Ukrainian Orthodox converge on Philadelphia for conference

(UOC-USA) - Philadelphia, PA isn’t just the City of Brotherly Love — it also happens to be a place of this year’s Ukrainian Orthodox League Convention.

Delegates from all over the United States converged in this “City of Brotherly Love” for the three day conference to hammer out what it means to be a member of the Ukrainian Orthodox League of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA in a world of dense and diverse realities of the 21st century.

The working session of this year’s Convention opened on Wednesday night, July 27th with the Vespers for the feast day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Volodymyr, baptizer of Kyiv Rus – Ukraine. His Eminence Archbishop Antony, the Ruling Hierarch of the Eastern Eparchy and the President of the Consistory of the UOC of the USA and His Grace Bishop Daniel, the Ruling Hierarch of the Western Eparchy of the UOC of the USA presided over the liturgical service, which was served by Protopriest Taras Naumenko, a pastor of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia, PA and a spiritual advisor to Sts. Vladimir UOL Chapters in Philadelphia, PA – the hosts of this year’s 64th Annual UOL Convention.

Mrs. Martha Misko, Senior UOL President and Ms. Taylor Gladys, Junior UOL President opened the working sessions of the Convention with the words of hope and a vision towards the future that touches the lives of the generations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Christians across the USA. On behalf of the Convention body, Mrs. Misko offered words of prayerful regret that due to his illness, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, Metropolitan Constantine is not able to join this year’s Convention body. However, the delegates pledged to offer prayers for their Metropolitan and his speedy recovery.

This years Convention is a conference like no other in the past. First, it recalled the task of the 63rd UOL Convention, establishing goals for the next 10 years, experimenting with a joint sponsorship arrangement between Church’s Offices of Ministry and local chapter partnerships in witnessing to the works of Christ among the faithful of the Church. Second of all, the Convention brought together a balanced mix of junior and senior delegates - compassionate ministry participants in the life of the Church.

On Thursday morning, July 28th, the feast day of St. Volodymyr the Great, the Divine Liturgy was served by Archbishop Antony, Bishop Daniel and the two spiritual advisors of the UOL: Very Rev. Fr. Myron Oryhon, Sr. National UOL spiritual advisor and Very Rev. Fr. Taras Naumenko, Sr. and Jr. St. Vladimir UOL Chapters spiritual advisor in Philadelphia, PA. Inspiration was provided by liturgical prayer services and punctuated by addresses of various speakers of the day.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the hierarchs of the Church in their Convention remarks reminded the delegates of the need for the successful and spiritually oriented chapters and parishes today and in the future because with the growing number of forces undermining the stability of family life and with the increasing mobility of our society with its concomitant fruits of isolation, alienation and depersonalization, there is less structure within our nation for people to come together and to support each other through mutual interdependence. Yet the basis of our Christian faith and indeed of healthy human living depends upon this mutual interdependence, upon our willingness to be aware of and concerned about one another. The UOL chapters are the place where this interdependence can and should happen, the place where support systems for Christian formation and Christian living must constantly be developed and fashioned in light of changing needs and changing circumstances.

His Eminence Archbishop Antony addressed the Convention body outlining Christ’s ministry of teaching, preaching and healing as the program for developing and balancing chapter-parish ministries. He challenged the delegates to be good stewards of the message, mandate, and manifestation of holiness by ensuring that we continue to live the holiness lifestyle both in and outside the Church as salt and light in the world of modernity.

His Grace Bishop Daniel spoke to the junior delegates of the Convention calling upon them to develop their Christ-centered spirituality that must sustain them in the world of constant challenges and trials.

In the spirit of Christian love and charitable giving, the Ukrainian Orthodox league presented His Eminence Archbishop Antony, on behalf of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Society, with a check in the amount of over $4000 for the charitable work of St. Andrew Society that ministers among the less fortunate in Ukraine.

Michael Nakonechny, a member of St. Vladimir UOL Chapter form Parma, OH offered a reflection on the ministry of All Saints Camp, a place that can be called a spiritual “home” for so many junior and senior UOL members that have started their Faith journey at the Church’s Camp in Emlenton, PA.

Thursday concluded with a dinner at Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, inviting the delegates for an evening of camaraderie and fun.

Perhaps, the sentiment expressed in the words of a young delegate, who asked to remain unknown is the most uplifting reason why the faithful of the Church travel thousands of miles to attend UOL Conventions:

“I am excited about “my” Church for the first time in my life. I believe that God had me go to this year’s UOL Convention to show me where He wants me to be, and I have never felt so sure of something in my Christian walk as I do, this. The things that are presented at the Convention and the spirit that is here are the things for which I am passionate, and it is such a wonderful feeling to have been searching for something you couldn’t name and finally find it - and so unexpectedly! “I don’t understand how something as exciting as what is being done with those involved in the Convention is at times so unknown within the Church. How could I have been in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA for over twenty years and never heard anything of it? Isn’t this the stuff of Christ’s ministry? Shouldn’t reaching out to people (and more) be what Church as an organization is about? “I will never be content to sit in a pew and just participate in Church again, and I thank God that there are people who are willing to dedicate themselves to things like UOL Convention. I know that these working sessions, combined with the ministry of the UOL and our Church accomplish innumerable things. But even if it hadn’t, I feel like God is allowing me to see a Church that I never knew existed. So, thank you hierarchs, clergy and UOL for waking me up!”

Friday morning, July 29th will bring yet another day of Christ-centered ministry and work during the 64th Annual UOL Convention!

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