Dear Readers,
As I am sure you know by now, I leave to go back home next Friday, and today we had our first of several good-bye parties. After our workshop, Kimberley and I went to the Emaus Centre at the Ukrainian Catholic University to say good-bye. It was a very nice little get together. All of the Emaus Centre staff were there, as was our language teacher Oresta and some other people. It was a usual Emaus Centre party, like I had experienced several times previous. First, when we arrived. Second to celebrate Roxolana's birthday. Third, to celebrate Anya's (one of the staff) graduation from the Ukrainian equivalent of a masters degree at another one of the universities in Lviv. Fourth, to celebrate Zenia's birthday. And finally today, our good-bye party. Like usual, there was cake, ice-cream, sweets. Ya...they love sweets here in Ukraine. The staff also gave us flowers, a card signed by everyone, and some other little things.
It was really nice getting together with everyone, but also really sad. The fact is that I might not see any one of them again. The staff at the Emaus Centre are all so wonderful, so welcoming, and so friendly, and the centre itself had become a second Ukrainian home for both Kimberley and myself. It was really hard for us to say good-bye.
Tomorrow, we will have to do it all over again, but this time at our workshop. I think this will be even harder. I have spent just about every week day of the last three months at the workshop, and tomorrow I have to say good-bye. I am still not sure what I will say, but I will have to say most of it in Ukrainian because no one at my workshop knows English terribly well.
This weekend though will be very exciting because I will go to Kyiv with Kimberley! My train leaves Thursday evening at 9:22pm and arrives in Kyiv at 7:20am the next morning. Fun, I know. We will stay in Kyiv all Friday and all Saturday and then our train back leaves Saturday night at 11:54pm. It arrives in Lviv at 10:00am the next morning. We will be exhausted, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get some sleep on the train.
Speaking of sleep, I haven't slept well in nearly two weeks. I was sick most of last week, and I even had to take Thursday off. Then I never really had a good night's sleep on the weekend because I was always up and about doing something, like on Sunday I woke up at 6:30am to go to Ternopil after going to bed past night. But, this Sunday into Monday morning I'll be able to sleep for as long as I want in my bed, which will be very, very, nice.
Well, that's all for now. I have only a week and two days left. Cheers.
Until next time,
Michael
About Me
- Michael Hayes
- I am a third year student at the University of Toronto-St. Michael's College doing a double major in philosophy and Christianity and culture. This summer I will go to Ukraine for three months to work with Faith and Light--an international community bringing together people with disabilities. This is an integral part of the Intercordia program in which I am enrolled. I will use this blog to record my progress. Intercordia is a registered charity. BN# 833547870RR0001
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Quick Update
Dear Readers,
I haven't had any time to write an entry lately because I haven't had internet in my house. Right now I am in Ternopil visiting the University of Waterloo girls here. I arrived here at noon, and I will leave for Lviv at 9:30pm. I won't get to Lviv until 11:52. I probably will just take a cab from there.
I will right a real entry as soon as I have time.
Until next time,
Michael
I haven't had any time to write an entry lately because I haven't had internet in my house. Right now I am in Ternopil visiting the University of Waterloo girls here. I arrived here at noon, and I will leave for Lviv at 9:30pm. I won't get to Lviv until 11:52. I probably will just take a cab from there.
I will right a real entry as soon as I have time.
Until next time,
Michael
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Week Ten
Dear Readers,
I think today I will share with you an aspect of Ukrainian culture which until this point hasn't really bothered me that much. But as the temperature rises, this little quirk gets more and more annoying.
You see, in Ukraine, everyone over 25 seems to be deathly afraid of wind blowing in their face. They all fear that they will get sick from it somehow. And for some reason, the belief is that women are more likely to get sick from it.
So what? I will tell you what. Imagine you are in a little bus. Remember those mini shuttle buses that used to go around Square 1 in Mississauga? This little bus can't be much bigger then those shuttle buses. Anyway, it seats 15, including the driver. Now, imagine it is full, and not only is it full, but there are 15 more people standing crammed in there enough to make living in a sardine can seem comfortable. So, there are 30 people in this little bus, some of whom haven't bathed recently. Now, imagine it is, I don't know, the middle of July. And so it is hot! It is warm enough being outside, never mind crammed with 29 other people in this little mini bus. In this little bus, the inside of the windows have all fogged up. Here's the kicker: imagine that none of the windows are open!
This was my ride to the workshop on Friday morning. There was one window at the back open, but a man closed it fearing for his life. I was standing on the other side of the marshrutka, and I opened one of the windows a little bit. Even though it was really warm outside, the wind in my face from the open window felt like a blast of winter, which by the way felt great. And that was when the marshrutka was stopped at a rail crossing! That just tells you how hot it was inside the marshrutka. A few minutes later, a young woman standing beside me tried to close it. She was having a difficult time, which made me happy, so I pretended not to notice. My uncovered arm not pressed up against anything was sweating, so you can only imagine that I was drenched pretty much everywhere else.
I mentioned that everyone over 25 seems to be afraid of wind in their face. I say that because I notice that people my age open the windows. It must have been the images of the flashy American and Western European convertables which converted them. Everyone older than them grew up in a very different world, closed off from everywhere else.
Oh Ukraine, how I will miss Thee.
In other news, this coming Wednesday there will be a group of core-members and assistants from l'Arche in Italy. And so, we will have a big get together with all of the l'Arche workshops in Lviv and the Italian l'Arche members in another city. I don't know where exactly, but it will for sure be a load of fun.
Until next time,
Michael
I think today I will share with you an aspect of Ukrainian culture which until this point hasn't really bothered me that much. But as the temperature rises, this little quirk gets more and more annoying.
You see, in Ukraine, everyone over 25 seems to be deathly afraid of wind blowing in their face. They all fear that they will get sick from it somehow. And for some reason, the belief is that women are more likely to get sick from it.
So what? I will tell you what. Imagine you are in a little bus. Remember those mini shuttle buses that used to go around Square 1 in Mississauga? This little bus can't be much bigger then those shuttle buses. Anyway, it seats 15, including the driver. Now, imagine it is full, and not only is it full, but there are 15 more people standing crammed in there enough to make living in a sardine can seem comfortable. So, there are 30 people in this little bus, some of whom haven't bathed recently. Now, imagine it is, I don't know, the middle of July. And so it is hot! It is warm enough being outside, never mind crammed with 29 other people in this little mini bus. In this little bus, the inside of the windows have all fogged up. Here's the kicker: imagine that none of the windows are open!
This was my ride to the workshop on Friday morning. There was one window at the back open, but a man closed it fearing for his life. I was standing on the other side of the marshrutka, and I opened one of the windows a little bit. Even though it was really warm outside, the wind in my face from the open window felt like a blast of winter, which by the way felt great. And that was when the marshrutka was stopped at a rail crossing! That just tells you how hot it was inside the marshrutka. A few minutes later, a young woman standing beside me tried to close it. She was having a difficult time, which made me happy, so I pretended not to notice. My uncovered arm not pressed up against anything was sweating, so you can only imagine that I was drenched pretty much everywhere else.
I mentioned that everyone over 25 seems to be afraid of wind in their face. I say that because I notice that people my age open the windows. It must have been the images of the flashy American and Western European convertables which converted them. Everyone older than them grew up in a very different world, closed off from everywhere else.
Oh Ukraine, how I will miss Thee.
In other news, this coming Wednesday there will be a group of core-members and assistants from l'Arche in Italy. And so, we will have a big get together with all of the l'Arche workshops in Lviv and the Italian l'Arche members in another city. I don't know where exactly, but it will for sure be a load of fun.
Until next time,
Michael
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Intercordia Difference
Dear Readers,
I will wait until tomorrow or Sunday to write my usual weekly update. Instead I will share my part of my journal entry from yesterday.
----
Day Sixty-nine - 16 July 2009
Today I think I found out really the difference between Intercordia and most other volunteer organizations. This morning like on most Thursdays Kimberley and I went to the orphanage. But today was a special day. There was a group of foreigners coming, and so some of the children had prepared a display of traditional Ukrainian folk dancing. Of course, neither Kimberley nor myself knew this was going to happen. Furthermore, this group of foreigners was from Alberta of all places. Some of them even live 500km north of Edmonton! They were a group of teenagers going around to difference places seeing different kinds of folk dancing. Anyway, after the little performance, the group from Alberta opened up their suitcases full of stuff for the children. Although this group wasn't a volunteer organization, their attitude was the same. They of course had the best of intentions, and no one can deny them that, but they were still the ones from the first-world country going to the poor to help them, or do whatever they were doing, and then leaving. Again, I repeat, their intentions were of course good, and they performed a good deed. Still, they didn't really do what was needed. What the children need is love, stability, and family. Not balls and flags and pencils.
In the long run, it doesn't matter if you're a disabled person in Ukraine, a troubled youth in Nicaragua, a child made an orphan by AIDS in Swaziland, or a university student in Canada. We are all human and we all need the same thing: to love and to be loved. Only by loving others and by being loved by others can we be happy. I think the staff at the orphanage realized this truth, or at least part of it, as well. They didn't look overly excited when the children were being given all of those toys. They know what the children need, and it isn't more stuff.
So what is Intercordia about? It is about learning how to love and how to be loved. It is about making a real difference in the lives of others, and allowing others to make a real difference in your life. it is day sixty-nine of my three month placement, and month ten of my involvement in Intercordia, and only now have I finally tapped into what Intercordia really is. And furthermore, this wasn't somethign that I was thinking deeply about, instead it simply dawned upon me amidst rather unusual and unexpected circumstances.
---
This was just a thought, a very underdeveloped one at best, but something I think I can build on.
Until next time,
Michael
I will wait until tomorrow or Sunday to write my usual weekly update. Instead I will share my part of my journal entry from yesterday.
----
Day Sixty-nine - 16 July 2009
Today I think I found out really the difference between Intercordia and most other volunteer organizations. This morning like on most Thursdays Kimberley and I went to the orphanage. But today was a special day. There was a group of foreigners coming, and so some of the children had prepared a display of traditional Ukrainian folk dancing. Of course, neither Kimberley nor myself knew this was going to happen. Furthermore, this group of foreigners was from Alberta of all places. Some of them even live 500km north of Edmonton! They were a group of teenagers going around to difference places seeing different kinds of folk dancing. Anyway, after the little performance, the group from Alberta opened up their suitcases full of stuff for the children. Although this group wasn't a volunteer organization, their attitude was the same. They of course had the best of intentions, and no one can deny them that, but they were still the ones from the first-world country going to the poor to help them, or do whatever they were doing, and then leaving. Again, I repeat, their intentions were of course good, and they performed a good deed. Still, they didn't really do what was needed. What the children need is love, stability, and family. Not balls and flags and pencils.
In the long run, it doesn't matter if you're a disabled person in Ukraine, a troubled youth in Nicaragua, a child made an orphan by AIDS in Swaziland, or a university student in Canada. We are all human and we all need the same thing: to love and to be loved. Only by loving others and by being loved by others can we be happy. I think the staff at the orphanage realized this truth, or at least part of it, as well. They didn't look overly excited when the children were being given all of those toys. They know what the children need, and it isn't more stuff.
So what is Intercordia about? It is about learning how to love and how to be loved. It is about making a real difference in the lives of others, and allowing others to make a real difference in your life. it is day sixty-nine of my three month placement, and month ten of my involvement in Intercordia, and only now have I finally tapped into what Intercordia really is. And furthermore, this wasn't somethign that I was thinking deeply about, instead it simply dawned upon me amidst rather unusual and unexpected circumstances.
---
This was just a thought, a very underdeveloped one at best, but something I think I can build on.
Until next time,
Michael
Friday, July 10, 2009
Week Nine
Dear Readers,
So another week has come to a close. My week began on a less positive note than most. Last Thursday (2 July) my Grandmother broke her ankle, but due to my internet issues I didn't find out about it until Tuesday. Although she suffered a rather nasty break, I hear she is recovering well. Please pray for her.
But other than that, things went well. On Monday we had our monthly 'Community Day' (День Спільнота). Every first Monday of the month, all of the l'Arche workshops in Lviv come to UKU for the usual 11:30am Divine Liturgy and then afterward we all talk about what our workshops are doing, and discuss any l'Arche news. It is really nice because it is the one time a month everyone in l'Arche here gets together. I always enjoy seeing the assistants I don't see every day.
In the evening, Petro suddenly got the idea to go swimming in a nearby lake. It is only about 10 minute drive away, but by then you're way out in the country. Lviv is nothing like the GTA. Once your exit Toronto, you just keep running into city after city after city. It never ends it seems. Here, there is Lviv, which is a city of about 700,000 thousand, and then there is nothing. Just villages along the highway. Nothing that you can call a city, or even a town really. So, Petro, Natalia, Hanusia, Danka (7 year old host cousin), and I went swimming in this lake. We were there for only half an hour, but it was still really nice. I haven't swam in a few months, and I haven't swam in a lake for a few years. This lake was really deep. Once I was 15 or 20 feet from shore, it was over my head. Petro said that the lake is 70 meters deep at some points.
Tuesday was the Feast of St. John the Baptist. In case you are confused and thought that St. John the Baptist feast day was on June 24th, don't worry because you're correct. The Ukrainian Catholic Church (and the three Orthodox Churches) in Ukraine follow the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the Western Church (and also 13 days behind the civil calendar used everywhere). So, according to the church calendar, Tuesday was June 24th, not July 7th. Anyway, St. John the Baptist is a major feast, so I went with my workshop to the local church for Divine Liturgy. It was a new church, not yet finished inside, but it was still very beautiful. The iconostasis was stunning, and the choir was beautiful. This made me think, again, why can't new Catholic churches in Canada (and in the United States) look like churches, and why can't Catholic church choirs sing Catholic church music? Sigh...
After Liturgy we went back to our workshop and continued celebrating. One of our assistants is named Ivanka, which is the feminine version of Ivan, which is Ukrainian for 'John'. So, it was her name day. In Ukraine, like in pretty much all Catholic and Orthodox places, name days are a big deal. In my own life, September 29th (Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) is far more joyful than October 6th (my birthday). A friend of mine once explained it quite well...your birthday reminds you of your mortality, but your name day reminds you of your immortality. Anyway...we celebrated Ivanka's name day first with a lunch a bit fancier than normal, and then we had cake, we each offered her a kind wish individually, and of course, we sang 'многая літа' (mnohaya lita-many years) for her. After that, we danced in the main room instead of our usual afternoon activity.
Wednesday was an exciting day. The founder of Faith and Light and l'Arche in Ukraine Zenia Kushpeta visited my workshop with her niece visiting from Sudbury. Zenia is actually Canadian, of Ukrainian descent. She grew up in Toronto of all places. Everyone was really excited to see her. Zenia is a hero for everyone in l'Arche and Faith and Light here, and for good reason. She came by just to say hi before she leaves. She leaves for Canada for a month today.
Later on, Kimberley and I had our final Ukrainian language lesson. So, in accordance with Ukrainian tradition, we gave our teacher flowers and chocolates. These lessons were really helpful, and I wouldn't have learned as much Ukrainian as I have without them. My host brother Pavlo said that of the three Intercordians which have stayed in his house, I have the best Ukrainian of all of them. Of course, there are several reasons for that, but my lessons here certainly helped.
Zenia's birthday is next week, but because she leaves today, we at the Emaus Centre celebrated it yesterday. It was a very nice little party, featuring the Emaus Centre staff (Roxolana, Marta, Anya, Sister Lukia, Olya, Andrij), Kimberley, and I. It was also a surprise for her. I only found out about it the morning of! Kimberley and I were supposed to go to the orphanage yesterday, but we found out last minute about Zenia's birthday party, so the orphanage visit was called off. After the visit, Kimberley came to visit my workshop. Last week I visited her workshop, and yesterday she visited mine. Her visit was nice, as visits usually are. The core-members love visitors.
That brings us to today, Friday. Like usual, workshop ended at 1:00 instead of 3:30. In a few minutes, I will go to visit the second 'Faith and Light' family: Pani Marta and her son Yurko. For various reasons, I haven't had an opportunity to visit them yet, so finally I get to visit them today.
This weekend will be very exciting. On Sunday, we celebrate the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29th...see note above about the church calendar here). This is of course a major major feast day, celebrated with great solemnity in all churches of ancient origin (Catholic and Orthodox). Sunday is also my host parents' 21st wedding anniversary! I have no idea what they have planned, but it will be a very nice day.
So, for now, that is all. I hope you all have a good weekend. No I am going to visit Pani Marta and Yurko.
Until next time,
Michael
So another week has come to a close. My week began on a less positive note than most. Last Thursday (2 July) my Grandmother broke her ankle, but due to my internet issues I didn't find out about it until Tuesday. Although she suffered a rather nasty break, I hear she is recovering well. Please pray for her.
But other than that, things went well. On Monday we had our monthly 'Community Day' (День Спільнота). Every first Monday of the month, all of the l'Arche workshops in Lviv come to UKU for the usual 11:30am Divine Liturgy and then afterward we all talk about what our workshops are doing, and discuss any l'Arche news. It is really nice because it is the one time a month everyone in l'Arche here gets together. I always enjoy seeing the assistants I don't see every day.
In the evening, Petro suddenly got the idea to go swimming in a nearby lake. It is only about 10 minute drive away, but by then you're way out in the country. Lviv is nothing like the GTA. Once your exit Toronto, you just keep running into city after city after city. It never ends it seems. Here, there is Lviv, which is a city of about 700,000 thousand, and then there is nothing. Just villages along the highway. Nothing that you can call a city, or even a town really. So, Petro, Natalia, Hanusia, Danka (7 year old host cousin), and I went swimming in this lake. We were there for only half an hour, but it was still really nice. I haven't swam in a few months, and I haven't swam in a lake for a few years. This lake was really deep. Once I was 15 or 20 feet from shore, it was over my head. Petro said that the lake is 70 meters deep at some points.
Tuesday was the Feast of St. John the Baptist. In case you are confused and thought that St. John the Baptist feast day was on June 24th, don't worry because you're correct. The Ukrainian Catholic Church (and the three Orthodox Churches) in Ukraine follow the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the Western Church (and also 13 days behind the civil calendar used everywhere). So, according to the church calendar, Tuesday was June 24th, not July 7th. Anyway, St. John the Baptist is a major feast, so I went with my workshop to the local church for Divine Liturgy. It was a new church, not yet finished inside, but it was still very beautiful. The iconostasis was stunning, and the choir was beautiful. This made me think, again, why can't new Catholic churches in Canada (and in the United States) look like churches, and why can't Catholic church choirs sing Catholic church music? Sigh...
After Liturgy we went back to our workshop and continued celebrating. One of our assistants is named Ivanka, which is the feminine version of Ivan, which is Ukrainian for 'John'. So, it was her name day. In Ukraine, like in pretty much all Catholic and Orthodox places, name days are a big deal. In my own life, September 29th (Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) is far more joyful than October 6th (my birthday). A friend of mine once explained it quite well...your birthday reminds you of your mortality, but your name day reminds you of your immortality. Anyway...we celebrated Ivanka's name day first with a lunch a bit fancier than normal, and then we had cake, we each offered her a kind wish individually, and of course, we sang 'многая літа' (mnohaya lita-many years) for her. After that, we danced in the main room instead of our usual afternoon activity.
Wednesday was an exciting day. The founder of Faith and Light and l'Arche in Ukraine Zenia Kushpeta visited my workshop with her niece visiting from Sudbury. Zenia is actually Canadian, of Ukrainian descent. She grew up in Toronto of all places. Everyone was really excited to see her. Zenia is a hero for everyone in l'Arche and Faith and Light here, and for good reason. She came by just to say hi before she leaves. She leaves for Canada for a month today.
Later on, Kimberley and I had our final Ukrainian language lesson. So, in accordance with Ukrainian tradition, we gave our teacher flowers and chocolates. These lessons were really helpful, and I wouldn't have learned as much Ukrainian as I have without them. My host brother Pavlo said that of the three Intercordians which have stayed in his house, I have the best Ukrainian of all of them. Of course, there are several reasons for that, but my lessons here certainly helped.
Zenia's birthday is next week, but because she leaves today, we at the Emaus Centre celebrated it yesterday. It was a very nice little party, featuring the Emaus Centre staff (Roxolana, Marta, Anya, Sister Lukia, Olya, Andrij), Kimberley, and I. It was also a surprise for her. I only found out about it the morning of! Kimberley and I were supposed to go to the orphanage yesterday, but we found out last minute about Zenia's birthday party, so the orphanage visit was called off. After the visit, Kimberley came to visit my workshop. Last week I visited her workshop, and yesterday she visited mine. Her visit was nice, as visits usually are. The core-members love visitors.
That brings us to today, Friday. Like usual, workshop ended at 1:00 instead of 3:30. In a few minutes, I will go to visit the second 'Faith and Light' family: Pani Marta and her son Yurko. For various reasons, I haven't had an opportunity to visit them yet, so finally I get to visit them today.
This weekend will be very exciting. On Sunday, we celebrate the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29th...see note above about the church calendar here). This is of course a major major feast day, celebrated with great solemnity in all churches of ancient origin (Catholic and Orthodox). Sunday is also my host parents' 21st wedding anniversary! I have no idea what they have planned, but it will be a very nice day.
So, for now, that is all. I hope you all have a good weekend. No I am going to visit Pani Marta and Yurko.
Until next time,
Michael
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Long Awaited Update Part 3: Pochayiv, Spring of St. Anna, Zarvanytsya
Dear Readers,
Last weekend, I went to three of the most important holy sights in Western Ukraine. I went with Petro, Natalia, Hanusia, and Roxolana to Pochayiv, the Spring of St. Anna, and Zarvanytsya.
We left for our first stop, Pochayiv (pronounced Po-CHAI-yiw) on Saturday afternoon at 4:00, and arrived there at 6:30. Pochayiv is a city about an hour drive north of Ternopil, but it is famous for the Monastery situated there. It is the holiest sight in Western Ukraine for Orthodox Christians. There the Virgin Mary appeared during a Turkish invasion in the 15th century and returned the Turkish fire against the Ukrainian Cossacks and destroyed the Turkish army (or so one of the stories about the place goes). Her footprint is still visible in the rock where she stepped down. Today, it is under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church (which is by no means non-controversial), however in the past at different times it has also been under the control of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
The main church is absolutely gorgeous. I was there during the Saturday evening Vigil service, so I attended some of the service. That too was incredible. The monks are amazing singers! And the church was packed, jammed packed! Something I found really interesting was that I was able to understand much of the service, even though it was in Slavonic. At least I was able to understand as much Slavonic as I can understand Ukrainian used in Church.
We slept in the house of one of the locals Saturday night. My host cousin Marichka happens to know them, so we had a contact. They were really great people too. Nothing like Ukrainian hospitality!
On Sunday after breakfast, we drove to our next stop, the Spring of St. Anna. Along the way we stopped for Liturgy at a nearby Greek Catholic Church. There are no Greek Catholic Churches in Pochayiv because the Soviets destroyed them all, so we had to drive half an hour to the nearest one. It was a lovely little church, and the Liturgy was very beautiful.
After Liturgy, we went to the Spring of St. Anne. This spring is known for miracles which have occured there. It stays very cold all year long, and people go there to pray and to dip themselves in it three times. There were hundreds of people dipping themselves and swimming in this freezing cold 8 degree water! It was really something to see (don't worry, I have photos of all of this). There was also a really great icon shop and book store, so I went shopping! I didn't buy that much though. In case you were wondering, this monastery is also controlled by the Russian Orthodox Church.
We then went to a museum dedicated to Major Archbishop Josyf Slipyj. He was head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 1944 to 1984. For many of those years, he was tortured in Siberia. After nearly 20 years in Siberia, the United States government negotiated with the USSR to release Major Archbishop Slipyj in return for a Soviet spy caught in the United States. The Soviet authorities thought he would die soon because of what he did with them, but instead Slipyj lived another 19 years in Rome, and reunited a shattered Ukrainian Catholic Church. It had been liquidated by Stalin in Ukraine, and the rest of the Church around the world was in shambles. Major Archbishop Slipyj united the bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and even was able to form a Synod. Right now his case for canonization in Rome is open.
Our final stop was the famous Zarvanytsia monastery. This one is Catholic. There are also miraculous springs there and there is a miraculous icon of our Lady. The Soviets did everything to destroy this place. They destroyed the churches, and they tried to pave over the spring, but it didn't work! The spring bursted through the concrete. The church there is rather new, but also very beautiful.
The weekend was an incredible experience. These four places are all so important, and it was amazing to be able to visit all of them. They all represent so much of the hard ship that Ukraine has suffered, but still say there is hope.
I must now go. Tomorrow is the feast of St. John the Baptist and I will not be able to go to Liturgy, so right now I'll go to one of the big churches in the City Centre for Vespers.
Until next time,
Michael
Last weekend, I went to three of the most important holy sights in Western Ukraine. I went with Petro, Natalia, Hanusia, and Roxolana to Pochayiv, the Spring of St. Anna, and Zarvanytsya.
We left for our first stop, Pochayiv (pronounced Po-CHAI-yiw) on Saturday afternoon at 4:00, and arrived there at 6:30. Pochayiv is a city about an hour drive north of Ternopil, but it is famous for the Monastery situated there. It is the holiest sight in Western Ukraine for Orthodox Christians. There the Virgin Mary appeared during a Turkish invasion in the 15th century and returned the Turkish fire against the Ukrainian Cossacks and destroyed the Turkish army (or so one of the stories about the place goes). Her footprint is still visible in the rock where she stepped down. Today, it is under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church (which is by no means non-controversial), however in the past at different times it has also been under the control of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
The main church is absolutely gorgeous. I was there during the Saturday evening Vigil service, so I attended some of the service. That too was incredible. The monks are amazing singers! And the church was packed, jammed packed! Something I found really interesting was that I was able to understand much of the service, even though it was in Slavonic. At least I was able to understand as much Slavonic as I can understand Ukrainian used in Church.
We slept in the house of one of the locals Saturday night. My host cousin Marichka happens to know them, so we had a contact. They were really great people too. Nothing like Ukrainian hospitality!
On Sunday after breakfast, we drove to our next stop, the Spring of St. Anna. Along the way we stopped for Liturgy at a nearby Greek Catholic Church. There are no Greek Catholic Churches in Pochayiv because the Soviets destroyed them all, so we had to drive half an hour to the nearest one. It was a lovely little church, and the Liturgy was very beautiful.
After Liturgy, we went to the Spring of St. Anne. This spring is known for miracles which have occured there. It stays very cold all year long, and people go there to pray and to dip themselves in it three times. There were hundreds of people dipping themselves and swimming in this freezing cold 8 degree water! It was really something to see (don't worry, I have photos of all of this). There was also a really great icon shop and book store, so I went shopping! I didn't buy that much though. In case you were wondering, this monastery is also controlled by the Russian Orthodox Church.
We then went to a museum dedicated to Major Archbishop Josyf Slipyj. He was head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 1944 to 1984. For many of those years, he was tortured in Siberia. After nearly 20 years in Siberia, the United States government negotiated with the USSR to release Major Archbishop Slipyj in return for a Soviet spy caught in the United States. The Soviet authorities thought he would die soon because of what he did with them, but instead Slipyj lived another 19 years in Rome, and reunited a shattered Ukrainian Catholic Church. It had been liquidated by Stalin in Ukraine, and the rest of the Church around the world was in shambles. Major Archbishop Slipyj united the bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and even was able to form a Synod. Right now his case for canonization in Rome is open.
Our final stop was the famous Zarvanytsia monastery. This one is Catholic. There are also miraculous springs there and there is a miraculous icon of our Lady. The Soviets did everything to destroy this place. They destroyed the churches, and they tried to pave over the spring, but it didn't work! The spring bursted through the concrete. The church there is rather new, but also very beautiful.
The weekend was an incredible experience. These four places are all so important, and it was amazing to be able to visit all of them. They all represent so much of the hard ship that Ukraine has suffered, but still say there is hope.
I must now go. Tomorrow is the feast of St. John the Baptist and I will not be able to go to Liturgy, so right now I'll go to one of the big churches in the City Centre for Vespers.
Until next time,
Michael
The Long Awaited Update Part 2: Canada Day, Thursday, and Friday
Dear Readers,
Here is part two.
Canada Day was very nice. For the most part, it was a normal day, except afterward I went out for dinner in a really neat restaurant literally underneath the Opera House. After workshop, I met with Roxolana and Kimberley and Marta and we headed to this restaurant. Marta is another employee of the Emaus Centre. She's Ukrainian by birth and nationality, but she knows English so she tagged along. At the restaurant, we met with Zenia (the woman who started Faith and Light and l'Arche in Ukraine) and her niece Melania, who was visiting Ukraine, but she is actually from Sudbury. We had a very cordial dinner together. Unfortunately, Zenia couldn't stay for dinner, but it was nice to say hi to her anyway.
This must have been the most expensive dinner I've had since getting here. I got a salad, baked kebob, and apple pie for desert. The whole meal costed over 100 hryvnias, which is too expensive for most locals, but for us it still wasn't that much. Maybe 15 or 20 dollars. Anyway, I was completely stuffed.
When I got home, the celebrations continued! Petro bought wine and cheese for this festive occasion, so Petro, Yurko, Denys, Pavlo, Babsa, and I drank wine, ate cheese, and talked about Canada. We talked a little about politics, history, culture.... I told them how we won the War of 1812, despite what Americans will say. I briefly touched upon the current controversy about who actually has the rights to the Northwest Passage (Canada, the United States, Denmark, and I think Russia all claim it's theirs, or at least they all want it). It was a pleasant evening overall.
The next morning Kimberley and I went to the orphanage. Afterward, because my workshop was going elsewhere, I went to Kimberley's workshop Nazaret. They are a load of fun. The the core-members there are younger than the ones at mine, so they have a lot more energy. It was very loud and energetic, and a lot of fun. After lunch we went for Dance Therapy, which is something I can explain at another time. It is, well, interesting. I could take it or leave it, but the core-members and most of the assistants love it. It gives them a chance to do something different and laugh at themselves and at each other.
Friday was another wild weather day. I went to UKU in the morning because Kimberley and I were going somewhere else that day. When I left my house, it was raining so I took my jacket. By the time I got to UKU, it wasn't raining so I left my jacked in the Emaus Centre office. Kimberley, Roxolana, and I went to another workshop just to visit, but when we got there it started pouring raining there again. I had to go back to UKU in the pouring rain with no jacket. It wasn't fun. At least Kimberley had an umbrella, which provided some relief.
After lunch we had our check-in meeting, and went home. I had to prepare for what would be a very good weekend.
That's the topic of part three.
Until next time,
Michael
Here is part two.
Canada Day was very nice. For the most part, it was a normal day, except afterward I went out for dinner in a really neat restaurant literally underneath the Opera House. After workshop, I met with Roxolana and Kimberley and Marta and we headed to this restaurant. Marta is another employee of the Emaus Centre. She's Ukrainian by birth and nationality, but she knows English so she tagged along. At the restaurant, we met with Zenia (the woman who started Faith and Light and l'Arche in Ukraine) and her niece Melania, who was visiting Ukraine, but she is actually from Sudbury. We had a very cordial dinner together. Unfortunately, Zenia couldn't stay for dinner, but it was nice to say hi to her anyway.
This must have been the most expensive dinner I've had since getting here. I got a salad, baked kebob, and apple pie for desert. The whole meal costed over 100 hryvnias, which is too expensive for most locals, but for us it still wasn't that much. Maybe 15 or 20 dollars. Anyway, I was completely stuffed.
When I got home, the celebrations continued! Petro bought wine and cheese for this festive occasion, so Petro, Yurko, Denys, Pavlo, Babsa, and I drank wine, ate cheese, and talked about Canada. We talked a little about politics, history, culture.... I told them how we won the War of 1812, despite what Americans will say. I briefly touched upon the current controversy about who actually has the rights to the Northwest Passage (Canada, the United States, Denmark, and I think Russia all claim it's theirs, or at least they all want it). It was a pleasant evening overall.
The next morning Kimberley and I went to the orphanage. Afterward, because my workshop was going elsewhere, I went to Kimberley's workshop Nazaret. They are a load of fun. The the core-members there are younger than the ones at mine, so they have a lot more energy. It was very loud and energetic, and a lot of fun. After lunch we went for Dance Therapy, which is something I can explain at another time. It is, well, interesting. I could take it or leave it, but the core-members and most of the assistants love it. It gives them a chance to do something different and laugh at themselves and at each other.
Friday was another wild weather day. I went to UKU in the morning because Kimberley and I were going somewhere else that day. When I left my house, it was raining so I took my jacket. By the time I got to UKU, it wasn't raining so I left my jacked in the Emaus Centre office. Kimberley, Roxolana, and I went to another workshop just to visit, but when we got there it started pouring raining there again. I had to go back to UKU in the pouring rain with no jacket. It wasn't fun. At least Kimberley had an umbrella, which provided some relief.
After lunch we had our check-in meeting, and went home. I had to prepare for what would be a very good weekend.
That's the topic of part three.
Until next time,
Michael
The Long Awaited Update Part 1: Skhidnytsya
Dear Readers,
For the first time in nearly two weeks, I have the opportunity to sit down and write a real post! I have a lot to cover, so here we go.
First, my trip to the town of Skhidnytsya (Східниця) with my workshop was incredible. And don't worry, I too had a terrible time trying to pronounce it at first. I was there from 25 June - 28 June with members of my workshop "Busy Bees" (Бджілки-Bdzhilky) and from the "Nazareth" (Назарет-Nazaret) workshop. Nazareth is actually Kimberley's workshop, but she didn't go this time. Anyway, we had a great time. We left Lviv at 10:00am on Thursday 25 June and we arrived in Skhidnytsya at around 12:30. After unpacking our stuff, it was time for lunch in the diner. We stayed in a nice little resort-like place, so we got to sleep in nice beds, we had hot showers, and good meals. I was told we were going camping...this wasn't really camping.
After lunch we picked wild blueberries. Here, they are called 'chorvynytsya', which comes from the world 'chornyj', which means 'black'. I have never picked wild blueberries before. It was a lot of fun. After doing this for a little while, we continued on walking to a small waterfall. It is a neat little waterfall, and the water is good enough to drink. Who needs bottled water when you can drink fresh water from a river??
On a side note, Skhidnytsya is famous for its water. There is something about it I am told so that it is very good for your health. When Brezhnev was leader of the USSR, he wouldn't drink water unless it was from Skhidnytsya, in the then Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. So, he had it flown in by helicopter every six hours, as it must be fresh in order for it to have these special qualities.
After seeing the waterfall, we went back to our little resort-like area and relaxed and had supper in the diner. I don't remember what I ate, but it was good. Everything they served there was very good! But afterward, the fun began. We made a camp fire, roasted sausages, sang songs, and even danced a little bit.
To be honest, I cannot remember what we did on Friday 27 June. I know I have a lot written down in my journal, but I don't have it with me at the moment. Anyway, I remember that at night time we had a really good thunderstorm and rain fall, so we danced under the porch of one of the houses. We all must have been dancing for two hours before we had tea and went to bed. L'Arche here finds any excuse to dance. It's a lot of fun.
Saturday was very similar. Although I was able to nap in the middle of the day because I was exhausted. Again at night time we had a wicket thunderstorm, but this time we didn't dance so much. We instead played board games inside and then looked at all of the photos from the past two days, as we were going to leave the next morning. We must have had around 500 photos, and 15 videos. It was really amazing seeing them all and looking back over the great time we had together over those past two days. I can't help but think how much I will miss everyone here once I go back to Canada.
Sunday 28 June afternoon we came home. After three hours on our l'Arche owned bus and a 30 minutes on a steaming hot marshrutka, I finally got home! I was completely exhausted! It was about 5:40pm, just in time for me to change my shirt and rush off to Liturgy at 6:00. I wasn't able to get to church in the morning (it's a 15 minute walk to the local church). On Friday one of the l'Arche assistants went to the church in Skhidnytsya to ask when Sunday liturgy is. She was told 10:00am, so we got there for 10:00am on Sunday. But, at that point communion was just starting, which meant the liturgy must have began at 9:00am. So, I decided that I should go in the evening in Lviv. So I did.
When I got home, the internet wasn't working. On Saturday evening there was a wicket thunderstorm, and apparently it blew some important piece of equipment so hundreds of households are without internet, including mine. We may not get internet for a while, so I guess I will have to visit UKU more.
Now I will write the second part of 'The Long Awaited Update.'
Until next time,
Michael
For the first time in nearly two weeks, I have the opportunity to sit down and write a real post! I have a lot to cover, so here we go.
First, my trip to the town of Skhidnytsya (Східниця) with my workshop was incredible. And don't worry, I too had a terrible time trying to pronounce it at first. I was there from 25 June - 28 June with members of my workshop "Busy Bees" (Бджілки-Bdzhilky) and from the "Nazareth" (Назарет-Nazaret) workshop. Nazareth is actually Kimberley's workshop, but she didn't go this time. Anyway, we had a great time. We left Lviv at 10:00am on Thursday 25 June and we arrived in Skhidnytsya at around 12:30. After unpacking our stuff, it was time for lunch in the diner. We stayed in a nice little resort-like place, so we got to sleep in nice beds, we had hot showers, and good meals. I was told we were going camping...this wasn't really camping.
After lunch we picked wild blueberries. Here, they are called 'chorvynytsya', which comes from the world 'chornyj', which means 'black'. I have never picked wild blueberries before. It was a lot of fun. After doing this for a little while, we continued on walking to a small waterfall. It is a neat little waterfall, and the water is good enough to drink. Who needs bottled water when you can drink fresh water from a river??
On a side note, Skhidnytsya is famous for its water. There is something about it I am told so that it is very good for your health. When Brezhnev was leader of the USSR, he wouldn't drink water unless it was from Skhidnytsya, in the then Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. So, he had it flown in by helicopter every six hours, as it must be fresh in order for it to have these special qualities.
After seeing the waterfall, we went back to our little resort-like area and relaxed and had supper in the diner. I don't remember what I ate, but it was good. Everything they served there was very good! But afterward, the fun began. We made a camp fire, roasted sausages, sang songs, and even danced a little bit.
To be honest, I cannot remember what we did on Friday 27 June. I know I have a lot written down in my journal, but I don't have it with me at the moment. Anyway, I remember that at night time we had a really good thunderstorm and rain fall, so we danced under the porch of one of the houses. We all must have been dancing for two hours before we had tea and went to bed. L'Arche here finds any excuse to dance. It's a lot of fun.
Saturday was very similar. Although I was able to nap in the middle of the day because I was exhausted. Again at night time we had a wicket thunderstorm, but this time we didn't dance so much. We instead played board games inside and then looked at all of the photos from the past two days, as we were going to leave the next morning. We must have had around 500 photos, and 15 videos. It was really amazing seeing them all and looking back over the great time we had together over those past two days. I can't help but think how much I will miss everyone here once I go back to Canada.
Sunday 28 June afternoon we came home. After three hours on our l'Arche owned bus and a 30 minutes on a steaming hot marshrutka, I finally got home! I was completely exhausted! It was about 5:40pm, just in time for me to change my shirt and rush off to Liturgy at 6:00. I wasn't able to get to church in the morning (it's a 15 minute walk to the local church). On Friday one of the l'Arche assistants went to the church in Skhidnytsya to ask when Sunday liturgy is. She was told 10:00am, so we got there for 10:00am on Sunday. But, at that point communion was just starting, which meant the liturgy must have began at 9:00am. So, I decided that I should go in the evening in Lviv. So I did.
When I got home, the internet wasn't working. On Saturday evening there was a wicket thunderstorm, and apparently it blew some important piece of equipment so hundreds of households are without internet, including mine. We may not get internet for a while, so I guess I will have to visit UKU more.
Now I will write the second part of 'The Long Awaited Update.'
Until next time,
Michael
Friday, July 3, 2009
Week Seven and Eight
Dear Readers,
Sorry, but as it turned out I will not be able to write an actual entry today. This weekend I will go to Pochayiv in Ternopil Oblast. The main point of the trip is to visit some of holy sights in Western Ukraine. I will write about it as soon as possible. As for the last 8 days, I will write about those as well as soon as I can. But this is what I did:
Thursday 25 June - Sunday 28 June - I was in the Carpathian mountains with several l'Arche members.
Tuesday 30 June - Found out we will be without internet at home for a while most likely.
Wednesday 1 July - CANADA DAY! Went out for dinner with Kimberley, Roxolana, Pani Zenia, Pani Zenia's niece visiting from Canada, and Marta.
Thursday 2 July - Went to orphanage. Had a troubling experience there. Don't worry, I'm fine. Afterward went with Kimberley to her workshop instead of my own.
Friday 3 July - Went to another workshop with Kimberley and Roxolana. Had check-in meeting afterward.
Tomorrow, 4 July - Sunday 5 July - Will go to Pochaiv to visit their famous monastery, and see other important holy places along the way. Excited!
I will write about these events in more details later. Don't worry!
Until next time,
Michael
Sorry, but as it turned out I will not be able to write an actual entry today. This weekend I will go to Pochayiv in Ternopil Oblast. The main point of the trip is to visit some of holy sights in Western Ukraine. I will write about it as soon as possible. As for the last 8 days, I will write about those as well as soon as I can. But this is what I did:
Thursday 25 June - Sunday 28 June - I was in the Carpathian mountains with several l'Arche members.
Tuesday 30 June - Found out we will be without internet at home for a while most likely.
Wednesday 1 July - CANADA DAY! Went out for dinner with Kimberley, Roxolana, Pani Zenia, Pani Zenia's niece visiting from Canada, and Marta.
Thursday 2 July - Went to orphanage. Had a troubling experience there. Don't worry, I'm fine. Afterward went with Kimberley to her workshop instead of my own.
Friday 3 July - Went to another workshop with Kimberley and Roxolana. Had check-in meeting afterward.
Tomorrow, 4 July - Sunday 5 July - Will go to Pochaiv to visit their famous monastery, and see other important holy places along the way. Excited!
I will write about these events in more details later. Don't worry!
Until next time,
Michael
Not To Worry
Dear Readers,
In case you were wondering, everything is okay. I just haven't had any time to update my blog recently because I have been without internet in my house, and I haven't had much time in the computer lab at UKU.
I hope to be able to write my next update later today.
Until next time,
Michael
In case you were wondering, everything is okay. I just haven't had any time to update my blog recently because I have been without internet in my house, and I haven't had much time in the computer lab at UKU.
I hope to be able to write my next update later today.
Until next time,
Michael
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