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Glory To Jesus Christ !

I will be attending my first Divine Liturgy in English this Sunday. This Church is 15 minutes from my house.
web page [stspeterandpaul.com]
As a Latin I hope I don't stand out like a sore thumb.. I'll try my best not to.
Other than blessing myself from right to left, what do I do/say when I receive Holy Communion ?

Dominus Vobiscum,
Brad

Wow, truly a wonderful church! I am very impressed with the pictures on their web site! You will have to tell us all of your impressions! I pray that you have a wonderful time there!

In His Name,
Stephen

Say absolutely NOTHING (except IF a priest asks what your name is, you give him your Chrismated name [confirmation name]). When you go up for Holy Communion, keep your hands on your chest (cross your arms onto your chest) and tilt your head, open your mouth wide, DO NOT STICK YOUR TONGUE OUT. Then if they offer blessed bread, take it after Communion and you can eat it then or wait until you get to your pews to eat it.

Hope you will feel enlightened in the Divine Liturgy, please do report back to us and let us know how it went for you.

G-d Bless,

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Thanks for the info.
I will be sure to let you all know how it went.

Are there generally missals in the pews so that I can follow along with the chant ?

In Christ,
Brad

Dear Intrigued Latin,

SPDundas gave some great advice. Also, Ukrainian Greek (Byzantine) Catholics and Orthodox (soon to be the same) tend to cross themselves a bit more than Roman Catholics.

The web site photo of the church is from the back, and the 'sketch' is of the front. Neither provides the viewer with a full exterior picture of this large and beautiful church which can be seen clearly on the North side of autoroute 401 in Scarborough (now metropolitan Toronto).

This particular masonry style of an Orthodox church is known as 'Ukrainian Cossak Baroque' which was popular during the 16th and 17th centuries in 'Greater' (Eastern) Ukraine. The church was featured in a Canadian architectural magazine a few years ago when it won a top design award.

Many people actually stop to take pictures of St-Peter's and Pauls Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and often ask to see the inside. Contrary to what a forum member stated not too long ago in a separate thread, many non Ukrainian Greek (Byzantine) Catholics are very much attracted to the beauty of those cupolas and icons / frescos. They tend to attract .

Don't worry - be happy

Hritzko

Where did the 12 families worship before 1949?
Just curious.

Ung-Certez

Dear Intrigued-Latin,

There usually are missals available in the pews. They are more often than not printed by the Basilians.

Hritzko

By the end of the second World war, many Ukrainian immigrants had been in Toronto for over 25 years and had made enough money to acquire their Canadian dream; a small farm.

When this parish was established in the late 1940's, the land was almost exclusively agricultural and a fair distance (12 to 15 miles) from the traditional earlier Ukrainian settlements in what is now 'downtown' Toronto (and for argument sake a 2 mile radius).

It was mostly the former 'downtown' Ukrainian immigrants who moved to their newly acquired farm lands after WW2 who established the first UGCC parish in Agincourt.

The early parishoners would have been Ruthenians (Carpathians), Galicians, and Bukovynians, who were all former subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who identified themselves as Ukrainian Greek Catholics. They spoke variants of the Western dialect of the Ukrainian language.

Over the next few decades Agincourt merged with other small towns to form the city of Scarborough, and it in turn became a bourough in the Metropolitan City of Toronto. Many more Ukrainians had migrated to this area during the same time and a new church was needed.

The Ukrainian Cossak Baroque design of the new and much larger church is from 'Greater' (Eastern) Ukraine and does not represent the Western area the original immigrant parish members came from. The design was probably chosen out of solidarity with the Ukrainian Orthodox who witnessed the destruction of most of their churches in Soviet Ukraine in the 1930's.

Today the new church is surrounded by modern high rise offices and Scarborough (Agincourt) is a modern upscale suburb of the Metropolitan City of Toronto.

Hritzko

Surely their must have been early immigrants to the Toronto area. What is the orginal parish in "downtown" Toronto?

Ung-Certez

There are actually a few:
Not sure which one is the original. If Alex were on here, I'm sure he'd know.

Saint Josaphat's Cathedral
110 Franklin Ave., Toronto, ON M6P 3Y9

Dormition of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
276 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON M5T 2S3

Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church
515 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON M4K 2N6
(416) 465-5836

Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
3 Leeds St., Toronto, ON M6G 3R8
(416) 531-9945


St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church
182-6th St., Toronto, ON M8V 3A5
(416) 274-6845

St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church
770 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON M6J 1G2
(416) 703-0118

Unlike the Western Canadian Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) which had been settled by several hundred thousand Ukrainian immigrants (begining in 1891) there were probably fewer than 3,000 in Toronto at the time that the first world war began.

By the end of WW1 there was no more free land to be given to new immigrants on the Canadian Prairies, and as such the new Ukrainian immigrants sought work in the cities (ie: Toronto & Montreal). It was the interwar period which saw a dramatic increase in Ukrainian immigration to Toronto and a significant organization of church and cultural life.

I have appended two links which outline the original parishes and how they were establishe in what would be the downtown area of Toronto today: Queen St, Leeds St, Franklin St, Bathurst St, Spadina St, "Eaton Center area", etc... You can easely find all of these areas South and Southwest of the University of Toronto's campus (between downtown and midtown).

The Toronto Ukrainian immigration was into the city core and then out over time to the suburbs and farms, and not vice versa.

The land purchased in what is now Scarborough (Northeast of downtown) was first homesteaded by American Loyalists (Americans who did not believe in Masonic Republicanism and sought refuge in Canada) 150 years prior to the arrival of the Ukrainians after WW2.

Notice in the following posts the interplay of the words 'Ruthenian' and 'Ukrainian' up to WW1, particularly in regards to church matters. Due to the fact that the word 'Rusyn' (in Latin: Ruthenian) was too similar to 'Russian' or 'Rossiyan' and very confusing to most non-Slavs (and even many Slavs), the term was largely eliminated in favour of Ukrainian.

Pre-WW1 immigration of Ukrainians-Ruthenians to Toronto [collections.ic.gc.ca]

Post-WW1 Ukrainian immigration to Toronto [collections.ic.gc.ca]

Hritzko

Dear Intrigued Latin,

I'm not sure from which of these parishes the original 12 families of St-Peter's and Paul's UGCC originated. In fact, you would probably have to review the original church charter to determine from where they came.

However, it is safe to say, that all of these urban downtown / west parishes would have provided over the decades new members for StP&P's.

Alex would have better information about Toronto than me, but alas, it seems he has gone this time forever. He is quite popular on Ukrainian T.V. and radio programs and is probably putting more effort in those areas. Although there are many Ukrainian web chat sites, there are none dedicated to Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Christianity. Rumours are that the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (Toronto branch) is discussing the estabishment of such a site. I'm sure (and hope) that he will be front and center of the new site .

Hritzko

Hritzko,
You seem to know so much about the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) yet you're located in Boston.
I have conversed with Alex a few times via e-mail and he has directed me to some nearby Ukie Churches.

Thanks for your info,

In Christ,

Brad

This whole 'Toronto Ukrainian migration & church business' is all so much easier to understand when you are at the top of the CN Tower (formerly tallest free standing structure in the world) looking down. You can actually see all of the downtown Toronto Ukrainian churches - and even the cupolas of some in Rochester, New York on the other side of lake Ontario.

I'm glad and tell him we miss him greatly.
Enjoy the beauty and variety of Ukrainian churches in Metro Toronto. My favority is St-Nicholas on Queen Street. After Divine Liturgy you can go to 'Future Bakery' across the street for some of the best borsht and perogies in T.O.

Hritzko

St Nicholas' UCC in Toronto was the featured Church in the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
(Credit to Alex for that fact)


Brad