The Board of Directors of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky, of North Port, met recently at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian American Religious and Cultural Center, known as “Oseredok” (the center, in Ukrainian). Reports of Secretary Doris Horbachevsky, Treasurer Nancy Wosny, Correspondence Secretary and Chair of Social Services Committee Halya Lisnyczyj, Chair of the Club’s Scholarship CommitteeVictor Lisnyczyj and Didusi Project coordinator Lieda Boyko were discussed, summarized by Tomashosky — and approved.
The board members also approved the continuation of funding to support families with small children in Ukraine whose breadwinners were either killed or severely wounded and incapacitated in the war against Russian invaders, to cooperate with Punta Gorda Cultural Heritage Center, and to cooperate with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) during its upcoming national convention in the spring of 2017.
There will be no monthly membership meeting from May through August. The next monthly membership meeting will take place at 3 p.m., Sept. 28, at the Oseredok.
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Members of the Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post No. 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, Inc. headed by retired U.S. Army Col. Roman Rondiak will participate at the Memorial Day Program at Venice Memorial Gardens on Friday and at the “Panakhydas” (requiem services) for the repose of souls of all departed veterans which will be celebrated at the conclusion of the Sunday’s Divine Liturgies (Masses) on Sunday at Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port, and at Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Petersburg.
At 10 a.m., Monday, Memorial Day, members of UAV Post No. 40 will participate, as they do every year since the post’s formation, at the Memorial Day Observance at Veterans’ Park (next to the North Port Public Library) in North Port.
Post members are to wear Class B uniform at all aforementioned affairs.
The next monthly membership meeting will take place at 1 p.m., June 10, at the Oseredok. This meeting was originally scheduled for June 3, but it was rescheduled for June 10 due to many members’ inability to attend the June 3 meeting. A luncheon will follow the meeting.
There will be no membership meetings in July and August, however members will be asked to participate in the Ukraine’s 25th anniversary of independence celebrations Aug. 24, sponsored by the “Hromadskyi Komitet” (Coordinating Committee of Ukrainian American Organizations of North Port and Vicinity) headed by Vira Bodnaruk of Venice.
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The North Port Milena Rudnycka Branch No. 56 of UNWLA, popularly known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies), headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will hold its monthly membership meeting at 10 a.m., June 7 at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive, corner of West Price Blvd.
Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn
The monthly membership meeting of North Port’s Roman G. Lazor Post No. 40 of Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Post Commander Col. Roman Rondiak, U.S. Army, retired, was held last Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as “Oseredok” (the center, in Ukrainian) in North Port. Following the delivery of reports by Post Adjutant John Czerkas, Finance Officer Oleh Sawkiw and other officers, members discussed at length the plans for memorial ceremonies at the funeral services for recently departed Post 40 member John Homick.
Homick, 87, of Warm Mineral Springs, passed away Monday, May 2, 2016. Born in Trenton, PA, he married Ann Katchmar in 1952 and moved to Bridgeport, Conn., where he worked until retirement. John and Ann moved to Warm Mineral Springs in 1992. John was a Korean War veteran, serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
He was a member of the American Legion and of the Ukrainian American Veterans, originally in Connecticut and finally in North Port, where he served as finance officer of Post 40 for several years. In addition to his wife, Ann, to whom he was married for nearly 64 years, he is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
Funeral services began with the viewing and “Panakhyda” (requiem service) celebrated by the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, pastor of Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port, where John worshiped, at Farley Funeral Home, North Port Chapel. Veterans were standing in formation during the service, rendering a hand salute during singing of “Khrystos Voskres” (Christ is Risen — an appropriate conclusion of service during the post-Easter season instead of “Veechnaya Pamyat” — eternal memory) and then approaching the casket and saluting the departed comrade individually.
Requiem Divine Liturgy (Mass) was celebrated at St. Mary’s Church, whereupon John was laid to rest, with military honors, at Sarasota National Cemetery.
May he rest in peace — “Veechnaya Pamyat!”
Post 40 members also discussed at last Friday’s meeting the participation in the traditional Memorial Day Program atVenice Memorial Gardens on Friday, May 27, “Panakhyda” for the repose of souls of all departed veterans Sunday, May 29, and North Port official Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 30.
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Ann-Marie Susla, president of North Port Branch No. 56 of Ukrainian NationalWomen’s League of America, commonly known as“Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian Ladies), regrets that she had to cancel this month’s membership meetings, first due to the Easter holidays and then due to the funeral of John Homick, husband of Ann Homick, a longtime active member of UNWLA.
The next monthly membership meeting will take place at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 7, at St. Mary’s Parish Center.
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On May 8, Ukraine observed the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, which pays tribute to victims of the 1939-1945 WorldWar II. The Memorial Day, proclaimed by the U.N. General Assembly, was introduced last year. It coincides with May 8, 1945, the day of Nazi Germany’s surrender.
Ukraine also celebrated on May 9, the day of victory over Nazi forces inWWII.
The law says that it is the sacred duty of the state and Ukraine’s citizens to respect the victory over Nazism, and to respect all veterans, members of Ukraine’s liberation movement, and Nazism victims.
Like many European countries, Ukraine now uses a red poppy to commemorate theWWII victims.
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
Celebration of Easter according to the “Old” Julian calendar, which Ukrainian Greek-Catholics and Orthodox in Southwest Florida follow, necessitated some changes in scheduling of meetings of some local Ukrainian American clubs and organizations.
Accordingly, this year’s Easter was celebrated May 1, and the next two days, Monday and Tuesday The North Port Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will hold its membership meeting at 10 a.m., May 10, at St. Mary’s Parish Hall, instead of the traditional first Tuesday meeting.
This change was necessitated because Tuesday, May 2, was a holy day and a Divine Liturgy (Mass) was scheduled to be celebrated at 10 a.m.
This change is only for this month. The June membership meeting will be held at 10 a.m., on the first Tuesday June 7, at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as “Oseredok.”
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The monthly membership meeting of the North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Post Commander Col.
Roman Rondiak, USA (Retired) of Osprey will be held at 1 p.m., Friday at the Oseredok.
The agenda of the meeting will include the post’s participation in the traditional Memorial Day Program at Venice Memorial Gardens on Friday May 27, and in the City of North Port Memorial Day Observance at North Port’s Veterans Park (next to the North Port Area Public Library).
The UAV Post 40 participation in these and in other civic and veterans affairs is legendary: very often the Post 40 members constitute the largest uniformed veterans contingent at the affair.
There will be two other issues discussed: date, and agenda of the June meeting (last meeting before vacation break), and the traditional “Panakhyda” (requiem service) for the repose of souls of all departed veterans to be celebrated at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy (Mass) at Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church on Sunday, May 29. The liturgy begins at 10 a.m., and “Panakhyda” will be celebrated a few minutes after 11 a.m.
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The management and staff of the popular “Nasha Kukhnya“ (our kitchen) of St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church regret to inform all customers and friends that it is suspending serving the traditional Fri. evening Ukrainian American dinners until the first weekend after Labor Day, and wish all an enjoyable, healthy and safe vacation.
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It is proper to recognize, to glorify and to thank all mothers (including great-grandmothers, grandmothers,godmothers, foster mothers, and expectant mothers) for their contributions to the human race on their special Mother’s Day this Sunday.
I salute all, including my own loving wife Katrusia, who is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in her own right, and wish them good health and the traditional Ukrainian “Mnohaya Leeta!” (Many, many years).
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol. com.
Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians