Annual Holodomor Commemoration At St. Patrick Cathedral

On Saturday, November 12, 2016 – Hundreds of Ukrainians, guests and supporters gathered, at Manhattan’s St. Patrick Cathedral for an ecumenical requiem service and commemorative program dedicated to the memory of Ukraine’s Holodomor, Stalin’s genocide of millions of Ukrainians in 1932-1933, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA press service informs.

As has become tradition, the requiem service was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA with Bishop Paul Chomnycky and Bishop Emeritus Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, with the participation of the Dumka Chorus of New York, under the direction of Vasyl Hrechynsky.

Bishop Paul Chomnycky was the first to address the attendees, explaining in brief the context of the ceremony to the cathedral’s many visitors. He was then joined by present Hierarchs in leading the traditional Panahyda.

Following the requiem service, the assembled were addressed by Andrij Futey, president of the UCCA, Valeriy Chaly, ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S., ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Senator Charles Shumer who represents the state of New York in the US Senate.

Concluded the program His Eminence Metropolitan Antony with word of sincere gratitude to all present Hierarchs, Clergy, Guest Speakers and the faithful. A special gratitude went to Archbishop Timothy Dolan for graciously allowing the Ukrainian community to once again commemorate the Holodomor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The Dumka Chorus then led the faithful in an uplifting rendition of the hymn “Prayer for Ukraine.”