In conjunction with the 25th Annual Carpatho-Rusyn Celebration, St. John the Baptist Ruthenian-Byzantine Catholic Church (201 E. Main Street Uniontown, PA) will being celebrating a Church Slavonic Divine Liturgy at 11:15 AM, Sunday October 29th, 2006. All are welcome to attend and hear the authentic Subcarpathian-Rusyn Prostopinije sung in it's original Church Slavonic musical setting.

Ungcsertezs

Sounds great. But the OCA church I'm about to join does some Slavonic every Sunday.(Can't say as much about the Ruthenian church I'm leaving where the priest gets mad when the cantor does the Trisagion in Slavonic). Father told me once a month they do an extended version. And this is with a congregation of about 50 people, and some are converts that are not of Slavic background. What's the Ruthenian church afraid of? Slavonic liturgies shouldn't be a once a year y'all come extravaganza. It's our history!!!

We appreciate this event, even if it happens only once a year. It is really enjoyed by the faithful who attend every year. It's great to hear the authentic Church Slavonic musical settings of Prostopinije.

Ungcsertezs

Ung, do you happen to know if the Church Slavonic liturgy next Sunday is the only liturgy that morning or not at St. John the Baptist? I will be in town for the weekend, especially for the festival, but have other places to visit, etc.

I contacted the church. There is a Liturgy at 5:30 Saturday afternoon in English including a blessing of the workers, and one Sunday at 9 a.m. in English as well. The only Slavonic service is the one Ung mentioned at 11:15 Sunday morning, which is followed by the parish annual festival in the parish hall all Sunday afternoon, with all sorts of crafts, baked goods, etc. The church itself also has a new iconostasis, which I am looking forward to seeing.

One problem I found 37 years ago - despite a preference for Church-Slavonic among a fair number of the parishioners, I was the only person in the parish who could actually read Church-Slavonic. So we had the Divine Liturgy completely in Church-Slavonic once a year, since I had to go to considerable trouble to import someone to read the Epistle. It's easy to overlook the obvious. If the people want a Liturgy completely in Church-Slavonic, they should be prepared to provide people competent to have it. Singing "Holy God" in Slavonic is one thing; actually understanding Saint Paul's epistles in Slavonic is quite another matter - and it is not hard to tell when the reader is reading something which he does not, in fact, understand.

Fr. Serge

For those attending the Byzantine Spirituality Conference in Monroeville this Saturday and who might want to attend the Church Slavonic Divine Liturgy at St. John's parish:

Take Rt. 48 South. Look for Rt. 51 and take that road South to Uniontown. Rt. 51 goes right through Uniontown, just look for the Main Street exit. It's about a 50 minute trip coming from Monroeville.

Ungcsertezs

Once again...can or will someone record this for posterity's sake??? I would love a copy if it recorded.

John K.

Cantor Professor Jerry Jumba, who led the cantors at last year's Divine Liturgy, video taped the entire liturgy, for a reference for his Mckees Rocks Cantor School. I find out if a video will be available for this upcoming liturgy.

Ungcsertezs

Take Rt. 48 South. Look for Rt. 51 and take that road South to Uniontown. Rt. 51 goes right through Uniontown, just look for the Main Street exit. It's about a 50 minute trip coming from Monroeville.

If you are coming down RT 51, please remember there is MAJOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION just outside of UNIONTOWN as they put in the new expressway for BROWNSVILLE and plan accordingly.

Also remember, YOU CANNOT TURN LEFT ON MAIN STREET!!! IT'S ONE-WAY WESTBOUND. Go to the 2nd traffic light, MAJOR INTERSECTION, has 2 gas stations and BIG GREY CHURCH on the right side, turn left here, this US 40 EAST. You will go thru 3 traffics lights and look for WILSON AVENUE. Turn left and go 3 blocks to the stop sign, this will be MAIN STREET. You will see the church, turn left and then make the sharp right just after the church, go 1 block and turn right again into the church parking lot.

" The church itself also has a new iconostasis, which I am looking forward to seeing"

The ikonstas is the tacky old one, the ikons are all new and done by Michael Kapeluck from Carnegie.

Medved,

Thanks for the road construction update!

Ungcsertezs