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Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church
Українська Католицька Церква Богоявлення Господнього

Father John

Xристос Воскресе! Воистину Воскрес!
Christ Is Risen! Indeed He Is Risen!

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From the Desk of Father John

ВІД УРАДУ ОТЦЯ ІВАНА

From the desk of Father John....

My dear Parishioners and Readers,

The Vibrant Parish – a place to encounter the Living Christ.

There are times that I sometimes become lost for words or ideas.

I have therefore, placed a box in the church vestibule where you can submit your “ideas” or “suggestions” I might address and elaborate upon.

I can perhaps address your suggestions in the bulletin or even in my Sunday homily.

So please, if you would like to submit your “concern” notes, I will address them as soon as possible. You need not give your name. This is between you, God and me.

I believe, if I have your input and thoughts, other parishioners and guests may benefit from your questions, concerns or ideas.

Let’s see if this can work and maybe develop into an on going project.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father John.....

MSGR. JOHN P. STEVENSKY

MEETS WITH

BLESSED POPE JOHN PAUL II, THE GREAT

	Msgr. John P. Stevensky celebrated a Divine Liturgy with Blessed Pope John Paul II, the Great in his private Chapel on June 9, 1998. He arrived at the Vatican at 6:00 AM that morning and was met by the Swiss Guards who escorted him up three flights of marble steps to an elevator on which we were taken to the papal apartment.
There 3 Bishops and 12 Priests vested and were escorted to the Pope’s Chapel where the Holy Father was already kneeling in prayer before the Altar. Father Stevensky stood out among the other Priests wearing his Eastern Rite vestments. The Liturgy began at 8:00 AM and lasted for one hour.
	After the Liturgy we all met with the Pope in a large library outside the Chapel where the Holy Father spoke and gave all present a rosary. We were told to simply state our name and where we were from. The Pope would then respond “God bless ....and America , hand you a rosary and move to the next person. When he came to Father John, Father greeted the Pope with “Slava Isusu Khrystu!”. To which the Pope responded “Slava na Viki!”. Both then conversed in Ukrainian for several minutes.
The Holy Father asked what I was doing in Rome, where I was from and who was my Bishop. When Father John told the Pope that he was in Rome to celebrate his 38 Anniversary of Priestly ordination. The Pope responded that “you don’t even look 35 years old”. The meeting lasted about until about 10:00 AM after which we departed on “cloud nine” with the memories of a lifetime.