Ukrainian Orthodoxy Orthodoxie ukrainienne
 

Culture, Language, and Nationalism
Our Cyrillo-Methodian Heritage:  Making sense of Slavic culture
 Before He ascended to His Father, our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned His Apostles to go into the world and teach all nations.  How appropriate then that, this year, the Feast of the Ascension falls on that of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles to the Slavs!  But what is all the fuss over these two Greek brothers about?  What's the big deal?   >>>more 		I'm not Ukrainian.What does This Church Offer Me?
Over the past several years I have seen many non-Ukrainian people come through our parishes. Some are married to Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. Others have heard of Orthodoxy and come for a closer look. Still others just drop by, checking things out. Regardless of how they come, sooner or later they ask the same question: "What does a Ukrainian parish have to offer me?" This becomes a particularly poignant question in mixed marriages, in which the non-Ukrainian sees the Orthodox Church as his/her spouse's Church, but not his/her own. >>>more
Faith and Culture: An Interaction 
Religion and culture are often seen as twin topics.
For those who would rather avoid theological issues, religion is itself understood as a cultural system.  And there is the study of culture as the expression of spirituality.
"Culture" is essentially a specific "key of interpretation" of the world around us.  Individuals and groups will, of necessity, have different ways of understanding the world, which is why there are so many different cultures.
>>>more 		St George and the . . . Environment
 Ukrainian culture is basically agrarian in character.  The Church feasts and annual holidays are punctuated with rituals and traditions that are drawn from the agricultural background of our ancestral heritage.
>>>more
Taras Shevchenko and Ilya Chavchavadze:  Christian Visionaries
Of all Ukraine's national poets and writers, Shevchenko occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of her people. 
 It is a rare Ukrainian home indeed that does not have a picture of Shevchenko, often with a "rushnyk" or embroidered towel-mantle over it, and a copy of his collection of poems known as the "Kobzar" displayed prominently. >>>more 		National Culture, Nationalism and the Eastern Churches: Defending People's Rites
In a recent communication, someone asked why the Ukrainian Church is so nationalistic.  Why is there so much emphasis on Ukrainian this and Ukrainian that?  Is the Ukrainian Church only for Ukrainians?  What is the background to all this?  Well, since you asked . . .>>>more
Swimming Against the Mainstream: Protecting Our Traditions
One of the greatest and most consistent challenges faced by all Eastern Christians is trying to maintain one's religious and cultural traditions in the face of assimilation pressures emanating from western mainstream society.
Adhering to the Old Calendar and Orthodox Paschalion is one example. Others include everything from how many times we make the Sign of the Cross as compared to western Christians to our liturgical uniqueness.
The Ukrainian Community in Canada and elsewhere may feel threatened by new situations in contemporary times.  >>>more 		Missionary Destination:  Siberia

Someone once suggested that Ukraine was the "largest" country in the world: Its western border was in the Carpathians, and its people were in Siberia . . .
Many Ukrainians and others of Eastern European background have or had relatives who spent time in Siberia. >>>more

 
Ukrainian Trident
The Trident is an heraldic symbol that is most commonly associated with peoples who live near large bodies of water. Forms of the Trident were used by the Byzantines as it was ultimately derived from the pagan sea god Poseidon known in Celtic mythology as "Mannin" for whom the Isle of Man is named. The flag of Newfoundland has a trident on its right side, Barbados incorporates one in its flag and the figure of Britannia holds a trident. >>>more 		A Visitor's Comment and Question on the Language Issue
I just finished checkout out your website and I think that it is terrific.....a great source of information for all eastern_rite christians. I myself am a Ukrainian Catholic but regard the orthodox church as a brother church or as equal to my own church (we really aren't that different, assuming we put all those little nitpicking details aside). In fact, I attend an orthodox church every now and again just because I like to see those tradtions which have been forgotten or abandoned in my own church.>>>more
A Visitor's Question on Nationalism
Thank you for your forum perspective.  I am from Pittsburgh where the Byzantine Catholic Church( who promotes the three barred cross as their own) is very strong, dwarfing the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox.  Last month I was at a dinner attended by 10 journalists from Donetsk, Ukraine.  That morning the Ukrainian Flag was unfurled in Council Chambers to be on permanent display, as part of their Sister City agreements.  These Donetsk journalists were ashamed that they were the only Ukrainians that  were unable to sing the Ukrainian National Anthem.  That evening at dinner the Lord's Prayer had even a more devastating effect on me.  The clergyman, whom I consider a friend, sang a near solo of his Ukrainian version.  In Donetsk Slavonic is the norm, as in Pittsburgh.  We "Uniats", as you refer to us, use Slipyj's Ukrainian translation which is much like the English, harder to understand but more people can follow it due to famierality.  What will those journalists write?  Ukrainians in the US can sing our anthem but not Godıs prayer.  Not to cause a tempest in teapots, but why do we not have unified translations?  John 17:21. >>>see answer 		A Visitor's Comment and Question
I wanted to comment on an article "Our Contemporary Challenge". whose author was  very insightful in his observations, and yes, perhaps there are some areas where Parish Churches can accommodate parishioners in a better way. He mentioned nurseries, children's ministries, language, to name a few.
However. I would not agree that the lack of these things are the result of younger people departing from the Church. We must remember that prior, to say, 30 to 40 years ago (and for 20 centuries before that) this was not the case. People stayed with the Church. What has been the difference? >>>more
Russification
The issue of Russification is an important one in the history of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine and North America. Today we may understand, and study, Russification from two, not necessarily mutually exclusive, vantage points. One is Russification as the determined process by the Russian colonial power to subjugate Ukrainians and others through cultural, religious and other forms of Russian conformity models. >>>more 		Nameday of Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko
It is true to say that, during this century, Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko has had the most significant impact, as a Teacher and Father, on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and her faithful. >>>more
Brest'-Litovsk 1596: The "Unia" makes us strong?
There is probably no other single issue in Church history that evokes sharper reaction and comment than the history of the Union of Brest'_Litovsk.
In the years following its signing in 1596, Church leaders and others produced many apologetical and even combative religious works to either praise or attack the "Unia."
Meletius Smotrytsky is probably one of the most interesting examples. Appointed Archbishop of Polotsk in Belarus in place of the Greek Catholic incumbent, Josaphat Kuntsevich, Meletius was well known for his defence of Orthodoxy. >>>more 		Orthodoxy and Nationalism Today: Oil and Water?
The Christian faith has always been preached and lived within a particular spiritual_cultural focus.
Roman, Greek, Syriac, Slavic, Indian, and other forms of Christianity came about as a result of a cultural fusion with the message of Jesus Christ. 
A cultural pride in one's Orthodox Catholic heritage, be it Gallican, Kyivan, Celtic or others, is entirely proper and necessary. It is part of our psychological make_up and so it is useless to pretend that it either doesn't exist, or that we must somehow strive to "overcome its limitations." We are always working and struggling from within our limitations. Those limitations define us as members of a group or nation. >>>more
For more commentary see
Overview of Ukrainian Orthodoxy 		Ukrainian Saints:  Heavenly people and uplifting culture
The Feast of Pentecost continues to be extended with the celebration of the Icons of the Holy Spirit, the Saints.  But why do we celebrate the feast of the saints of this or that particular Church or nation?  Is there competition in this regard in Heaven?  Is this a spiritual version of the Olympic Games?>>>more
I want to ask you a question about Taras Shevchenko. How many poems did he write? And What is his most favorite poem? answer