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Christ the King UGCC parish here in Boston uses the Gregorian calendar, but they celebrate Christmas and Easter on both).

Apparently, after world war II the newly arrived parishoners (from Ukraine) wanted the priest to celebrate at least the major holidays (ie; Christmas and Easter) on the 'old' Julian calendar. The priest did not want to celebrate on two calendars for 'whatever' reasons, so the immigrants began attending the Ukrainian Orthodox church down the street for these major holidays (they used the Julian calendar). Very soon after, the parish priest decided that maybe celebrating 'major holidays' on both calendars was a good idea.

It just doesn't seem to be a big deal. I hope that the Sacremento group finds a similar solution. I thought that the new UGCC bishop for Chicago (Sacremento included) and the USA Metropolitan were Canadian born, raised, educated, etc... I'm sure they will both be much more open to the use of the Julian Calendar.

I did go to the Ukie Orthodox Church for Vespers on Christmas Eve and than afterards I was invited by the bishop to have dinner at his house and that's what I did.
Lauro

Dear Lauro and Hritzko,

I see no problem attending the Ukie Orthodox Church for services and I ALMOST convinced "she who must be obeyed" to attend them two days ago . . . I'll try harder next time .

The Ukrainian Orthodox are, in my view, VERY spiritual. The atmosphere in their Churches is very pious as the people come way before the liturgy starts to pray and stay for long periods afterwards. They sing the services with compunction and "from the heart." I just love them!

During Holy Week, we like to travel around and visit as many Orthodox Churches as we can to reverence the Epitaphion etc.

However, I do have a problem with our Church celebrating the holy-days twice and my in-laws' parish does that.

Even St Demetrius parish that follows the New Calendar has had to begin doing the True, er, I mean "Old" Calendar services for the people in their Seniors' Residence.

So I guess the UGCC has people who celebrate the New Calendar and those who do BOTH.

The Russians do an intelligent thing by having a feast of the North American Orthodox Martyrs on Dec. 25th so people could have a party when everyone else does too.

We Old Calendarists could celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on that day too!

Alex

Dear Diak:

X.P.!

You say:

The problem with this approach is that it is logical, sensible and in all ways proper from a pastoral point of view given our situation here in the 'States. Hardly something our espiscopate has a track record of demonstrating.

Yours,

hal

Dear Hal,

Happy St Stephen's Day!

More and more, even those in my family who were against the Old Calendar now see in it a way of making the celebration of the Nativity into a more spiritual event - free from the crass consumerism of North American "Christmas."

Alex

Dear Alex:

X.P.! And a happy "Stephana" to you as well!

You say:

I agree. But you raise two issues. One is of us as a Church as a whole and the other is dual celebrations on a parish level.

As for us celebrating together as a Church, I think we can only hope and pray. But, frankly, the day that the UGCC (or whatever we are called by then) celebrates on the same date is the day the last of our church buildings in North America becomes a museum or is sold to another jurisdiction.

On the parish level, with regard to the major feasts, I agree that it is impossible to "do it right" and have dual calendar celebrations in one parish. The Paschal cycle is the most obvious - you can't sing of the Resurrection and then turn around and a half an hour later give out the "schutka."

Even for Nativity, when would one do the Royal Hours for Nativity if the parish has to do the blessing of the waters for Gregorian Theophany on the very same day?

If I didn't have an Old Calendar UGCC parish where I was, I too would go to the Ukie Orthodox.

As for those who were "against" the Old Calendar (and Ialmost hate to say this) but here in Chicago it has almost become "tendy" to come to V&O's and celebrate according to the Julian.

Even the Cathederal parish here is holding a "Christmas Liturgy" on the Julian date so that they may "unite in spirit with Ukraine."

"Disno ne treba bulo pochynaty."

Yours,

hal


P.S. I've been trying to get people to go "shround hopping" for Pascha around here for years. Maybe I just need to come to Tornoto.

Dear Hal,

Yes, you should come to Toronto - when you do, let me know!

From my perspective, I want our Church to have ONE calendar.

When I was in RC high school, a group of us Old Calendarists went to see the principle to demand January 7th as a day off.

You know what he said? He said he knew many Ukrainians who celebrated Christmas on the 25th, so what was our problem?

Since our Church is based on the principle of episcopal "udilne knyazivstvo" and everyone does what they wish, such unity won't come soon.

Alex

Alex - didn't know I was particularly mysterious. Hope you had a good Christmas (I certainly had). That somebody went to Church on Christmas strikes me, in principle, as a good thing. When the person in question is someone whom I have never met, in a country which I have never visited, I still think it's a good thing, but I am not directly concerned and therefore feel little or no need to say much about it!
Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

I don't know who you are and you won't say.

Not that I need to know and you have every rite to privacy.

God bless!

Alex

Dear Alex,
Thanks for your note. God bless you too, with all the joys of Christmas and the approaching holy days! The reason for using a pen-name is that it enables me to illustrate points with genuine examples but without compromising the people involved in the examples (such as the hideously unreliable chanter I mentioned a few weeks ago). Again, the best joys of the feasts to you. Incognitus

God bless you, Incognitus - who shall remain so!!

Alex (whom most know only TOO well by now . . . )