The Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma held its annual Acolyte and Youth Convention

 Over 50 youth, young adult leaders, volunteers and clergy from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma and beyond gathered together on June 15-17 at the Gilmary Catholic Retreat Center in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania for the annual Acolyte and Youth Convention.

The theme of this year’s convention was “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever,” taken from Psalm 136:1 and dedicated to the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy that Pope Francis established in the Church between December 8, 2015 and November 20, 2016.

The convention – led by Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma and organized by the Eparchial Youth Committee under the leadership of Fr. Lubomyr Zhybak, the committee’s director and pastor of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Youngstown, OH and St. Anne’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Austintown, OH, who could not be present at the convention; Fr. Joseph Matlak, newly appointed co-director of the committee and assistant pastor at St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma, OH; Deacon Myron Spak, Subdeacon Joseph Zappernick, Mr. Joseph Levy, Mr. Michael Levy, Mrs. Renata Harmatiy and Mrs. Lisa Hladio, members of the committee – provided an opportunity for the youth to experience Christ’s mercy through prayer, learning and playing in the spirit of the Ukrainian Catholic faith and fellowship.

Connecting to Pope Francis’ dedication of the 2015-16 Jubilee Year of Mercy, the theme of the convention was focused on God’s mercy and forgiveness. The three-day convention began with morning prayer followed by a liturgical singing workshop provided by Fr. Joseph Matlak.  Mother Gabriella and Sr. Iliana, nuns from Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, OH, spoke to the female attendees about spiritual growth, the effects of sin, and embracing God’s mercy, incorporating private reflection and fun.  Archdeacon Jeff Smolio from St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma, OH met with the male attendees and provided a presentation about God’s mercy in an interactive and fun filled format. Taisa Chirovsky, a young adult from Pittsburgh, addressed the group about growing up a Ukrainian Catholic in the secular world.  In her presentation, she shared stories about her experiences and challenges and described how she was able to find solace in music – both contemporary and liturgical.

The following day began with prayer and a keynote presentation by Larissa Fedoryka – a professional cellist and member of the band “Scythian,” who currently resides in Santa Barbara, California.  Fr. Ivan Chirovsky, Pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, PA provided a workshop about the liturgical year and its feast days. Mrs. Jaroslava (“Lala”) Lonchyna, a Ukrainian Catholic catechist from Trenton, NJ, delivered an engaging and spirited presentation about mercy through service to others. The day concluded with a fun youth mixer and movie night.

The final day began with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, presided over by Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo and concelebrated by some clergy. Bishop Bohdan addressed and engaged the youth through a multimedia presentation.

The youth likewise had opportunities to play sports, form friendships, and interact with the clergy.  They played a competitive team based biblical mystery game entitled “The Hunger Games (Church Edition)”.   The youth also competed in the traditional “Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Religious Edition)” game.  Both of the games were designed to challenge young people with their knowledge of catechism and encourage young people to learn more about their faith.

The Hours and Vespers were served and much of the convention was centered on prayer.  All of the services were beautifully sung by the youth attendees.  An examination of conscience, led by Maria Chirovsky, a pastoral ministry professional, was provided in preparation for the Mystery of Repentance.  Several priests were available for confession.

This year’s Acolyte and Youth Convention was a wonderful, prayerful and engaging event for the eparchial youth.  The next convention is planned for June 2017.