Holy Ascension Parish - Clifton,
New Jersey
Update on the lawsuit against Holy Ascension, Clifton, NJ
The lawsuit that was commenced
against Holy Ascension Parish in Clifton, N.J. is now into its third year.
To
recap briefly: The complaint of
Archbishop Antony and of the rest of Bound Brook’s leadership was dismissed by
the court due to their refusal to comply with court rules. Among these was the hierarchs refusal to
allow Holy Ascension access to Bound Brooks archives, as required in the
so-called “discovery” process of the American legal system. The
misconduct was so severe, that the judge characterized it as “intentionally
disruptive and egregious, longstanding, willful and deliberate.”
While the court dismissed
Archbishop Antony’s complaint, Holy Ascension’s own counterclaim against Bound
Brook’s leadership was kept firmly in place.
Also, the court did not dismiss the complaint of the few parishioners
who were listed on the complaint with Archbishop Antony, and who the court
allowed to find another lawyer for themselves.
As it turned out, the majority of those parishioners who had been
originally listed on the complaint with Archbishop had no idea that they were
included as plaintiffs, and asked that their names be removed. It is the complaint of those remaining 6 or
7 former parishioners that remains the subject of the lawsuit, as well as (very
significantly) Holy Ascension’s own counterclaim against the leadership in
Bound Brook.
Documents in the lawsuit have
been largely exchanged, and a pre-trial conference has been scheduled for July
24, 2002 at which time the more precise steps and timing of the actual trial
will be determined.
To
this day, few people seem to be aware of the tremendous significance, for good
or ill, of this litigation.
Although Bound Brook’s leadership has been dismissed from the complaint,
their arguments and position are being presented by their proxies, the 6 or 7
renegade individual parishioners of Holy Ascension. They, together with Bound Brook’s bishops, have left the UOC-USA
and joined the Church of Constantinople.
A parish’s right to determine its own
destiny, to control its assets and property, to determine who its pastor will
be, are the issues in the lawsuit. Indeed, the very sobornopravnist’ of the UOC-USA and its identity as a Ukrainian church will be
determined.
The decision in the Holy Ascension
litigation, therefore, will have an immediate and direct impact on every single
parish of the UOC-USA. If the lawsuit
is lost, all parishes will lose all the rights that they now presume are theirs
and which, indeed, were theirs since the establishment of an independent
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A.
We previously reported on the
role that the Washington, D. C. international law firm of Russin & Vecchi
had in the period immediately preceding the filing of Bound Brook’s lawsuit
against Holy Ascension. It will be
remembered that that law firm represents the “Orthodox Church in America”
(OCA), which is the renamed Russian Orthodox Church in the U.S. The partner of that firm, Johnathan Russin,
who wrote the first threatening letter to Holy Ascension, is listed as the
“Washington Representative” of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. He also is listed as having been awarded the
“Order of Prince St. Vladimir” [sic] by Moscow.
Bound Brook has entered into
full communion with the OCA, as well as with the Russian church in Ukraine,
which masquerades as the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” with Moscow’s satrap
Sabodan as its ostensible “leader.”
Confusing and manipulating the public in Ukraine by using the more
acceptable name “Ukrainian” Orthodox Church is the same simple but effective
tactic that the Russian church uses in the U.S. by renaming its church the
“Orthodox Church in America.”
Years ago Holy Ascension
parish had anticipated and desperately tried to warn against the vulgar
subversion, from within, of the “Ukrainian Pantheon” in Bound Brook. No one listened. And Moscow’s lawyer and “Washington Representative” of the
Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, walks the hallowed grounds of Bound Brook,
while Archbishop Vsevolod has received, as a symbol of “fraternal love,” a
hierarchal panahia from Moscow’s satrap Sabodan in Ukraine.
Wake up…..…connect the dots…..…. and what
do you see?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Ascension Church + St. Mary The Protectress Ukrainian
Orthodox Church
6 3 5 B r o a d S t r e e t + 73-81 Washington Ave Clifton, NJ 07011 (201) 546-2473
Clifton, N.J. 07013 + Українська
Православна
Церква
Покрови Пресвятої
Богородиці
201-473-8665 +
July 3, 1995
His
Beatitude Metropolitan Constantine,
Primate
1803
Sidney Street
Pittsburgh,
PA 15203
Your
Beatitude Metropolitan Constantine:
Our two parishes – and, increasingly, many others – are concerned and,
indeed, alarmed over the effect that the purported “Agreement” with
Constantinople will have on the continuing independence and direction of our
Church.
We are distressed and consider it especially
unconscionable that such a wrenching turnaround in the orientation of our
Church was so silently executed. Without notice to layman or clergy, and after
apparent denials from our hierarchy of anything having been signed, it was only
long after the fact that the Consistory saw fit to allow clergy and faithful
access to that Agreement.
Father Diakiw’s May 17, 1995 letter to the clergy
purported to allay what were styled as “untruths” regarding this matter by
distributing a “true copy” of that Agreement. How can it be that this kind of
publication was delayed for five months after the event?
The uncommon silence in the face of such a tectonic
shift in the orientation of our Church has caused the gravest appreciation
among those faithful that are its bedrock.
With all due respect, we must insist on answers to
the following:
1)
When,
how and by whom did this come about, and when were the plans for it initiated?
2)
For
what reason?
3)
What
are the consequences, including to our relationship with and responsibility to
Orthodox clergy and faithful in Ukraine?
4)
Why
did this not transpire openly and forthrightly?
5)
Are
there any other agreements or understandings, whether expressed or implied,
oral or written, other than the Agreement?
6)
How
is that Agreement consistent with the Constitution that our Church “is
Autocephalous (independent) in all matters of its life and government”?
7)
How
does that Agreement promote the strength and independence of Orthodox faithful
in Ukraine, and our unity with them?
We look forward to receiving what we know will be
your considered response.
Very truly yours,
William Nakonechny, President Mykola
Pasichyk, President
Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Ascension Church St. Mary,
The Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The formal establishment of another Deanery of
Vicary of UOC-KP in USA and Canada
November 13, 2002
A joyous occasion at Holy Ascension Ukrainian
Orthodox Church, Clifton, New Jersey where a great number of parish faithful
and visitors from New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania and Connecticut
awaited the arrival of Bishop Stepan,
Vicary Bishop of Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate. Bishop
Stepan was escorted to the entrance of holy Ascension by Mr. Volodymyr
Velychko. At the entrance to the church gathered a multitude of clergy and
faithful where Bishop Stepan was greeted
by Mr. Wolodymyr Mohuchy with the Ukrainian traditional bread and salt.
The Archpastoral Liturgy was celebrated at 10:00AM with responses from the
choir under the direction of Ms. Svitlana Tonkoshkur.
At the end of the service occurred an unexpected
surprise when Bishop Stepan officially asked V. Rev. Oleh Zovnirovech, Pastor
of Holy Ascension, weather he was ready to accept the position and
responsibility as Dean of the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania Deanery?
Without hesitation his reply was YES!
The Sisterhood of Mary the Protectress prepared an
agape meal for the faithful, visitors and guests that arrived from not only the
local neighboring parishes but from New York, Pennsylvania, Florida and
Connecticut. As tradition dictates there was a collection of donations to which
St. Andrew’s Brotherhood, So. Bound Brook, NJ made a contribution.
The deeply moving homily of Bishop Stepan was
absorber by those present leaving the premises of Holy Ascension with joy in
their hearts and elevated pride that here we have another Deanery of Ukrainian
Orthodox Church – Kyivan Patriarchate.
Photos credited to Nasha Tserkva – Kyivan
Patriarchate, Borysten Literary Journal, Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine
**************************************************
Another Defeat in Court
presented to Archbishop Antony of Hierapolis, and Metropolitan Constantine of
Eirenopolois
On August 29, 2001 Judge Roger
F. Mahon, Superior Court of New Jersey, issued an order dismissing the
complaints of Metropolitan Constantine, Archbishop Antony, UOCUSA and Reverend
A. Mironko against Holy Ascension
Parish, Clifton, NJ and their defenses to Holy Ascension Parish counter suit
are suppressed with prejudice.
What does this mean in layman terms?
Simply stated it means that Superior Court Judge Roger F. Mahon threw out
Metropolitan Constantine, Archbishop Antony, UOCUSA and Fr. Arkadius Mironko as
Plaintiffs in the court case against Holy Ascension. But more importantly it
means that their right to defend against Holy Ascension’s counter suit has been
eliminated and their legal right to start or open the same litigation is
prevented. Does this mean that the case is over? No, not really. Their high
priced attorney Mr. Michael F. Rehill (actually he is on record as attorney for
the seven Concerned Parishioners who continue to remain as Plaintiffs) will
find some legal means to appeal, delay, postpone and procrastinate this action.
It is quite obvious that their intentions are to delay the case going to trial
until the UOCUSA Sobor is concluded in October 2001.
Following is actual copy (3 pages) of the court order as issued by
Superior Court Judge Roger F. Mahon
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Read the Continuing
Intimidation and Scare Tactics used by
Antony, Archbishop of
Hieropolis
Archbishop
Antony of Hieropolis in a July 11, 2001 letter to all parishioners of Holy Ascension
Parish, Clifton, NJ continues to show his relentless pursuit employing
intimidating scare tactics against the faithful. It is the same tactics used by
Rev. Paul Jagnisz at St. Mary’s in Rochester, NY. “Priest
not appointed by the Consistory…..resulting of all the Sacraments….being
invalid”. The
method is to scare and intimidate the unknowing and the trusting in his title
as “Archbishop of Hieropolis”.
We are reprinting the
letter sent out to all the parishioners by Antony, By the Grace of God, Archbishop of
Hieropolis.
11 July 2001
All Parish Members, Holy Ascension Ukrainian
Orthodox Parish, Clifton, NJ
My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
GLORY BE TO OUR LORD!
The Church has patiently waited for the
past two and one-half years for some sign of a change of heart on the part of
your parish board members from their disregard of both your parish and the
General Church Constitution and their transgressions of Church Canon Law.
Further, as President of the Consistory and Eparchial Hierarch, I have
personally expressed my belief that these individual members of the parish love
their Church and want to serve our Lord through her. As a result, I have
stubbornly embraced the desire for some sort of reconciliation between your
parish and Church Administration.
I am now forced, however, to recognize
that those individuals leading your parish not only continue with false
accusations against the Church Administration and her Hierarchs, but have
failed in all their responsibilities as duly elected members of a parish board.
Worse, I now question my original assumption that they do, indeed, love their
Holy Church and want to serve our Lord through her. Most evident of their
transgressions is the permission granted to an individual not appointed by the
Consistory to “serve” in the parish and now to an individual who is not even an
Orthodox priest to “serve” at the alter of Holy Ascension parish-resulting in
all the Sacraments celebrated over the past two and one-half years being
invalid. Further, their refusal to forward Diocesan Funds collected from
parishioners to the Church is a part of a total renunciation of their
obligation to the Metropolia and to you as parish members.
Therefore, I hereby confirm that as
Eparchial Bishop, I have removed all those individuals who currently serve on
the parish executive board and all trustees from any position of administration
in the parish. Further, these individuals and any others who have served in
parish administration since January 1999 are no longer eligible to serve in any
capacity in parish administration. A list of these individuals’ names is
attached (addendum “A”) to this letter and excludes any individuals who have
remained in good standing with Church Administration. Any names of individuals
who have served, which are inadvertently omitted from this list will be added
upon identification.
As the regular Church Sobor approaches, I
am concerned that our parish should have representation therein. I hereby
declare that those individuals who have heretofore identified themselves as the
“Concerned Parishioners of Holy Ascension Parish” are recognized by this
Hierarch and Church Administration as the legally constituted membership of
Holy Ascension Parish, having fulfilled their obligation to the Metropolia, and
that the parish executive board elected by them (see attached addendum “B”) is
the valid administrative body of the parish. It is this group of individuals,
which has continued a valiant effort to worship our Lord under the spiritual
guidance of the confirmed Pastor of Holy Ascension parish, Rev. Fr. Arkadij
Mironko, in the most difficult of circumstances and shall have the right and
obligation to elect delegates to the 16th Sobor of our holy
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in October 2001.
Our continued prayers here at the
Consistory and throughout the Church are offered to out Heavenly Father that
those who have chosen to isolate themselves from Christ’s body by their words
and deeds will “come to themselves” as did the Prodigal Son and return to the
flock, which has spiritually nourished them most of their lives.
In our Lord’s All-encompassing Love,
+Antony,
By the Grace of God, Archbishop
Addendum “A”
Individuals removed from and/or ineligible to serve in any
capacity of parish administration
-The Parish Executive Board or Trustees-
Holy Ascension Parish, Clifton, NJ
Mr. John Luchejko, Rose Clemens, Walter Mohuchy, Kathlene
Menke, Eve Raketsky, Walter Raketsky, Jennie Luchejko, Ivan Marchenko, Victor
Rud, Peter Paluch, Lesia Paluch, Andrew Rachko, Peter Velechko, Theodore
Tarachiwsky, Sonia Lelet, William Panycia, Ivan Panycia, Frank Zeevalt, Ivan
Lenczuk,m Gregory Klymenko, William Nakonechny
11 July 2001 – Consistory, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the
USA
+Antony, By the Grace of God, Eparchial Archbishop
Addendum “B”
Parish Executive Board
Holy Ascension Parish, Clifton, NJ
Chairperson – Debra Burgan,
Co-Chairperson – Richard Jendras,
Treasurer – Gary Markovich,
Assistant Treasurer – Frank DiGiacomo,
Financial Secretary – Millie Sosonka,
Secretary – Madaline Kuzbyt,
Ukrainian Secretary – Olga Piropato,
Auditors - William Kuzbyt and Eugenia Arson
Validated on 11 July 2001 – Consistory, Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of the USA
+Antony
By the Grace of God, Eparchial Archbishop
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Response from Holy
Ascension Parish Church Council
16 July 2001
Glory
Be to Jesus Christ!
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ and Fellow
Parishioners,
By now most of you should
have received the letter from Bound Brook. My initial reaction was one of sadness
– sadness that the individual who purports to be our spiritual shepherd, who
took vows to heal and unite, is resorting to blatant intimidation and scare
tactics. By the time I finished reading and re-read the contents in disbelief,
I was angry: angry at the tone, angry at the misrepresentations and, most of
all, angry at the lies!
Of course, the first
objective of the letter is to solidify three more votes for the Sobor. We have been informed that a number of
elected delegates in other parishes will not be allowed to participate because
they have asked too many damning questions.
But Holy Ascension will now have the full compliment of delegates,
representing whom?
I will not dignify the
balance of the message except to call your attention to its continued
misrepresentation of the facts in an effort to divert the attention from the
real issue at hand. One such
misrepresentation is that Father Oleh Zhownirovych is non-canonical. This simply is not true. He, as were all our
previous priests, is a member in good standing of the One, Holy Ukrainian
Orthodox Church. Father Zhownirovych
was ordained in 1989 by the canonical Orthodox Church. The documents attesting to this
are available for your perusal at our Church.
The same can no
longer be said of Antony, the Bishop of Hierapolis, Constantine of Eirenopolis
and Pangratios of Scopelos (this is the Greek name Archbishop Vsevolod is
using). These Clerics are not members
of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church but are now truly and admittedly bishops of
the Church of Constantinople, a church based in Istanbul, Turkey. Their accusations are simply a transparent
attempt to mask the real issue surrounding their abandonment of our Holy
Ukrainian Orthodox Church and subordination to a foreign Church.
A centuries old tradition in
the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is that parishes have the right to administrate
and manage their property and assets.
The attempt to consolidate power in the hands of the bishops, to eliminate
laity’s role in the governing of the Church and to control the local parish
assets is the real issue at hand. To make matters worse, this is being
perpetrated under the aegis of a foreign prelate who has never had any business
in our Church. This is in fact the way
churches under the Ecumenical Patriarch are governed, but not in the Holy
Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Having left the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church, these bishops ultimately and admittedly so, must adhere to the laws and bidding of
a non-Ukrainian Turkish patriarch. The
Sobor decisions will be valid only if the foreign patriarch deems them to be
so. Soon, you will see our Constitution
changed and the powers of the laity and the Sobor diminish. And that is the real issue!
In the past months our parish has been blessed with spiritual
tranquility and a return to normalcy. We do not want anyone poisoning our
spiritual waters. I therefore ask you to disregard this insidious attack and
focus on the revival that is taking place. Good will and the intercession of
Our Creator will eventually silence our detractors, and our capable attorney
will skillfully deal with the rest.
On behalf of the Church Council,
Yours in Christ,
Signed,
Wolodymyr Mohuchy
Response in Ukrainian text to the Holy
Ascension parishioners from head of the Parish Church Council, Mr. Wolodymyr
Mohuchy.
16
Липень 2001
СЛАВА
ІСУСУ ХРИСТУ!
Дорогі
Сестри і
Брати в
Христі і
Співпарафіяни,
Вже напевно ви дістали лист від Бавнд Бруку. Моя перша реакція була гіркою – гіркою що та особа котра представляє себе нашим душпастерем, котра присягала Всевишньому гоїти і обєднувати, берется до явного шантажу. Доки я кінчив читати і перечитувати ці наклепи, я став обуреним. Обурений загрозою, обурений перекрученням фактів, а найбільш обурений неправдою!
Очевидно
перший обєктив
цього листа є
закріпити ще
три голоси на
Собор. Нам
відомо що
деякі
вибрані
делеґати з
інших
порафій не
матимуть
доступу бо вони
занадто
вимагали
правди. Але
Св. Вознесіння
буде тепер
мати повний
склад делеґатів.
А когож вони
представляють?
Я не
буду
удостойнювати
решту цього
повідомлення,
але я мушу
звернути
вашу увагу до
систематичного
перекручення
фактів в
листі щоб відвернути
вас від
головної
суті. Одне з
тих перекручень
є що О. Олег
Жовнірович
не є канонічний.
Це
є абсурдний
наклеп. Він, як і його
понередки, є
визнаний
член Одної,
Святої Українцької
Православної
Церкви. О.
Жовнірович
був
висвячений в
1989-му році в канонічній
Православній
Церкві.
Документи
про це свідчать,
які ви можете
переглянути
в нашій церкві.
Це
саме не можна
сказати про
Єпископів
Антонія з
Ієраполісу,
Константина з
Есалеусу і
Панґратія з
Скопелосу
(приняте
Грецьке ім’я
Єпископа
Всеволода). Ці
ченці не є
членами
Української
Православної
Церкви. Вони є
справді і
самопризнані
єпископи Церкви
Константинополя
основаної в
Стамбулі,
Туреччині.
Намір
їхнього
обвинувачення
є відвернути
вас від
їхньої зради
Святої Української
Церкви і
підкорення
чужій Церкві.
Наша
сот-літна
церковна
традиція
визнає парафіяльне
право
керувати і
управляти своїм
майном і
капіталом.
Намагання
захопити силу
в
єпископські
руки,
скасування
участі мирян
в керуванні
церкви і
контролювання
парафіяльної
власності, це
є їхня мета! А
гірше ще є те
що це
виконуєтся
під проводом
чужого
керівника
який ніколи
не мав
стосунків з
нашою
церквою. Це
так керуєтся
під Екуменічнім
Патріархом а
не в Святій
Українській
Правоцлавній
Церкві.
Відколи
вони
покинули
Українську
Церкву, ці
єпископи
мусять тепер
підкорюватись
законам і
вимогам
не-Українського,
Турецького
Патріарха.
Всі
постанови на
Соборі будуть
дійсні
тільки зі
згодою
чужого
звершника.
Незадовго
Конституція
буде змінена
і права мирян
і Собору
будуть не
важні. В цім є
прикрість; в
цім є суть.
За
останні
місяці наша
парафія була
благословенна
духовним
відродженням
і поверненням
до
нормальности.
Нам не
потрібно щоб хтось
отроював
наші душевні
води. Тому я
звертаюсь до
вас,
відвернітся
від цього
підлого нападу
і причинітся
до нашого
відродження. Добра
воля і
оборона
нашого
Небесного
Отця затише
наших
ворогів, а
наш здібний
адвокат
удосконалить
решту.
За
Парафіяльну
Управу,
З любов’ю в
Христі,
підпис,
Володимир
Могучий
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Letter to Parishioners of Holy
Ascension Parish, Clifton,NJ.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and Fellow Parishioners,
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
I hope
that this most joyous holiday season in the Ukrainian Orthodox calendar finds
you in good health and you had the opportunity to peacefully celebrate the
Glorious Resurrection of our Savior.
I
purposely refrained from infringing on your privacy during the Lenten season
and was hoping to minimize further intrusions, other than to update you on the
Archbishop’s lawsuit. But the resurgence of dis-information, half-truths and
out-and-out lies has forced me, on behalf of Father Seraphim and the Parish Board,
to update you on the most significant and heartbreaking events taking place
within the UOC of USA.
First and
foremost, despite the insistence of our detractors that the lawsuit is a local
disagreement, the actions of the hierarchs are being vehemently debated not
only in every parish in the USA but also in Canada in preparation for their
Sobor and globally including Western Europe, Australia and others. The
faithful, after five years of "omophor", are finally realizing what
our subjugation to Turkish authority has wrought. Sadly the truth is not coming
from Bound Brook, but from official Ecumenical publications. Archbishop
Antony’s strong arm, behind-the-scenes tactics are also embittering a very
large segment of the faithful. The insistence that "nothing has
changed" is proving to be a bold lie.
What we, and parishes throughout the
USA, demand.
From the
very beginning, we demanded that our church adhere to the principles and
promises on which it was founded. That it remain Ukrainian, Autocephalous
(Independent) and Sobornopravna (uniquely Councilar) --- no more, no less. This
is what our founders stipulated; this is what we want.
When the
bishops went to Istanbul they assured us that "nothing will change".
Well, they gave up our independence and they became foreign prelates overseeing
dominions 600 feet beneath the Mediterranean Sea. Now Archbishop Antony assures
us that we were never independent and desperately wants to prove in court that
our church had always been hierarchial with all its legal implications.
Where the lawsuit stands.
At the
present, the lawsuit is in the "discovery" phase - a lengthy
procedure of inquiries, documentation and witness depositions. This will
continue through the summer and ultimately culminate in a trial. This suit is
by no means a trivial local argument among a handful of parishioners. The
outcome will have very serious consequences for the entire Ukrainian Orthodox
Church in the Free World.
What is the lawsuit all about?
The lawsuit
presents a simple question: Who will occupy and control Bound Brook and
individual property and assets - those who want to destroy the fundamental
principles of our Church or those who want to keep it as it always was. The
method of destruction chosen by Archbishop Antony is the newly invented theme
of hierarchial structure.
Several
months ago, and now repeated in The Ukrainian Orthodox Word, the message was
circulated throughout the USA that the Archbishop does not want your property.
Well, he forgot to mention his definition of hierarchial structure (item
7 of his certification), but his lawyer did not. On page 19 of the legal brief
he states "Holy Ascension, as a local parish within the hierarchial
organization, holds all its property in implied trust for the superior
ecclesiastical authority ... regardless ... of the source of funds with which
property was purchased." But wait, this is the very same statement
that was used in the Paterson court and we have the court transcripts to prove
it. The judge did not buy it then and we pray that the judge in Somerset will
not buy it now!
The Roman
Catholic Church is hierarchial, where the ultimate authority over property
resides with the Pope, regardless of any local constitution. That is the very
reason our predecessors in the USA broke away from Catholicism. Our church was
never hierarchal nor, with God’s intercession, shall it ever be.
Father John Nakonachny’s
letter (Questions and Answers from your Pastor)
Father
John’s letter has been circulating for some time and recently has reached our
doorstep. It is so typical of the diversionary tactics used by Bound Brook that
it merits but a brief comment.
Who is Father John Nakonachny?
Father
John is a very active member of Archbishop Antony’s inner circle and a relative
- the Archbishop is his "kum" (godfather to Father John's children).
He has a long history of promoting the UOL objectives to suborn our church to
Greece by whatever means. His actions were condemned by then Metropolitan
Mstyslav and he received a severe reprimand for his unauthorized activities,
along with Mr. Hedesh, who now represents Archbishop Antony in court. Father
John and Father Estocin have been spearheading the Archbishop’s public
relations blitz.
The letter. (Questions and Answers from your Pastor)
As
always, Bound Brook’s attack is to deflect from their own misdeeds and point
the finger somewhere else. The favorite target of opportunity is inevitably
Patriarch Filaret. First he was stealing parishes. Now, according to Father
John, he wants our property. What an interesting concept! I will not bore you
with how contrary to truth these accusations are. But I will remind Father John
that Patriarch Filaret was not even in the picture when the betrayal in
Istanbul took place. Patriarch Volodymyr, a victim of KGB persecution and
survivor of the gulag, was the primate. He denounced the betrayal. And he was
angry and he set it to print!
Parma Parish withdraws from
Archbishop’s lawsuit.
Despite
Father John’s extraordinary efforts, his parishioners voted to exclude their
parish from any action in the lawsuit against our parish. The judge was duly
notified, but for some odd reason the word of this significant event was not
mentioned in Father John’s letter and is being kept from the Ukrainian Orthodox
community!
Archbishop Antony’s Heavy Hand
It is
very painful to view the actions of the prelate to whom we all looked for
leadership and spiritual guidance in the twenty-first century. Instead of
speaking the truth to the faithful, finding resolution to our burning issues
and healing the wounds so callously inflicted upon us, the Archbishop is
engineering the disintegration of our church and actively adding fuel to the
fire. I will cite only two recent examples:
Uniondale, NY St. Michael’s UOC
No doubt
all of you heard about the tragedy at St. Michael’s, so I will be brief.
Archbishop Antony recognized in writing a bogus church council, which called in
the police and fraudulently obtained a court order against the pastor. This
prevented religious services for a number of weeks., These same surrogates of
the Archbishop locked out the parishioners and illegally diverted funds to
Bound Brook. The court ruled in favor of the parishioners. The Archbishop and
his surrogates lost.
Rochester, NY St. Mary Protectress
Church
The
events are unfolding, but the similarities to Uniondale are distressing. Based
on the information available at this writing, it appears that the Archbishop
"recognized" a dubiously elected board, which then disconnected the
telephone and utilities to the church and intercepted church mail. A change in
authorized signatures was attempted at the bank, but failed. The group was
discovered by the police in the process of changing the church locks. A court
hearing has been scheduled.
St. Volodymyr Cathedral, NYC
As parish
board president I had the sad occasion on April 16 to attend the annual meeting
at the St. Volodymyr Cathedral in New York City. I was there to answer
questions in reference to the lawsuit, but mostly I sat and listened in
disbelief. The meeting was scheduled for 1 pm and I left at 8:30pm.
The
arguments of the Archbishop’s supporters were strictly based on blind faith
without even the basic knowledge of facts. Their tools were personal attack,
denial and Patriarch Filaret. The parish is divided into three camps:
supporters of the Archbishop, adherents to constitutional rule and those
seeking the truth from the hierarchs. The six members elected as trustees were
all declared adherents to independence and councilar church governance.
As a
parting shot, one of the zealous adherents to the Archbishop declared in a
booming voice, "The mafia has overtaken our church!" The hall fell
silent. My heart skipped a beat. We have come to this. The elected members are
lifelong church activists and responsible community leaders. Some served on the
Metropolitan Council. Now they are mafia!
www.saveouruoc.com
The web
page has a voluminous readership from around the world. It contains the latest
developments, parish news and documentation. Nothing unsubstantiated is
printed! I realize that some of you don’t have computers. Please ask your
friends to download for you at least once a month. We post copies at church.
Bound Brook examines the site daily!
Concluding Remarks
It is
impossible to summarize all the events taking place in our Ukrainian Orthodox
Community. I encourage each of you, including our detractors, to stop in and
ask question. Above all, don’t accept glib, uninformed answers. Ask for details
and proof. This goes for everyone including me!
We lived
through a most trying year and our parish life has actually grown stronger.
Personally I feel more spiritually fulfilled every Sunday. I invite all of you
to join us.
We
welcome your suggestions on improving the spiritual aspects of our church. I
had lengthy discussions with many parishioners and significant changes have
been implemented already. We are particularly interested in your opinions
regarding the second Liturgy. One thought is to form a modest choir and have
rehearsals to enrich the English service. What are your thoughts? We are here
to listen and respond.
In this holy season of renewal and
forgiveness may the Resurrected Lord look at us kindly and give us the wisdom
to erase our differences and glorify His Holy Name as one united family.
On behalf of Father Seraphim and
the Parish Board,
Wolodymyr
Mohuchy
Parish
Board President
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News Flash………………..
Tuesday, December 21, 1999, the Superior Court of New Jersey threw out UOC-USA Archbishop Antony's request for
a "Summary Judgement"
against Holy Ascension Parish, Clifton, NJ. With the denial of the Summary
Judgement request, the "discovery process" will continue, culminating
with a trial.
This is a historic moment which opens the doors for the Ukrainian
Orthodox faithful to find out what agreements were signed, what was agreed too
and what was promised behind closed doors (as confirmed by Dr. A. Lysyj) in
Istanbul in 1994, well before the 14th Sobor. To this day, the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful have
been deprived of the TRUTH. All
efforts have been made by a small group of individuals to hide the truth,
intimidate those who dare question, and to
impose the will of Istambul (and by extension the will of Moscow) on the
Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in the USA.
Fraud and collusion on the part of certain clergy and laity on the
Metropolitan council and in the Consistory was one of the claims that Holy
Ascension had raised in Court. The "discovery process" that
Archbishop Antony tried to block with the Summary Judgement request thus will
now also disclose who engaged in that conduct. By doing so, they violated not
only their moral obligation to the faithful but also their legal duty as
trustees. Bound Brook's fear of disclosure is the common thread that is also
reflected in its earlier attempt to impose a legal gag order on the
parishioners of Holy Ascension NOT
to discuss the court case AGAINST THEM
at their annual parish meeting.
In denying the Summary Judgement the Superior
Court in effect left in place Holy Ascension's position :
- That the issues
before the Court involve fraud and collusion.
- That UOC-USA is NOT "hierarchical" within the
meaning of the case law but IS
sobornopravna.
- That the UOC-USA
was always intended to be autocephalous (independent) and not part of a
foreign church.
- That the UOC-USA
does NOT have control over
parish assets.
- That the Antimines
do NOT belong to the
Bishops.
- That a parish has
the right to dismiss its priest.
- That discovery is
incomplete and substantial social issues are involved.
The denial of a Summary Judgement is a victory but NOT a complete victory for Holy Ascension or the
Ukrainian Orthodox faithful. What this victory does is open the doors for all
to see what is truly behind Bound Brook's abandonment of our heritage, our
culture and our Mother Church.