Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy
A Milestone Occasion: St Volodymyr the Great, Coventry, 60th Anniversary
Address by Very Rev Mgr David Senyk, Parish Priest and Chancellor of the Eparchy
Response by Rt Rev Mgr Daniel McHugh, Co-ordinator for Ethnic Chaplaincies, Eparchies and Missions in the Archdiocese
Address by Very Rev Mgr David Senyk, Parish Priest and Chancellor of the Eparchy
Today we dedicate our prayers and thoughts to those first pioneers, who having been forced to abandon their Ukrainian homeland following the second world war, found themselves here in the Midlands of the United Kingdom. Hungry for life and hungry for survival, these young men and women came together to create their own little Ukraine here in Coventry. And from that little acorn, today we have before us the true splendour of a wonderful vibrant Oak Tree, which is our Ukrainian Community here in Coventry. Whilst looking around at the many faces marking our parish 60th Jubilee, it seems to me that history is repeating itself. Many new faces and young souls are truly hungry for common love, companionship with a determined will to survive as a free Ukrainian in the face of today’s threat of annihilation. To give you a short history of our parish, we have documented evidence of organised parish life here involving the Ukrainian Catholic Church dating back to the late 1940’s. Unable to allow themselves the luxury of owning their own place of worship, the Ukrainian Catholic Community were welcomed into local Roman Catholic churches including Christ the King in Coundon and eventually settling in at St Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Church, which we all know is only a stone’s throw away from here. And today we are especially honoured to welcome Fr Moses from St Elizabeth’s parish along with the sisters of the parish. The first priest to serve the Coventry community was Father Joseph Jean in 1947 along with Father Emmanuel Korduba in 1948, who was followed by Father Hryhorij Spolitakevych in 1949. After 3 years the parish saw the arrival of Father Petro Lisovskyj, who shared the responsibilities for serving the swiftly developing community and surrounding area with Father Mykola Habak and then a young energetic Father Nykola Matyczak arrived. Within one more year Father Ivan Muzyczka held the reigns for 8 months until Father Stepan Wiwczaruk was appointed to a more stable role as parish priest in 1954. And it was under the pastoral care of Father Stepan Wiwczaruk that the Coventry parish developed and grew to such an extent, that the dream of acquiring its own church building became a reality. After 8 years of Fr Wiwczaruk’s pastoral leadership, the Coventry Ukrainian Catholic Community purchased a former Methodist chapel, which was originally a low wooden hut-like structure on the very site of the current church. The church was consecrated 60 years ago and took Saint Volodymyr the Great as its patron on 4th March 1962. A year later Father Volodymyr Dzioba was appointed as parish priest and served here for 16 years until his death on 6th March 1979. Father Volodymyr Choma then served the community throughout the 1980’s followed by a number of temporary visiting priests serving in the then Apostolic Exarchate. Father Ihor Khmuryk arrived from Ukraine and served from April 1998 through to June 2002, when he was succeeded by the first married parish priest – Father Mychajlo Onatsko. Fr Mychajlo remained until his appointment to Yorkshire in October 2008. It was then that I was asked to take on the parish, (edit. Very Rev Mgr David J Senyk) which I did for 3 years, until my appointment to Nottingham & Derby parishes in October 2011. Father Nikola Korczagin took on the reigns here for one year and in December 2012 Father Alexander Lisowskyj arrived from Italy. Having served here on the parish for 9 years, Father Alexander decided to retire last December. And finally, since January of this year, it has become my personal pleasure to once again take on the responsibilities of the Coventry parish and surrounding area, albeit quite competently assisted by a much younger and able fellow priest, Father Taras Dovbeniuk. The Coventry Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St Volodymyr the Great has genuinely withstood the test of time and must be proud of its 60 year history. Within the walls of our parish church our lives have been blessed by the Lord Himself, as we have shared moments of joy and happiness, moments of grief and sadness, moments of anguish, concern and heartache. The Coventry parish church of St Volodymyr the Great has been and continues to be a fountain of God’s love for each and every person who wishes to partake in that Love and God’s adoration for mankind. This is evident from the early days right through to our own presence here today. The first year of this parish church saw 7 funerals, 12 marriages and 52 baptisms, a true sign of a growing vibrant parish. I took the liberty of reading through the first pages of the baptismal register to see if there were any names of people I recognise, and who at the same time as our church would be celebrating their own 60th year. And indeed, I can tell you that the 10th child to be baptised in this church, also this year celebrating his own 60th year, is our own Coventry born and bred, Vicar General of our Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, the Very Reverend Mgr Mykola Matwijiwskyj. Hence, I am also delighted to welcome him here among his Coventry parish family today. I am positive that you are all just as aware as I am, that this parish, this church, this family and this community is truly something God-given, something very special and something very precious. Despite the daily trials and concerns we all have, despite the current heartache of every Ukrainian soul, we must continue to stand together in acknowledgement of God’s infinite love. By keeping God at the centre of our lives, we will remain strong. By allowing His love to grow within us, we become unconquerable before evil. May His love and our love for one another continue to be our ultimate power. May this Coventry Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St Volodymyr the Great continue to be a shining beacon of God’s Love and reverence of justice. With God at our side, I look forward to the centenary celebration. God bless us all!
31st July 2022 (DJS)
Response by Rt Rev Mgr Daniel McHugh, Co-ordinator for Ethnic Chaplaincies, Eparchies and Missions in the Archdiocese
Today, I congratulate you on 60 Years of Faith and Love here at St. Volodymyr. Your Faith, nurtured in Holy Mass in the Byzantine Rite, and instruction in Faith and Culture – has led to outreach to all.
We are especially aware of your outreach in love since 24 February, the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
I came on 27th February to express the solidarity of our Diocese as war was waged on your country and your people by Russia.
When I visited Lviv in 1995 your country and, the Church in particular, was celebrating the end of Soviet domination which had started after World War II. I was welcomed along with Archbishop Couve de Murville by Archbishop Husar, looked after by a young priest, now Bishop Kenneth, here today. We were setting up a partnership for Catechesis.
What has now happened could not be foreseen! We were celebrating the Faith of the underground Christians, out into the light after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Thank God, Ukrainians had come here to England in that period too and the Church of the diaspora has kept the Faith and the Community together. Now you are in the front line supporting those fleeing the war in your homeland. Your work with the City of Coventry is recognised by the presence of Peter Barnett, Head of Migration in the City; a model for other areas of Church and Local Authority working together.
Your work with the wider Archdiocese is recognised in the presence of Andy Quinn, who heads up the Fr. Hudson’s Care Initiative for Ukraine on behalf of the Archdiocese.
Finally, to be highlighted is your work with other Ethnic Chaplaincies, Eparchies and Missions, enriching each other in supporting the Faith, Culture and different Rites of the one Catholic Church. I am here as Co-ordinator of Ethnic Chaplaincies, Eparchies and Missions for the Archdiocese to recognise that. Your engagement was most recently seen at the Intercultural Mass and Celebration, marking One World Week on the occasion of Coventry being the UK City of Culture.
Father Moses (present today) was a key person in this, as was Father Aleksandr (formerly Parish Priest), and Canon Romuald of the Polish Mission.
Your invitation to Archbishop Bernard, who has promoted the working together of different ethnic communities, and to me is much appreciated.
I look forward to continuing working with Monsignor David Senyk, Father Taras, and the leaders of social outreach, Mario, Peter and Roman to forward the work of the Ukrainian Eparchy and to expand it to other parts of the Archdiocese and even to the whole country through my cousin Con, who has installed the web camera in time for today!
Finally, thanks to Bishop Kenneth and Monsignor Mykola, who welcomed me to the Holy Family Cathedral in London a few years ago, and are key guests today. I look forward to your coming to our St. Chad’s Cathedral, now that the Pandemic is receding. I am sure Monsignor Timothy, the Dean, also with us, will find a good way to celebrate all that is being achieved together for the Mission of the whole Church.
Monsignor Daniel McHugh (31st July 2022)
Photographs:
Recording of the Mass:
Concert (extracts) at 60 years anniversary of Coventry Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, 31 July 2022