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Thanks to an alert friend from the forum I have learned of the closing of Christ the Redeemer Byelorussian Catholic Church in Chicago. This parish was unique in the United States.
The congregation was always small but they were a fine group, in love with God and faithful to their traditions. I feel certain that they will find suitable spiritual homes in other Eastern Catholic churches around Chicago but my heart goes out to them.
God Bless the Byelorussian and Russian Catholics everywhere, may they finally one day have the freedom and ability to practice their faith without discrimination and neglect in their homelands and around the globe.
Michael, that sinner
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How sad. I visited that church a decade or so ago. It seemed a fine community.
Axios
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Can anyone elaborate on the state of the Byzantine Catholic Church in Belarus these days?
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Originally posted by Roman: Can anyone elaborate on the state of the Byzantine Catholic Church in Belarus these days? I would like to but at the moment I cannot. From the various bits and pieces I have picked up they are really struggling. They might represent 10% of the population but they lack facilities and government recognition. Some are worshiping in apartments used as temples but most still worship among the Orthodox apparently. I understand a pretty good sized group went to Ukraine at the time the Pope of Rome visited. I hope someone more knowledgeable can fill us in. Michael
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I met with some friends from Christ the Redeemer at a Ukrainian parish today in Chicago.
Going from a pretty glorious (although Synodal) form of the liturgy and singing in Slavonic to a mostly strained and struggling recited liturgy with abbreviations is going to be tough on them.
I surely do hope they do not lose heart.
Michael
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This is tragic! However, I have a few questions. The Byelorussians, like us Russian Catholics, are placed under the care of the local Roman ordinary. Although we pray for the Roman ordinary, we are not part of the Roman Church. The present situation is one of economy, not the ideal. The Russian Catholic Exarchate remains vacant, yet remains listed by Rome. So, we are temporarily "on load" to and "under the care" of Roman bishops. My question here is, Does the Roman Archbishops of Chicago have the canonical authority to dissolve an Eastern Byzantine community? He doesn't seem to have taken good "care" of the Orthodox Christians entrusted to him! Even more importantly, does the loss of the temple require the dissolution of the community? The Russian parishes in LA and SF have their own temples. However, we in NYC have been using the old chancery on Mulberry Street for over 60 years. The community owns nothing but the sacred vessels, the icons, the liturgical books and the electric coffe pot. When I was in SF on a Sunday, the pastor of the Russian Parish was out of town, so we joined the Melkites for Liturgy. The Melkites however, don't have their own temple and use the Dominican Priory Chapel in Berkley. Here in NYC, a Romanian Catholic parish uses the Ukranian church in Long Island City. St. Mary of Zion Ethiopian Orthodox Church uses space from St. John's RC (Capuchin) Church near Penn Station. St. Mary Magdalene, a dynamic Orthodox parish (OCA) uses the chapel at Union Theological Seminary! http://www.saintmarymagdalen.com I know that Jewish tradition reqires a minyan of 10. Our Lord, however, only mentioned 2 or 3. Can an alternate place be found? A convent chapel, a campus Newman Club, even a friendly Episcopal parish? Even if this is not feesible at the time, I pray the Christ the Redeemer Community will NOT disband. At the very least, they could re-convene periodically throughout the year for Divine Liturgy or even weekly for Reader's Vespers. Perhaps, in the future, the Lord will provide another opportunity for a more regular arrangement....and even bless us with a holy Exarch! I hope that someone in Chicago reads this and conveys my every best wish to these folks!
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"My question here is, Does the Roman Archbishops of Chicago have the canonical authority to dissolve an Eastern Byzantine community? He doesn't seem to have taken good "care" of the Orthodox Christians entrusted to him!"
Dave,
Please forgive me, but you have made a deduction without firsthand evidence.
I lived in Chicago for many years and was a good friend to that parish. After the repose of Bp. Tarasevich (may his memory be eternal), the parish was cared for by our priest, the Rev. Dr. Ed Wojciechowski, who was "on loan" to the Belarusians from the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. When Fr. Ed moved to Minneapolis, the parish was staffed by the Rev. Fr. Joseph Cirou, and then by the cardinal's own secretary, Fr. J.J. McDonnell. The Archdiocese kept that little parish open long after it had closed much larger ones in the Roman Rite.
The people of Christ the Redeemer will remain a community as long as any of them live, but they are not complaining about the cessasion of their parish. The Romanian Catholics will make excellent use of that facility, since they have a current immigration that had no place to worship within the Chicago city limits (the Romanian Catholic churches in the Metro Chicago area are all either in Aurora or in NW Indiana, not easily accessible by public transportation).
(Prof.) J. Michael Thompson Byzantine Catholic Seminary Pittsburgh, PA
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Sorry to disagree with J. Michael Thompson, but the closing of Christ the Redeemer in Chicago is utterly outrageous. If the Archdiocese of Chicago has closed larger RC parishes, that is not my problem. I was also a friend of Bishop Vladimir. That the Romanian Greek-Catholic community can make good use of the facilities is no doubt true - but it is also true that the closure of Christ the Redeemer puts an end to the presence of a community, however small, maintaining the synodal usage of the Byzantine Liturgy. If, as reported, there were still 20 faithful people prepared to come regularly and keep Christ the Redeemer open, that would make an enviable base from which to find new parishioners. A flood of protests about this should go to Rome, without delay. Incognitus
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I'm not clear. Is the Belorussian community protesting or accepting the closure?
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Dear friends, I am sorry that this brushfire started with my postings. I have given the impression that this was an injustice to the Byelorussians and it is far from the case.
It was not a question of real estate because the building is still there and being used. I think they could have just folded into the Romanian community but of course there is the language barrier and a slightly different tradition.
I might add that there were very few actual Byelorussians still there. The parish was English speaking and many of the music charts had the slavonic in phonetics for ease of pronunciation. The facility was a little rustic but charming, the reason I did not join the parish myself was that there were no children and no young families and it was clear that the aging community was struggling.
My friends have told me that they expected the parish to close in 1986, and they were blessed with many more years than they had expected. While few, the stalwarts hung on to the very end and I saw them as very devoted to Byzantine spirituality and tradition. It is my impression from everything I was told that the joint efforts of a few priests and the generosity of the Archdiocese enabled them to maintain the parish. It was a labor of love.
Father John McDonnell deserves special recognition for devoting considerable effort to the community.
I apologize for the alarm I raised while I waxed poetic about the brave little church.
Michael, that sinner
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Originally posted by Roman: Can anyone elaborate on the state of the Byzantine Catholic Church in Belarus these days? Here is a link that contains information about the Byzantine Catholic Church in Belarus: www.stmichaelruscath.org/belarus.htm [ stmichaelruscath.org] From that site, you will find two more links that will provide further info on the Church in Belarus It also contains some nice pictures.
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St. Irene's in WI. closed as a parish and the building was sold BUT the people who remained moved to a local Roman Catholic Parish and used a room in the school as a Chapel. Then when we had to leave because the local public school took over the building we rented a store front. If the people and the Priest are willing can't they take their funds and possessions and perhaps do the same? Why does a Parish have to be attached to a building? The Israelites wandered 40 yrs in the desert with out a synagogue. I also wonder is it the diocese's building to sell and where do those proceeds go?
Nicky's Baba
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