New Westminster eparchy eyeing mission in Yukon

By Cleveland V. Stordy

Also See: Great Adventure sheds light on the Bible

Eparch Ken Nowakowski of New Wesminster and members of his eparchy have returned from a trip to Canada's north, more convinced then ever of the need for a Ukrainian Catholic mission parish in Whitehorse.

Bishop Ken Nowakowski

Although the Yukon is part of his Ukrainian-rite eparchy (diocese), which covers B.C. and the Yukon, there are no Ukrainian parishes in the area, and so, soon after Eparch Nowakowski's ordination as third Eparch of New Westminster, he began to organize the trip.

The Aug. 13-18 trip was dedicated to the Mother of God, whose Feast of the Dormition (Assumption), celebrated Aug. 15, was central to the trip. The eparch was accompanied by 12 people from B.C. and Saskatchewan.

With them they took an icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which was presented to Latin-rite Bishop Gary Gordon of Whitehorse and the faithful of Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral Aug. 17.

In expressing his gratitude and welcome to Eparch Nowakowski and the pilgrims, Bishop Gary emphasized how glad he was for the opportunity to participate.

In a morning radio interview on CBC North in Whitehorse Eparch Nowakowski said, "My goal for making this pilgrimage to Whitehorse was to come to the Yukon, which is part of my episcopal territory, to pray with Ukrainian Catholics in the Yukon, and to see if there was a possibility of starting a mission parish here."

John Hararch, a long-time resident of Whitehorse originally from Hafford, Sask., said he had been waiting for a visit from a

Ukrainian Catholic priest for 50 years.

"This was like a dream come true!" Hararch told the pilgrims when he and his wife Mary Anne hosted them at their home on Sunday after Divine Liturgy. He said he hoped that someday there would be a Ukrainian Catholic parish established in Whitehorse.

In the absence of a Ukrainian-rite Catholic parish Harach has been an active member of Sacred Heart Cathedral parish since his arrival in Whitehorse in 1958.

The visit officially began at the cathedral Aug. 13 with an evening celebration of a Moleben (a Byzantine-rite devotional prayer service) honouring the Mother of God.

During this Moleben the pilgrim icon of the Holy Dormition was blessed and placed in the sanctuary of the cathedral for the duration of the pilgrimage.

It will remain in Whitehorse as a sign of communion between the Eparchy of New Westminster and the Diocese of Whitehorse.

Bishop Gordon hosted the pilgrims and those who attended the Moleben at a wine and cheese reception at the cathedral residence, providing an excellent opportunity for the local residents and their visitors to get acquainted. Each day the local residents and their visitors gathered in the cathedral for the Divine Liturgy.

On Aug. 15, the Feast Day of the Dormition (Assumption) of the Mother of God, Eparch Nowakowski was joined by Bishop Gordon at the altar for a Pontifical Divine Liturgy. At the conclusion of the service the two bishops blessed flowers and herbs brought to the cathedral by the faithful, according to Byzantine tradition.

The choir for the liturgies was led by Sister Ruth Aney, SSMI, of New Westminster and included: Sister Ambrose Stachiw, SSMI (New Westminster), Motria Koropecky (St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Victoria), Daphne Wizinsky (St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Naniamo), Olga Kotelko (St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic parish, Vancouver), Roma Nowakowski (Eparch Nowakowski's mother) and Mike Luczka (both of St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Saskatoon), and Anne Prystupa (All Saints Ukrainian Catholic parish, North Battleford, Sask.)

Other out-of-town pilgrims were: Larry Herchak (Holy Dormition Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Richmond), and Chery Andrichuk and Krista Stusiak (Burnaby).

Eparch Nowakowski and the other visitors stopped in at Maryhouse, a Whitehorse apostolate led by Kate and Christine, members of the Madonna House community, who provide a safe place for people to come and talk and pray. They also provide food to those in need.

In 1954, Catherine Doherty, founder of Madonna House in Comberemere, Ont., received a request from Bishop Jean-Louis Coudert of Whitehorse for a team to come and help him serve the needs of the local population, in particular native people. She sent three of her staff, who established Maryhouse, the first field house of Madonna House. Kate and Christine spent time praying with their visitors from the south during the various liturgies at the cathedral.

The southerners also visited the various attractions of Whitehorse. These included Muktuk Adventures, owned and operated by Frank Turner, a 30-year resident of the Yukon, originally a social worker from Toronto, who owns more than 130 Yukon huskies. Has participated in 25 annual Yukon Quest 1,000-km dogsled races, winning five times.

Turner explained, "Dogs do not work well under fear, but do perform to their maximum when there is trust.... Trust is the fundamental element of team work; they need to know I trust them and I need to know they trust me."

What visit to Whitehorse would be complete without a boat ride on the famous Yukon River? The emerald waters of the mighty Yukon River, now somewhat tamed and subdued by a hydro-electric dam, were one of many challenges facing the men and women of the Klondike Gold Rush. They also visited the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, home to muskoxen, moose, mountain goats, woodland caribou, mule deer, elk, wood bison, and bighorn, Dall, and stone sheep.

"This might be the first time that we have celebrated the Divine Praises in our Ukrainian Catholic tradition here in Whitehorse; however it won't be the last," said Eparch Nowakowski. He hopes to return soon and further assess the possibility of establishing a mission parish in the Yukon.