100th Anniversary Celebrated for Holy Trinity in Youngstown,
OH
October 16, 2011
Every major anniversary deserves a celebration, and the commemoration of one hundred years in the life of a thriving parish is no exception. With current pastor Rev. Steven Zarichny, Deacon Donald Billy and all the parishioners, Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Youngstown reached this milestone in 2011.
One hundred years ago members of the 150 families who settled in the Youngstown area longed to worship God in their own church„in their own tradition of faith handed down to them for many centuries. Their hopes and prayers were answered by God through the priests sent to them, who encouraged them in their faith. The church was officially incorporated on January 17, 1911 and the cornerstone of the church was laid and blessed by Bishop Ortynsky on November 12,æ1911.
Much credit must be given to the parishioners who gave their pennies to support this church, who donated money at the $1 or $2 level or made liberal loans from $50 to $500 during the early construction phase of the church. Construction was financed entirely by month-to-month collections. The building was completed in the early part of 1913, but many of the refinements came slowly due to financial difficulties.æIn 1935, the mortgage on the church was paid in full, even though it was during the Depression.æ
During the years, the parish has had many organizations and activities, including Ukrainian School, religion classes, Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM), Plast, the Boyan Choir, Ukrainian dance groups, the MotherÍs Club, MenÍs Club, Junior and Senior Sodality, Sisterhood, Teenage Club, St. AnneÍs Guild, Acolyte Society, and sports teams.
Msgr. Leo Adamiak, who arrived in 1950, served as pastor for 55 years and was the driving force for the growth, expansion and improvement of the parish. Property was purchased in Austintown to construct a school and a chapel; in 1964 Archbishop Senyshyn gave approval for the project and designated the name St. Anne for this new mission. St. Anne was elevated to a full parish on March 15, 1975. During Msgr. AdamiakÍs tenure as pastor, many other projects were carried out at Holy Trinity, including the construction of a new rectory, installation of new symbolic doors in the church as well as the construction of a shrine commemorating both the 75th anniversary of the parish and the millennium of Ukraine's acceptance of Christianity.
Some of the children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren of the first parishioners still worship at Holy Trinity and are active members of this faith community. While current and future generations may take this structure and this community for granted, not realizing what a challenge their ancestors faced, it is truly incredible to consider what was created a hundred years ago by people who did not speak the language of this country.
To commemorate the centennial jubilee of Holy Trinity, a year of celebration began on January 16, 2011, the anniversary of the churchÍs incorporation, with a Moleben of Thanksgiving. A Pontifical Divine Liturgy and Banquet were held on October 16, 2011, and the parish celebrations concluded with a Moleben on November 13, 2011, the anniversary of the blessing of the church cornerstone.
The high point of the year was the Pontifical Divine Liturgy which was presided over by Bishop John Bura, Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, assisted by Bishop Richard Seminack of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago and Bishop George V. Murry of the Youngstown Diocese.
The day began with a beautiful presentation of liturgical music by The Byzantine Singers of St. Nicholas Parish, Lorain, Ohio, directed by Drew Marko. The Hierarchal Divine Liturgy followed at 2:30 p.m. with a procession of the clergy through the front doors of the church, where Bishop Bura was greeted at the doors, in English and Ukrainian, by Bill Humeniuk and Tanya Hankavich who presented him with the traditional bread and salt. Presenting flowers to all three bishops were Danielle Fedak, Erika Hankavich and Marissa Yourstowsky.
Concelebrating clergy were Vicar General Rev. Msgr. George Appleyard, current pastor Rev. Steven Zarichny, Rev. Andrew Marko (past pastor), Very Rev. Michael Polosky, Rev. Michael Drozdovsky, Rev. Volodymyr Grytsyuk and Rev. Michael Kulick. Rev. Ivan Chirovsky acted as clergy master of ceremonies, while Rev. Claudio Melnicki assisted the bishops. Deacon Donald Billy and Archdeacon Jeffrey Smolilo served as deacons with assistance from Subdeacons Tom Bury and Joe Zappernick. Also serving at the altar were Matthew Humeniuk, Christine Patoray, J.C. Pierko, Jacob Pruchniewicz, Matthew Yourstowsky and Michael Yourstowsky.
The parish choir, joined by members of the St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church choir in Austintown and past members from other cities, was directed by Mitred Archpriest Roman Galadza of St. Elias the Prophet parish of Brampton, Ontario. Rev. Galadza drove to Youngstown several times over the past year to work with the choir members to prepare for the event, and the results were magnificent. The choir director, Marie Woloszyn, rehearsed the choir weekly during the year and also served as soloist during the liturgy. The Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was served equally in Ukrainian and English to accommodate all those attending so that all could enjoy and feel a part of the service. The Epistle was read by Dr. Michael Kopczyk, Jr. in Ukrainian and Attorney John Kicz in English.
During his Homily, Bishop Bura, speaking in both English and Ukrainian, reminded the congregation of the hard work and sacrifice which led to this event, ñFaith and a commitment to our Lord inspired our forefathers to establish this parish. Their eyes were focused on God in all circumstance; in joy and in sorrow. We marvel at our founders and first parishioners were able to build this beautiful church. This was possible because of their deep devotion to their own church and dedication to their faith. Our faith molds our lives here on earth and guild us to heaven. Our ancestors new this well; they passed this great tradition, this treasure, this gift, to us. If you want our church to prosper and grow, we must follow their example; we must offer our hearts, our love to God, to his Holy Church, to our parish. May Holy Trinity grow and prosper for the greater glory of God and the salvation of our people.î
Following the service all those in attendance stood on the church steps for a group photo before continuing on to Mr. AnthonyÍs Banquet Center for the second part of the celebration. The banquet was attended by over four hundred people. Bishop John Bura gave the Invocation before the dinner. Following dinner, John P. Pierko, president of the PAC, began the eveningÍs program by introducing the master of ceremonies for the banquet, Msgr. Michael Poloway of Parma, Ohio, who charmed the audience with his stories.
The main speaker was His Grace Bishop Richard Seminack, who had served as
an assistant pastor at Holy Trinity from 1969 to 1970. Bishop Seminack had
some very inspiring words and spoke of living life in the Cosmic Egg; a theory
of life in three levels. The first level is about oneself; the second level
is when individuals are part of a group such as a family, a parish or a community.
Bishop Seminack observed, "Some get lost in this second level because they
refuse to enter the third level which is about absorbing and making the revelation
of having Christ in our lives. It raises the first two levels and brings us
to the Christian perspective of reality. Living in all three levels of the
Cosmic Egg should be our goal for a fulfilling life with God as our focus."
Interspersed with the remarks from clergy were performances by the Youngstown Area Ukrainian Dancers, under the direction of Fred Yasnowski and Marie Woloszyn; Zorya Ukrainian Female Vocal Ensemble of Parma, Ohio and Kashtan Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, also of Parma, Ohio. Concluding the program, Rev. Steven Zarichny gave the closing remarks and thanked all of the committee chairs and parishioners who made the event a success, after which, Rev. Andrew Marko gave the Benediction. The participants then enjoyed the music of the Jack Vasko Orchestra for listening and dancing to end a very joyous celebration.
To commemorate this historic event, a 100th Anniversary Commemorative Journal as well as DVDs from the celebrations held on October 16 are available for sale through the church office. If interested, please contact the parish office at yngholytrinity@att.net or call (330) 744-5820. Photos of the event (and of the church interior) may be found on the parish website at www.holytrinityukrbyz.org.
