendo” was published in 1949.
In 1950, she immigrated to the United States, settled in Chicago, eventually graduated from the University of Chicago and became the head of the University of Chicago Library. After her retirement in 1988, she came to Florida and devoted her time and talents to North Port’s St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as “Oseredok” (center) in Ukrainian, and especially to the center’s library, the largest Ukrainian language library in Florida.
Hanna Cherin authored 26 books of poetry and artistic prose, including some travelogues. Many of her works are directed at the children and teenagers, but it would be inaccurate to describe them as “children’s books” because her writings were universally admired and loved.
May she rest in peace: “Veeechnaya Pamyat!” (eternal memory).
•••
Sad news came from Toronto, Canada: A professor in the departments of History and Science, York University in Toronto, Orest Subtelny, Ph.D. (Harvard University, 1973), a Canadian historian of Ukrainian descent, author of many articles and books, active in Ukrainian Canadian organizations, especially “Plast” (Ukrainian Canadian Scouting Organization) lost his valiant fight with cancer July 24, 2016. He was born in 1943 in Krakow, Poland.
Subtelny and his writings were known throughout the world, including Ukraine. He will be missed by academia and the general public. “Veechnaya Pamyat!”
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukranian community for the North Port Sun. He can be e-mailed at atanask@aol.com 
 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Commemorating heroes, saying ‘thanks’ to officials

While reading the true history of Ukraine, not the version developed by our neighbors, especially Russia, and accepted as “true” by most western, including American, politicians and others, one will recognize that Ukrainians were freedom-loving people who fought, often with arms, to regain the freedom and independence of Ukraine.
Several brief interludes of independence during the last century ended in defeat, and what followed were more drastic measures by the occupiers.
One of the attempts to stand up to the advancing mighty Communist Russian armada is known in Ukrainian history as “Battle of Brody”, which took place in the second half of July 1944, in the vicinity of the small city of Brody, some 60 miles northeast of L’viv, cultural, and at one time a political capital of Western Ukraine. A military division of volunteers, in a large part young students and recent high school graduates, having witnessed recent murders by KGB (at that time known as NKVD) of thousands of patriotic Ukrainians, decided to take up arms in an attempt to stop the Soviet Army from taking L’viv. Outnumbered and out-gunned, the division was no match for the advancing armor, supported by aircraft.
Thousands were killed, many taken prisoner (and many of these summarily executed by SMERSH), with only a small number managing to survive, including those who had joined the Ukrainian Underground Army, known as “UPA,” fighting both invaders, Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Communist Russia.
The patriotic Ukrainians in Ukraine and throughout the world commemorate the thousands of young heroes of the “Battle of Brody” and pray for the repose of their souls during the month of July.
•••
The Ukrainian American community of North Port and Southwest Florida is very appreciative of the action of the North Port City Commission and of the Sarasota County Commission for recognizing the upcoming 25th anniversary of restoration of Ukraine’s independence which will be observed Aug. 24, 2016.
The proclamation for the 25th anniversary of the renewed Independence of Ukraine was presented by North Port Mayor Jacqueline Moore to Professor Vira Bodnaruk, president of the Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Clubs and Organizations of North Port and vicinity, during the city of North Port City Commission Special Meeting on July 7.
Approximately 30 representatives of the Ukrainian American community, including members of the local Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, attended the ceremony. Presentation of the proclamation of the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s independence by the Sarasota County Commission took place July 12 at the Robert L. Anderson Administration Building of Sarasota County in Venice.
Representatives of the Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community, most wearing the traditional Ukrainian embroidered attire, attended the ceremony. Members of the Ukrainian American Veterans, led by the UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron, were in their summer uniforms.
•••
To commemorate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Olena Teliha, who was born July 21, 1906, a commemorative assembly will take place tomorrow at the Memorial Cross at Babyn Yar near Kyiv.
Olena Teliha, poetess, publicist, literary personality and civic leader was murdered by the Nazis, together with her husband and several other Ukrainian patriots at Babyn Yar in February 1942. 
 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn (atanask@aol.com)

Farewell to a great community activist

The Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community bid final farewell to one of its longtime members and activists, Dr. Wolodymyr Korol, 94, who died on July 2, 2016. He was born on April 6, 1922, in Bytkiw, in one of the most picturesque regions in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine.

He attended schools in his native town and eventually the University in L’viv.
Like most Ukrainian youth of his time, he became involved in the Ukrainian political organizations in the periodbetween World War I and World War II, while lands of Ukraine were divided among Soviet Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania, intending the restoration of Ukraine’s independence.
Eventually, he became a member of the 1st Division of Ukrainian National Army. Following his retirement from work in Pfizer, Inc. medical laboratory in Groton, Connecticut, in 1994, Wolodymyr and his wife Halyna, who predeceased him in 2014, came to North Port, to join a young but grooving, and very active, patriotic Ukrainian American community.
They got involved in the local organizations, the Ukrainian Orthodox congregation which was worshiping at St.
Andrew’s Ukrainian Church, and St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known in Ukrainian as “Oseredok” (the center).
Wolodymyr eventually became president of Oseredok and served several terms until his health forced him to slow down.
Having been keenly tuned in to the processes in his native Ukraine, in February 1990, Wolodymyr organized the Association to Provide Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine, a 501(c) (3) humanitarian entity, for the purpose of raising funds to help Ukraine, at that time just beginning to function as an independent nation. The organization was cooperating with the national Coordinating Committee to Help Ukraine in USA.
During the first week of the North Port organization’s existence it managed to raise $84,684 from approximately 300 donors, 31 of whom donated $1,000 each. The fundraising continued and libraries, orphanages, clinics and other institutions were the beneficiaries until very recently when many of the active members of the organization died or became disabled.
“Panakhyda,” the traditional Ukrainian requiem service for the repose of soul of deceased Wolodymyr was celebrated last Sunday at Farley’s North Port Chapel. Celebrants were Ukrainian Orthodox priests, the Rt. Rev.
John Fatenko and the Rev. Oleh Saciuk, with the Rt. Rev. Mitrate Archpriest Wolodymyr Woloszczuk, retired pastor of Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, who also conveyed expression of sympathy on behalf of Pastor Rev. Vasyl Petriv and the Ukrainian American Catholic congregation.
Other speakers were Dr. Bohdan Bodnaruk on behalf of “Oseredok,” Professor Vira Bodnaruk on behalf of the Ukrainian Language Association, and Dr.
Wolodymyr Motyka on behalf of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Village Condominium and veterans of the Ukrainian National Army.
At the conclusion of the service, veterans of Ukrainian and American armies approached the casket and rendered individual hand salutes.
Solemn Requiem Divine Liturgy (Mass) was celebrated Monday, at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church by the Rt. Rev.
John Fatenko and Rev.
Oleh Saciuk.
The choir under the direction of Anastasia Fatenko responded beautifully at both, the Panakhyda on Sunday and Divine Liturgy on Monday.
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

Preparations for Ukraine's Independence Day

The North Port City Commission, at its regular meeting Wednesday at 4 p.m., will issue and present to the Ukrainian American community a proclamation designating Aug. 24 as “Ukrainian Independence Day” in North Port.
This year Ukraine will celebrate the 25th year of restoration of its independence which was officially declared Aug. 24,1991, and confirmed by more than 90 percent in the nationwide referendum held on Dec. 1, 1991. Professor Vira Bodnaruk, president of Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Organizations of North Port and vicinity, known in Ukrainian as “Hromadskyi Komitet,” is inviting all members of the community to attend the event at the North Port City Hall and to wear the traditional Ukrainian embroidered attire.
Col. Roman Rondiak, Commander of North Port’s Post No. 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans is asking all members to attend the event wearing Class B uniform with blue scarf.
•••
On Tuesday, July 12, at 9 a.m., the presentation of the Proclamation of the 25th Anniversary of restoration of Ukraine’s Independence will take place at the Robert L.
Anderson Administration Building of Sarasota County, 4000 Tamiami Trail S., Venice, Florida.
Members of Ukrainian American community are invited to attend the ceremony wearing the traditional Ukrainian embroidered clothing (“vyshyvanky”).
Ukrainian American veterans will be in their summer uniform (B with blue scarf).
A group photo will be taken at the conclusion of the ceremony.
•••
Vasyl Slipak, 41, a baritone at the Paris Opera, who gave up his singing career and returned to his native Ukraine to fight for his country in the war against Russian invasion, was killed by sniper fire last week near the town of Debaltsevo in the Eastern Ukraine. Mr. Slipak, born in L’viv on Dec. 20,1974, was recognized early in life as a musical prodigy and, after singing in the L’viv-based youth choir “Dudaryk” won first prize for performing Torreador Song from the opera “Carmen,” and eventually in France won fame for his rendition of the aria of Mephistopheles from the opera “Faust.”
Upon his return to Ukraine and joining the fight against Russian invaders, he adopted a traditional Ukrainian hairstyle, similar to a Mohawk, and the nom de guerre “Meph,” an abbreviation of Mephistopheles from the opera “Faust.” He would often sing for his fellow soldiers at the front.
Mr. Slipak was laid to rest at L’viv’s historic Lychakiv Cemetery, which is reserved for notable local figures and national heroes. His funeral Saturday saw tens of thousands of people attending the services and accompanying his casket draped in the Ukrainian National blue and yellow flag, with people kneeling on the street while the procession was passing, many crying, other singing patriotic songs.
Mr. Slipak’s survivors include his parents and an older brother. May he rest in peace: “Vechnaya Pamyat!” “Heroyi ne Vmyrayut!” (Heroes do not die!)
•••
The Ukrainian American community of North Port and vicinity was saddened by the death Saturday of Dr. Wolodymyr Korol, 94, one of the pillars of the community, former president of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, and other organizations, veteran of the Ukrainian National Army, and communicant of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the time of this writing.
Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians 

by Atanas Kobryn (atanask@aol.com)

Part of North Port history for 20 years

One of the first contacts made after my wife, Katrusia, and I arrived in North Port in 1995, in addition to our church, was the Kiwanis Club of North Port. Having been a member of the Kiwanis clubs since 1968 — Kiwanis Club of Buffalo, N.Y.; Kiwanis Club of Staten Island, N.Y. (also serving as president), and Mid-Island Staten Island Kiwanis Club (serving as charter secretary) — it was only natural for me to become a member of the oldest Kiwanis Club in North Port. During one of the luncheon meetings in May, 1996, Club past president Marshall Grove, then North Port Sun editor, after learning that I was from Ukraine, asked me if I could write a column or two for the Sun about the large number of Ukrainians in North Port and vicinity, about whom little was known. Not having a good excuse why I could not do it, I agreed and wrote a column describing some aspects of Ukraine and Ukrainians, touching upon customs, religious confessions, etc.
The column was published the first Wednesday in June, 1996.
According to Marshall Grove he got many telephone calls approving of the column and requesting more information. Even though I agreed originally to write only one or two columns, I could not say no to writing “a few more.” The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
In addition to providing the North Port area some basic information about people who call themselves Ukrainians, their country of origin, arrival in America, where in their religious and cultural centers are and more, the column recorded the activities and events in the local Ukrainian American community.
These included advance notice of commemoration of historic events, such as Ukraine’s Independence, the Chernobyl Disaster and Holodomor (Murder by Hunger), dinner/ dances, concerts and other events.
Some events were similar to those in other Ukrainian American communities, but there were exceptions.
There was a visit in February, 1998, of the Honorable Hennadiy Udovenko, president of 52nd Session of the United Nations, and minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
In March, 1998 there was a visit of Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yuri Shcherbak.
Both visits were duly reported in the column.
There were other visits of Ukrainian VIP’s, such as world-renowned composer Myroslav Skoryk, rector of Ukrainian Catholic University in L’viv (the only Catholic university in the territory of the former Soviet Union); the Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, and many lesser officials, correspondents and artists.
A historic event took place Nov. 1, 1998, at the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St.Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church.
It was the first time that four married deacons were ordained to be Catholic priests on the North American continent. The Ukrainian churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, follow the Eastern tradition of ordaining married men to be priests (men have to be married before the ordination. Once ordained, a single priest cannot marry, nor the widowed priest remarry). In 1929, at the request of the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States, who claimed married clergy of the Eastern Catholic Churches have a “demoralizing influence” on the celibate Roman Catholic clergy, the Vatican forbade ordination and deployment of already functioning married Ukrainian clergy in the western hemisphere.
Nov. 1, 1998, began the new era.


Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn (atanask@aol.com)

Father’s Day: Father always remembered

This Sunday our country, and many other countries, will observe the traditional Father’s Day. It is only proper to wish all fathers, godfathers and fathers-to-be “Happy Father’s Day!”
While I will certainly do my best to enjoy the day, my feelings will be overshadowed by memories of my father whom I saw for a few hours for the last time while I was a 16-year-old lad.
While attending high school in the not-too-distant city of Drohobych, I did not visit my parents and my siblings very frequently, and after visiting them July 7, 1944, I had no idea that that visit was to be the last one with my father.
The war was on, the Soviet Russian army was advancing, Nazi German forces were retreating, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was fighting both invaders, Russian Communists and German Nazis, and the people in the countryside, without access to media, wanted to believe that the war would soon be over, and both tyrannical dictatorships would collapse. Considering all this, my absence following departure from my parental home on that July 7, 1944, was to be of several weeks, maybe months, duration.
As it turned out, I was soon separated from my family, and for many years did not know anything about them, and vice-versa.
Many years later, I found out that, on Stalin’s orders, my parents, my younger brother and my two sisters — one only 9 years old, were deported from Ukraine to the Ural Mountains area in northern Russia, together with other relatives and hundreds of thousands of other Ukrainians. My father, in poor health since the lost War of Ukrainian Liberation following World War I, with no medical help during the trip to the Urals, died a month after arrival there. His remains were taken by the local authorities and disposed of without telling my bereaved mother where and how.
With God’s help, and I believe as a result of my mother’s prayers, I managed to survive the adversities of being an unwanted lost youth in foreign lands in Europe, and after eventually arriving in the United States, to establish a family, obtain an education and feel at home.
In memory of my father, who always emphasized the value of education, I dedicated my Niagara University master of arts dissertation to the memory of my father, “Whose Resting Place is Known Only to God.”
I will say a prayer and light a candle in his memory, and in memory of my late father-in-law, this coming Sunday.
•••
The Ukrainian American Catholic community of North Port and vicinity, led by the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, pastor, and many friends of the community, gathered Sunday at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center in North Port to honor a popular retired pastor, the Rt. Rev. Mitrat Archpriest Wolodymyr Woloszczuk, on his 90th birthday and 35th year of priestly service.
Rev. Woloszczuk was presented a certificate of appreciation for his service from His Holiness Patriarch Svyatoslaw (Shevchuk) of Kyiv, Bishop Bohdan (Danylo) of Parma, Ohio, and a plaque by Col. Roman Rondiak, commander of Post No. 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans.
Greetings were delivered by Roman Radzykewycz, Ann-Marie Susla on behalf of “Soyuz Ukrayinok,” Zina Ferenc on behalf of Sisterhood, and Daria Tomashosky delivered greetings from the mayor of North Port.
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

Honoring popular retired pastor

The Ret. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Wolodymyr Woloszczuk, of Venice, pastor-emeritus of Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port will be 90 years young on Monday, June 13. There will be a festive reception at noon, Sunday, June 12, at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center, 1178 N. Biscayne Dr. (corner of W. Price Blvd.) in honor of Rev. Woloszczuk’s 90th birthday and 35 years of priestly service.
Rev. Woloszczuk and his wife Maria moved to Venice in 1994 after serving as pastor of Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church in Akron, Ohio.
He concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s with Rev. Mitred Archpriest Dr. Ivan Tylawskyj, pastor of St. Mary’s, until Rev. Tylawskyj’s retirement due to his advancing age and failing health in 1998. Rev. Woloszczuk was assigned pastor by Bishop Robert M. Moskal, Ordinary of Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of St. Josaphat in Parma.
Being a member of the Ukrainian Catholic community in North Port, Rev. Woloszczuk was familiar with the needs of the parish. Under his guidance and leadership, supported by generous financial contributions of the parishioners, the painting of beautiful murals and icons by artist Ivan Denysenko, begun by his predecessor was completed. He arranged for various repairs and upgrades of the church properties, and he wrote and published a hard cover bilingual missal with daily, Sunday and Holy Day prayers and services. For his contributions to the parish, Bishop Robert Moskal conferred on him the title of Mitred Archpriest.
After his wife Maria’s death on Oct. 24, 2012, and in view of his age and declining health, Rev. Woloszczuk asked Bishop Robert Moskal to relieve him of active pastoral duties. In a letter dated Feb. 17, 2003, Bishop Moskal accepted his resignation.
Rev. Woloszczuk, using a walker, continues to attend many religious and civic affairs in our community, and continues to concelebrate the Divine Liturgies almost every Sunday. his health permitting, with Rev. Vasyl Petriv, current pastor.
Grateful parishioners and other members of the Ukrainian American community in North Port and vicinity will gather this Sunday. at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center to honor Rev. Woloszczuk, to thank him for his services and spiritual guidance and to sing him the traditional Ukrainian “Mnohaya Leeta!” (many-may years).

xxxxx
The local Branch #56 of the “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies) headed by Ann-Marie Susla, of Englewood, held its monthly meeting yesterday at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center. Officers and members wished each other healthy and safe vacations. There will be no membership meetings in July and August.

xxxzxx
Monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post #40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), will take place at 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 10, at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center in North Port. This will be the last meeting of the season: there will be no meetings in July and August.

Email: atanask@aol.com 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn