Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church
Golden Jubilee
THE BEGINNING
From 1917 to 1945, millions of Ukrainians fled the Soviet Union in search of freedom and prosperity and forever became Ukrainian Diaspora communities. waves of settled all over the world, many in the United States, each group trying to carve out of their new land a remembrance of their homeland. A small group ultimately settled in on October 30, 1949, Ukrainians from the first immigration prior to World War 2 who settled in Houston, Texas, and Ukrainians who immigrated to Houston after world war 2 met in the Rice Hotel in downtown Houston. Their mission was to form a Ukrainian American Club. This was the first time Ukrainians in Houston met together in an effort to establish themselves into a cohesive group. Twenty-seven people attended this first organizational meeting at the Rice Hotel. Their first order of business was to elect the Executive Board for this newly formed Ukrainian American Club.
The following article appeared in the Houston Post on Friday, Nov. 4, 1949, to announce this auspicious event:
UKRAINIANS FORM A CLUB
A Ukrainian American Club has been organized for people of Ukrainian descent living in the Houston area. Officers are W. D. Kury, president; Michael Balaban, vice president; D. Kritza, treasurer;
- Danylyk and W. P. Barabash, secretaries; Harry Pyndus and M. Tolopka, council members. The club will attempt to bring people of the Ukrainian nationality together and will aid Ukrainian immigrants to this United States.
Politically, the club will attempt to publicize the fight Ukrainians have carried on for many years to achieve independence from Russia. (The Houston Post)
On March 12, 1950, a second meeting was held in the Rice Hotel. Vice-president Mychajlo Balaban, who presided over the meeting, encouraged the Ukrainian community to establish a Houston branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. This national organization (UCCA) worked to help further the cause of Ukrainian independence from Russian domination. The original minutes from this meeting verified the participant's zeal in continuing the struggle for the Ukrainian cause.
At the same time as the Ukrainian American Club and Ukrainian Congress Committee Branch were organizing, some members of this group began meeting in various homes to also discuss the need of establishing a church to meet the spiritual needs of the community. some of the first members to participate in the discussion of establishing a church In Houston were: Victor Balaban, vasyl Kuw, Mychajlo Balaban, Michael Tolopko,
Timko Balaban, Maria Balaban, Oksana Danylyk, Michael Danylyk, Petro W
Oksana Wolansky, Halia Telezda, Walter Barabash, Petro Bizschuk, and Maria Bizschuk. Thus the wheels were set in motion for the establishment of the first Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, and, in fact, in the entire Southwest.
1950
In 1950, seventeen Ukrainian families congregated in the storage room Mychajlo Balaban's hardware store, located at 9143 Airline, to begin discussing of in earnest the possibility of establishing a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Hou Texas. This small group also began meeting in various homes to continue discussing and expressing their desire to worship God according to the traditions of their Ukrainian faith They understood the need for establishing a church to help hold them together and a sense of spiritual community.
During one of those meetings a committee was formed to contact the Most Reverend Metropolitan Bohachevsky of the Philadelphia Eparchy expressing the people's desire to establish a church in Houston, Texas. In August of 1955, Mychajlo Balaban, Mr. Makaranko, and Olena Telezda composed a letter to Metropolitan Bohachevsky requesting a missionary to help organize the faithful in this endeavor.
1955 -1956
In November of 1955, Father Stephen Sulyk, who served as a missionary priest in Houston and later became Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, celebrated the first Divine Liturgy on Thanksgiving Day in the chapel of the University of St Thomas. All the faithful exited the chapel with tears in their eyes. His beautiful voice and inspirational sermon brought forth memories of their homeland. This intensified their hunger for a permanent church of their own to meet their spiritual needs.
Father Sulyk's one month visit focused on investigating the potential need for a priest in Houston. He collected $13,600 in pledges toward the construction of a Ukrainian Catholic Church. This was considered a large amount of money for that era.
Father Sulyk was called back to Philadelphia, and in 1956, Metropolitan Bohachevsky sent Father Wasyl Sheremeta to serve the Ukrainian community. Father Sheremeta encouraged the small community to continue its efforts to build a church. He was instrumental in establishing a functioning church committee.
(Rev. Michael Fedorowich — 1957- 1959)
1957-1958
In April of 1957, the first resident pastor, Father Michael Fedorowich, arrived to establish the parish. The small group of faithful put together a small chapel in the storage room of Mychajlo Balaban's building located off Airline Drive. In this small space, Father Fedorowich celebrated his first official Divine Liturgy for the budding parish. The Ukrainian ladies decorated the chapel and altar with Icons and embroidery donated from their private collections. A small congregational church choir was organized. The first choir members were Halia Telezda, Rose Kobak, Roy Kobak, Julie Heneke, Oksana Danylyk, Michael Danylyk, Maria Biszczuk, and Anthony Hudanich.
During his two year pastorate, Father Fedorowich began the initial gathering of funds toward the construction of the first Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Southwest.
Father Fedorowich was an active member in all aspects of community life and joined the Executive Board of the Ukrainian American Club. On January 19, 1958, a UAC general meeting was held in Victor Balaban's vacant restaurant facility. Mychajlo Balaban, Vice president, presided. Twenty-three members of the Ukrainian American Club were present. Father Fedorowich informed the group that he was resigning his position as secretary of UAC because the Bishop informed him that it was forbidden for a priest to hold a position in a secular club. Michael Danylyk was elected as new secretary for the UAC.
At this meeting Father Fedorowich also informed the members that Metropolitan Bohachevsky of the Philadelphia Eparchy decided that the first church in the Southwest would be named in honor of St. Pius X. The rational for this name choice was that this Pope was very supportive of the Ukrainian church in the United States. The majority of the community wanted a more appropriate Ukrainian name for the church. After much discussion pro and con, the faithful consented since it was a directive from the eparchy.
Father Fedorowich was an effective organizer. He wrote articles in the Ukrainian press asking for money to help fund the building for the church in Houston, and, as a result, he received money from all over the United States.
He established the first Ukrainian school in Houston with an enrollment of sixty children. Father Fedorowich taught the children church doctrine and the Ukrainian language. For some of these children, this was the beginning of an awareness of their Ukrainian heritage and religion.
A chance meeting occurred in 1957 when Maurice Hafernik, a Houston resident of Czech descent and his Ukrainian wife, Patricia, first heard of a Ukrainian church being built in Houston. They were actually on holiday visiting Patricia's parents in Youngstown, Ohio. They found out that Metropolitan Bohachevsky was sending a young priest, Father Fedorowich, to Houston to help establish this church. Their acquaintance with Father Fedorowich in Houston expanded into a long friendship between Maurice Hafernik and the Ukrainian community. After this serendipitous event, the Hafernik's relationship with the Ukrainian church were spanned decades, and through their ties with the Houston Knights of Columbus, they were instrumental in helping the budding parish raise funds for their church.
(Rev. Dr. Dmytro Blazejowskyj: 1959-1973)
1959
After Father Fedorowich left in August of 1959, Rev. Dr. Dmytro Blazejowskyj was appointed as pastor. Father Fedorowich turned over to Rev. Dr. Blazejowskyj $19,000 in cash to be used for the construction of a new church.
Rev. Dr. Blazejowskyj was born in Ukraine on August 21, 1910. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on April 2, 1939. He received a Ph.D. in Theology in 1942 and a second Ph.D. in Church History in 1946. He spoke English, Ukrainian, Polish, Latin, and Italian. Father Blazejowskyj brought all this talent to the United States to help organize Ukrainian Catholic Churches mostly in the Western States and particularly in Houston, Texas where he served until 1973.
Father Blazejowskyj began building the church on a lot donated by Michael Balaban, who left his native land at the age of 20. He immigrated to Texas where he lived for 51 years. Mr. Balaban sponsored Ukrainian families from his native Ukraine. Some of these families became the parishioners of the new Ukrainian Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.
1960
In the spring of 1960, the men of this future parish contributed their money and physical labor to constructing the church foundation on the four lots donated by Mychajlo Balaban. Without any help from architects or contractors, Father Blazejowskyj, along with the Ukrainian men of the community, began laying the church foundation. He received legal advice pro bono from Mr. Coy Spawn, a Houston attorney who was one of many non-Ukrainians who became enamored of the Ukrainian culture, community, and church.
The physical labor was provided by all the able bodied Ukrainian men. some of them were: Victor Balaban, wasyl Balaban, Ivan Zablotsky, Ilko Slavych, Tymko Krytsky, lhnat Kondrat, Ivan Uschak, Teodore Telezda, Julian Tymnak, Michael Danylylg and George Iskiw. While the men provided most of the hard physical labor, the women worked tirelessly to earn money for the church by preparing small fundraising dinners and selling cakes.
In the fall of 1960, St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church, located at 9102
Meadowshire, Houston, Texas 77037, was blessed by Most Reverend Jaroslaw Gabro, D.D., first Bishop of the St. Nicholas Diocese in Chicago, Illinois. The Most Rev. John L. Morkovsky, S.T.D., Bishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston was in attendance. The church was completed with a surplus of $4,000.
After the dedication of the church, two lots were purchased for $2000.00 from Mychajlo Balaban to construct a rectory.
The church and rectory were constructed with the help of a substantial loan from Providence, a Ukrainian Catholic loan institution.
Church bingo games were started by Rev. Blazejowskyj and Mr. Jackson-Jackiw to help pay off the loans. Mr. Jackson-Jackiw was the first bingo caller. These bingo games took place on Sunday afternoons after church services. The ladies continued to bake and sell food items during the bingo games. After Mr. JacksonJackiw could no longer serve as caller, Rose Kobak took over the responsibility. Most parishioners took a turn at working hard to make the bingo games successful in order to earn money for the church. There definitely was a bingo learning curve for those industrious Ukrainians. That experience helped this small parish lessen its financial burdens.
On May 2, 1960, Maurice Hafernik, then Grand Knight at the Knights of Columbus and friend to the Ukrainian community organized a bazaar to help raise money for the church. He was able to obtain donations of supplies for the bazaar from members and merchants affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. The KC members and the Ukrainian parishioners rolled up their sleeves and worked hard. The KC barbeque chicken dinner had no equal. What a success it was! All the gracious members and invited public helped raise $3,795.25 which was donated to the church.
1961
The bingo games started by Rev. Blazejowskyj paid off various loans from Providence.
Two parish organizations, St. Olga Women's Club and St. Volodymyr Men s Club, were created in 1961 to support the Ukrainian church and to promote Ukrainian culture, history, and traditions. The clear profit from every function organized by these clubs was earmarked for the growth of the club and all the needs of the church. Oksana Danylyk, who immigrated to Houston in 1949, was the first president of St. Olga, s UAWC. The women took over the bingo kitchen and the men of St. Volodymyr's Club took over the supervision of the bingo games. The proceeds were used to pay the loans. These organizations existed until 1974 when they were dissolved and their duties were taken over by a church committee
In 1961, Father Blazejowskyj commissioned a Ukrainian artist from Denver
Colorado to carve the iconostas, altar, tetra pod, and wooden tabernacle. Expenses were covered by individual donations. Petro Wolansky donated the money for the Tabernacle, modeled after St. Sohpia in Kiev, Ukraine. The beautiful wooden tabernacle which graces the altar today was dedicated in memory of his mother-in-law, Maria Balaban.
1962
Father Blazejowskyj contracted the famous Ukrainian Iconographer, Mr Sviatoslav Hordinsky, to paint the icons on the Iconostas. Individual parishioners donated the funds for each of the icons.
For two years Rev. Blazejowskyj lived in the choir loft of the church while waiting for the rectory to be completed. His goal was not creature comforts, but building for the glory of God and his motherland. The church rectory was finally completed in 1962, and Father Blazejowskyj was able to move from the choir loft into a church rectory. His sacrifice of living in the choir loft for two years can never be forgotten.
1963
The Ukrainian church and its relationship with the Czech community and other Slavic communities solidified in 1963 with the creation of a unique celebration honoring St. Cyril and St. Methodius. All Slavonic countries received the Christian faith, and their written language, directly or indirectly, primarily from the Apostles of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius.
The celebration was initiated by Rev. Dr. Blazejowskyj and in his own words below he explains how this unique celebratory event began:
"In 1963, many national groups in many places in America were planning to hold celebrations for the 1,100th anniversary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, but in Houston no plans for such a celebration were being made. I thought that the Houston parish should have one of their own. In all the other parts of the nation the celebrations were to be held by single national groups, but in no place were they to be held by several Slavic groups in common. Since Sts. Cyril and Methodius were the promoters not of one national language, and do not belong to one isolated nation but of all Slavic peoples, I felt that the celebration in Houston should be united rather than divided — a getting together of all Slavic peoples to hold a common celebration.
There were three organized Slavic communities in Houston in 1963- the Czechs, the Poles, and the Ukrainians. I discussed my plan with the leaders of the Ukrainian group at St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church. They thought it was a good idea, so I contacted the leaders of the Polish group associated with the Polish Nation Home in the Heights. When they also agree, I talked with Maurice Hafernik, a Czech, and he contacted the Czech group and they also consented. I then called the leaders of the three groups to a meeting at which it was •established that the celebration would be held in the first part of July, would begin with a Slavonic Mass, sung by the St. Pius X Ukrainian choir and celebrated by myself, with a sermon by Bishop Morkovsky (a Czech), and afternoon talk to be given by a Polish priest to be selected by the Polish group. Maurice Hafernik was elected General Chairman. When Bishop Morkovsky was approached, he not only consented to give the sermon and to take part in the celebration, but gave his wholehearted enthusiastic support.
Since each ethnic group had its own hall, it was decided to hold the celebration on neutral grounds on the property of the Knights of Columbus on E. Whitney Drive, Houston, Texas. It was centrally located for all Slavic people who lived mostly in north Houston at that time and had a nice hall and ample grounds with good facilities. A program of folk singing, music and dancing was prepared by each of the three groups based on their national culture and traditions. It was agreed that each group would contribute equal programs, equal labor force for preparation, equal share of expenses and equal division of the financial profit or loss.
On the day of celebration everything went magnificently since each group was anxious to put forth the best of their national heritage and traditions. There were several thousand spectators. There were no financial losses and even some income. It was such a success that the groups decided to have it again the next year. The Mass was held at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral and the ethnic festival at K.of C. 2916.
Maurice Hafernik was reelected for the honor and work as Chairman to coordinate the next year's celebration, and so the Houston Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day was established. The Masses have been celebrated by the bishops of each nationality in turn, and once even the Polish Cardinal Krol of Philadelphia. The three groups in time were joined by other groups — the Croatians and the Slovenes, and now the celebration has become a tradition in Houston and the surrounding areas.
"It shows that the Slavic peoples appreciate their common roots and that they can work together, forming a unit as they did in the 5th century when they were one people with one language and the same customs, and according to most historians, living together between the Dnipro and Vistula rivers. Year after year the Houston celebration has been a success. It was and still is unique as a common Slavic celebration. It exemplifies the spirit of co solidarity and brotherly love among the Slavic peoples of Texas for each other and can serve as an example for the rest of the world. '
Rev. Dmytro Blazejowskyj
Thus Rev. Blazejowskyj's vision of Slavic unity was born, and St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church became a partner in a historic event seen only in Houston, Texas.
1964
In 1964 the church purchased seven lots as sites for the parish hall and parking lot.
St. Olga Women's Club elected new officers: president, Oksana Danylyk; vice president, Ms. Kuzma; secretary, Oksana Bemko; treasurer, Mrs. Jackson.
The club organized the following positions:
Secretary for English language: Margie Zupko
Public Relations: Oksana Wolansky
Art Director: Mrs. Fedyshyn
School Directors: Halia Telezda and Maria Ceresna
Flower Purchases for Church: Olga Compton
Dinner Organizers: Vera Hudanich, Justyna Uschak, Olga Compton
This organization continued to work tirelessly to earn money for the financial support of the club and church.
1965
Dr. Father Blazejowskyj informed the parish that the loan for the purchase of the land for the hall and parking lot needed to be paid soon. He asked St. Olga Women's Club, under the leadership of Oksana Danylyk, to organize a bazaar just as Maurice Hafernick and the Knights of Columbus did in 1960.
The parishioners rolled up their sleeves, planned, and executed a church bazaar at the Knights of Columbus Hall with the help of the KC members. This event netted $3,470 and paid for the parking lot and helped with the purchase of a crucifix for the altar.
Parishioners who helped with this event were: Oksana Danylyk, Bazaar Chairman; Roger Heneke, Mr. Angelo, Mr. Dvoran, Fred Sirman, Yuri Mykytyn, Stephan Slavych, Pat Hafemik, Dan McClelland, Halia Kichtan, John Foley, Sonia Tymniak, Verronica Jackson, Maria Agner, Petro Wolansky, Helen Slavych, Michael Danylyk, Roy and Rosie Kobak.
Every parishioner sold raffle tickets, but Father Blazejowskyj, ever the consummate builder and promoter, sold the most raffle tickets for this event.
In 1965, the parishioners also celebrated the 25th jubilee of Rev. Blazejowskyj's priesthood.
The most Rev. J. Gabro, Bishop of St. Nicolas Eparchy in Chicago, Illinois, and Msgr. Paska graced the Houston parish with their visit and participation in the annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival.
The major leadership roles for the Slavic Heritage Festival were transferred from Father Blazejowskyj to men of his parish. In 1965 Michael Danylyk represented the church as Ukrainian Chairman for the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Festival. From 1966 through 1981, the festival positions and the organizational work it entailed alternated among Michael Danylyk, Anthony Hudanich, and Roy Kobak.
From 1985 to 1986, Cary Sheremet, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, held the Bishop Gabro greeted by Martha Uschak chairmanship position. In 1983, a talented young man who had transferred to Houston, Texas, became an active participant in the church and in the organizational structure of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Festival. Eugene Kuchta, from that year forward, took over various leadership roles in the festival, giving the aging parishioners a respite from the annual workload that was associated with organizing the community for this annual event. To this day, the parish looks to Eugene for leadership in organizing the festival.
"We have different gifts according to the grace given us." Romans 12: 6-8
1967
On February 10, 1967, The Texas Catholic Herald reported that St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church, under the auspice of Bishop Jaroslav Gabro of the Diocese of St. Nicholas in Chicago, observed the tenth anniversary of the parish and dedicated a new parish hall.
Bishop Gabro stated that it was a small miracle that within ten years such a small group of people could accomplish so much. He commended the parishioners on their cooperation, love of God, Church, and community.
Throughout the year Father Blazejowskyj and the church choir in this small and unique parish celebrated the Eastern Rite Divine Liturgy in many Texas churches in places like Port Arthur, San Antonio, and Dallas, (St. Vincent de Paul, St. Thomas Moore, and Southem Methodist University).
1968
St. Olga Women's Club donated $1,500 to Father Blazejowskyj to pay off the loan for erecting a fence near the rectory and hall.
St. Olga Women's Club and St. Volodymyr Men's Club also paid off a loan of $1,300 for the Church hall restrooms and storage closet.
In December of 1968, the church organized a Christmas caroling event to collect funds for the church and carry on the Ukrainian tradition of bringing carolers and Christmas cheer to parishioners' homes. This became an annual event in the parish.
1969
On Sunday, October 26, 1969, St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church participated in the 'Fourth Annual Old Market Square International Festival and Fall Sidewalk Alt
Show's INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. All proceeds were dedicated to paying off the church mortgage.
1970
St. Pius X parish welcomed the return visit of its first resident pastor, Msgr.
Michael Fedorowich. He accepted their invitation to participate in the annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival. This gave him an opportunity to see the fruits of his labor in those early years of establishing a parish in Houston.
1971
On April l, 1971, in a Houston Chronicle article by Ann Criswell, Food Editor, St. Pius X parishioners continued to share with the Houston public their Easter traditions and their significance. Recipes for Mrs. Ivan Ceresna's Chocolate Torte and Daria Byrd's braid-decorated paska were featured. The art of turning eggs into artistic pysanky, taught by Mrs. Oksana Danylyk to some of the St. Pius X parishioners and students in the Ukrainian School, was also featured. The dear departed fellow parishioner, Rose Kobak, modeled the fragile process of turning eggs into pysanky for the Chronicle photo shoot.
In July of 1971, Bishop Isidore Borecky of Toronto, Canada, graciously accepted the church's invitation to celebrate the Divine Liturgy during the St. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival. He was assisted by Deacon Joseph Hoshuljak. Little did the Houston parish know at that time that Bishop Borecky's respect for their indomitable spirit in building this Ukrainian center of worship and his familiarity with the parish would help them in the very near future.
National Ukrainian Women 's League of America, founded in 1925 and a national organization which promotes Christian ethics, Christian rights, and social equality developed a network of local branches to connect Ukrainian women all over the world. Thus Branch 118 was formed in Houston, Texas in 1971. Many of the women who participated in the creation of this branch were also parishioners of St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church. Mrs. Justyna Uschak, one of the original church founders, presided as its very first president. This secular organization helped the church financially from its inception and throughout the subsequent years by renting the church hall for Easter bazaars and paying rent for using church facilities for meetings and food preparation. The UNWLA organization utilized church facilities and manpower to prepare annual Easter and Christmas bazaars featuring traditional Ukrainian bakery and foods, elaborate displays of Ukrainian pysanky, and other cultural artifacts. Through this congenial relationship between secular and religious groups, this humble church, although always struggling financially, was able to facilitate the charitable work done by the UNWLA, Branch 118.
1972
The church was always fortunate to gain talented people who gave of themselves
and their talents to support the church.
Bill Polewchak, a Ukrainian who transferred to Houston from New Jersey with his wife Ann and two talents daughters, Lisa and Evan, was one of these talenteed assets. He shared his musical talents with the members of the parish and even directed talented the choir for a short time.
Bill Polewchak, an accomplished Ukrainian Folk Dance artist, also started teaching dance in the church hall in 1972. The original group was comprised of Ukrainian adult parishioners and their children. The dance group became an integral part of the church's history. When the dancers perfected their performance, Bill Polewchak named the group the Nozechky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, and they represented the church at many cultural events such as the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival and countless Houston area festivals. Fellow parishioners who often played for their performances were Lou Popowskij and Eugene Kuchta together with Greg Harbar, Ken Knecik, and Dr. Romanko of Dallas, Texas, and his two sons. Some of the proceeds from their various performances at local festivals were shared with the church.
After Bill and his wife Anne left Houston in 1979 to return to New Jersey, his original students carried on his legacy and continued to develop Ukrainian folkdance groups. The history of the dance group became intertwined with the history of the church Practices were originally held in the church hall. Proceeds from their various performances at local bazaars helped to provide needed financial support for the church. The dance group, in its infancy, was an extension of the church which was and continues to be the center of Ukrainian religious and cultural life in Houston. The group began to take on a life of its own and in 1979 evolved into the Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Houston coordinated by Marika Macko, one of his former students. In 2000 Martha (Uschak) Noukas, one of his original students and daughter of one of the original founders, took over teaching and choreographing responsibilities, renaming the group Zhuravli Ukrainian Folk Dancers of Houston. Parishioner Bill Polewchak's legacy lived on through his students.
Bill's wife, Anne Polewchak, also worked tirelessly to support the church from the first day of her arrival from New Jersey to her last day in Houston. She was gifted in arranging gatherings and entertainment which fostered a feeling of camaraderie among the parishioners. The parish truly functioned as a large family dedicated to their church and community. Ann served as one of the presidents of St. Olga Women's Club. Through her skills as an organizer, the club was able to raise funds and donate much needed items to the church. Her stewardship of St. Olga Women's Club provided the funds for big ticket items such as new linoleum and chandeliers.
Although actual dates when some people had key roles in the development of the
St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church have been lost, it is important to remember that during Rev. Dr. Blazejowskyj's years of service, he exhibited a dynamic ability to draw people from diverse backgrounds as he pursued with passion the building of the church and surrounding facilities.
There were many donors and friends drawn to the church who were not of
Ukrainian descent, but who fell in love with the ethnic and traditional spirituality of the Ukrainian church and admired Father Blazejowskyj's earnest spunk and dedication to getting things accomplished.
Heath C. Cunningham was one of Father Blazejowskyj's acquired non-Ukrainian parishioners who regularly attended church services and contributed both financially and physically to the growth of the church. He was a tremendous friend of the church.
Coy Spawn, Attorney at Law, provided his legal advice and services to the church pro bono because of his relationship with Father Blazejowskyj. Father Blazejowskyj was a master in acquiring friendships outside the Ukrainian community. The church and its parishioners were fortunate to benefit from their talents and support.
Harold Richardson, a Roman Catholic of Jewish descent, born in Luflcin, Texas, was another non-Ukrainian who formed a great friendship with Father Blazejowskyj and became a devoted supporter of the church. His connections with the Houston Chronicle provided the church with an avenue to publicity. He became a member of the Church Council and helped Father Blazejowskyj print his administrative paperwork. Harold held a warm spot in the hearts of the parishioners, especially the choir members, who depended upon him to print copies of liturgical music for the Divine Liturgy and copies of folksongs for the various fundraising festivals in which the choir participated.
Mr. Davis, a young man in his late twenties, was quite a colorful addition to the parish. A self-prophesied flower child of the 60's, he was often seen sitting crossed legged and barefoot on the ground in front of the church in his colorful tie-dyed T-shirt. He was an unusual contradiction to this very traditional parish; however, he formed a bond with Father Blazejowskyj and became a part of the parish family. Bearded Mr. Davis loved the Ukrainian church and all the Ukrainian traditions, especially the food. Before he left Houston for parts unknown, he wanted to leave with the church something of himself. He decided to build a bell tower. Single handily, Mr. Davis erected the bell tower that stands outside the church today. This simple act of devotion to the church will always be remembered.
George Gaymer was another non-Ukrainian who joined the St. Pius Ukrainian
Catholic Church during this period and contributed his talent for music. He was a Houston high school music teacher and became the first choir director for the church. For the first time, the choir was taught to sing in four-part harmony. It was a great loss for the parish when he left for a teaching position in Spain.
Another very important resource during the evolution of the church was Sister Ann Schwerdtfeger. With great love and dedication to the Houston Ukrainian Catholic Church, she shared her musical gifts with the choir. She too formed a warm friendship with Father Blazejowskyj, and even though she was a Roman Catholic nun, she developed a love for Eastern Rite liturgical music.
Sister Ann taught and directed the St. Pius X Church Choir for many years. During her tenure as Choir Director the church choir was invited to celebrate the Byzantine Rite liturgy in Roman Catholic churches in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. One of the choir's shining moments was a performance in Houston's Jones Hall Under the direction of Sister Ann. Under her tutelage the Church Choir exposed the people of Texas to the beauty of Ukrainian liturgical music.
Sister Ann Schwerdtfeger left Houston to pursue a doctorate in the history of the Eastern Rite churches.
(Rev. Walter Werbicki: 1973 -1982)
1973
Rev. Dr. Dmytro Blazejowskyj left Houston in 1973 for Rome to pursue his passion as a church historian.
A monumental event in the history of the humble church occurred one month after Rev. Blazejowksyj left for Rome. President Ann Polewchak of St. Olga Women's Club and President Stephan Kichtan of St. Volodymyr Men's Club used the combined revenues of both clubs to pay off the church mortgage. Halia Telezda Kichtan, Teodore Telezda, and Michael Danylyk, original founders of the church, had the honor of placing the mortgage into the fire. For the first time, the church was free from all debt.
Before Houston received a permanent priest, the church services were conducted for a short time by missionaries, Father Porodko and Father Solovyj.
During this time period, the United States Eparchies were experiencing a shortage of priests. St. Pius X parishioners turned to Most Rev. Isidore Borecky, Bishop of Toronto, Canada, for help in filling the vacancy left by Rev. Blazejowskyj's departure. He graciously sent one of his priests, Rev. Werbicki, to serve the Houston parish
On July 10, 1973, Rev. Volodymyr Werbicki became the new parish priest. He was pastor from July 1973 to December 1981.
The small Ukrainian parish was thriving and had a beautiful choir. The choir even became a part of the ethnic music scene in Houston as Joe Lomax, a freelance writer for the Houston Chronicle and the son of folksinger John Lomax Jr., wrote in an article entitled "Ethnic Music in Houston and Some Places to Find It." His focus was how the Czechs, Blacks, Greeks, Irishmen, Scots, Ukrainians, Cajuns, Mexicans, Germans, and Poles survived the anonymity of urbanism by holding onto their heritage through music and dance.
In his feature article in the Houston Chronicle, Texas Magazine, on May 27, 1973, Joe Lomax wrote that "it may come as a surprise, but Houston does have a small enthusiastic Ukrainian community. About 30 families support the St. Pius Byzantine Ukrainian Church, a choral group, and a dance troupe. The latter group participates in the unique St. Cyril-Methodius Day each year on the second Sunday in July at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 6007 Whitney. The yearly conclave is a coming together of the Poles, Czechs, and Ukrainian in the Houston communities."
Harold Richardson was the contact person for this event in 1973. (Harold has long passed away, but is fondly remembered as an active non-Ukrainian member of St. Pius.)
The featured performers in the Houston Chronicle photo were parishioners: Roy
Kobak, Helen Slawych, Oksana Danylyk, Tony Hudanich, Helen Telezda Kichtan, Mike Danylyk, Ivan Ceresna, Joe Zupko, Steve Shoenfeldt, Rosie Kobak, and Ann Schwerdtfeger.
After Sister Ann Schwerdtfeger left the Houston parish, the choir asked one of its members, Mrs. Rose Kobak, a Ukrainian who immigrated to Houston from Toronto, Canada, to take over the direction of the choir. The members of the choir recognized that Mrs. Kobak, though not a professionally trained choir director, had a God given natural talent for music. She used this talent to provide the continuity in direction the church choir needed. Rose's dedication and love for the Lord and her church will never be forgotten.
The Ukrainian church in Houston not only fostered spiritual nourishment for its parishioners but cultural preservation as well.
1974
The parish continued to grow, preserve, and share its Christian heritage. Another Houston Chronicle article dated April 1974, featured a photo of Rose Kobak working to produce intricate pysanky. As was stated in the article by Shirley Pfister, "Easter is the glue that holds Ukrainian souls together. It is the Sunday of Sundays, day of Christ risen and alive. For devout Ukrainians, it's the main event of the year. She goes on to say that for the 65 families of St. Pius X Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church in northeast Houston, "Velikden" is also a cultural reunion." How true that was then and is now. The small church again added to Houston's Christian mosaic.
In 1974 renovations and upgrades to the Sanctuary were undertaken. A new crucifix was donated. Parishioners Tony and Vera Hudanich donated the money to replace the small simple chalice with a beautifully ornate golden chalice which is still used today. The active and industrious church choir commissioned an icon for the back of the altar.
On July 20, 1974, St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church held a special liturgy celebrating the renovations at the church. Bishop Jaroslav Gabro, along with acolytes from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church of Chicago, was the celebrant for the liturgy. The church was filled to capacity. What a joyous sight that was. He also helped the church celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival,
Unfortunately, the parish weathered turbulent times during the 1970's. During this era when the Roman Catholic Church was modernizing its style of worship within its churches, a group of disenchanted Roman Catholics began attending the St. Pius X Divine Liturgy. They were drawn to the very traditional Ukrainian form of worship. They were welcomed into the Ukrainian church community; however, their increasing power in the day to day decision making within the church caused a major rift between them and the parish members who felt that their heritage and Ukrainian identity were being assailed. Many decisions were made that were felt not to be in the best interest of the parish. Struggles to put the decision making back in the hands of the original parish members caused great discord within the church and precipitated a major split within the church. These were difficult times for the St. Pius X Parishioners.
On September 22, 1974, St. Olga Women's Club and St. Volodymyr Men's Club were dissolved without explanation. These clubs were active supporters of the parish and instrumental in acquiring many needed items for the church. During this time many parishioners left the parish; however, a small group of dedicated parishioners, including many of the original founders, held the church together until a new pastor was appointed. The pastor was recalled. The indomitable Ukrainian spirit held fast with the thought that "this too shall pass."
During this challengingly sad time, the members of St. Olga Women's Club and St. Volodymyr Men's Club feared losing their cohesiveness as a group. They decided to join together and form The Ukrainian American Social and Cultural Club of Houston. Although forced to become a secular group, the members kept close ties to the church. Ultimately, the group was allowed to use the church hall and grounds for meetings and club functions. This club and its members, though not a religious organization anymore, helped the church both monetarily and physically. The church and the Ukrainian organizations outside the church structure, whose members were also parishioners, became intertwined with common goals and aspirations.
1980
The struggling parish was graced with a visit from Archbishop Myroslav Lubachivsky, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S.A., who provided inspirational and spiritual nourishment. He also celebrated the Divine Liturgy during the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival.
1981
In 1981, the Ukrainian parish was able to participate in a Slavic party honoring the 25th anniversary of the consecration of the Most Rev. John L. Morkovsky, Bishop of Galveston-Houston. Bishop Morkovsky was a dear and loving friend to the St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic parish.
(+Rev. Augustyn Porodko: 1982-1988)
1982
Father Augustyn Porodko was named pastor in 1982. Before he came to Houston, he served the needs of a parish in California. On several occasions he served as a missionary to the Houston parishioners who were without a parish priest. He was then transferred from California to Houston in 1982 to serve as pastor.
He was a quiet, introspective priest with a great love for nature. He took pride in taking care of the church property. During the week, he would be seen mowing the grass on the church grounds. He never felt that the job of keeping the church grounds manicured was beneath him. Among the few possessions he brought with him to Houston were his beloved liturgical books and books on Ukrainian history, art, and literature. These personal books were donated to the church and became a permanent addition to the church library.
During Father Porodko's pastorate the church started to experience a downturn in membership. This was directly related to the slowdown in the Texas economy during the 80's. As employment opportunities in Texas declined, parishioners left seeking employment elsewhere. Under Father Porodko's leadership, the parish members continued to work enthusiastically in serving the needs of their church and community. Though small in number, they were gifted in professional skills that benefited the church. During those difficult economic times, many electrical and maintenance problems were taken care of by Zenon and Olia Dub. They gave freely of their time and expertise saving the church added expenses to an already dwindling treasury. Wsewolod Hirka, architect, provided free consultation and labor in enhancing the church compound. During those years Mrs. Halia Kichtan used her bookkeeping skills to help Father Porodko manage the church finances. Everyone in the parish pulled together to continue serving the needs of the church.
1983
In the summer of 1983, Father Porodko and the parish were delighted to receive a visitation from Most Reverend Innocent Lotocky, Bishop of St. Nicolas Diocese. His gentle countenance and inspiring sermon were greatly appreciated by the struggling parish. The parish continued to persevere and rebuild with the help of Father Porodko.
1984
While participating in the annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival, the St. Pius X parishioners again had occasion to honor their longtime friend, the Roman Catholic Bishop John Morkovsky, who was honored with a special Mass, Slavic celebration, and cultural program on the occasion of his 50th Anniversary of Ordination. Bishop Morkovsky's relationship with the Ukrainian church in Houston was one of mutual respect. He understood and admired the individuality and uniqueness of Eastern rite churches.
1987
A fortuitous event occurred in 1987 which brought great financial assistance to the struggling little parish. After bingo was legalized in Texas, parishioner Michael Danylyk became a partner in the Golden Nugget Bingo Management Company. The state allowed companies like this to manage bingo for charities. Through Michael Danylyk's associations and efforts, the church contracted with Golden Nugget Bingo to run the church bingo game. Wasyl Dijak, who was a member of the Parish Council, took responsibility for signing the contract allowing Golden Nugget Bingo to run the games for the church. Wasyl and many church members tirelessly volunteered their time representing the church during these games since bingo games could not be played unless a representative for the charity was present to oversee the management of the game. For many years this "golden goose" provided the church with much needed revenue. In fact, in 1989, bingo brought in $9,396, and in 1990, the profit was $36,962. These increasing revenues helped rebuild the church treasury.
During this year, Dr. Rev. Dmytro Blazejowskyj returned to Houston from Rome for a brief visit with his beloved parish and to participate once again in the annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival that he founded along with his friend Bishop Morkovsky of Houston. The pride in the Slavic peoples' heritage and religion was always strong. The Ukrainian group, though still small in number in comparison to the other Slavic groups of Texas, was not daunted by the task of organizing and participating in this annual conclave of ethnic groups.
1988
The year 1988 was both a joyous and tragic year in the life of this small parish. That year Ukrainian communities world-wide celebrated the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine.
During that same year, Father Porodko's health started to fail him; yet he continued to fulfill all the needs of the parish and parishioners. As the parishioners began preparing for the celebration of the Ukrainian Millennium of Christianity, it was discovered that their pastor had leukemia. The faithful had no choice but to carry on with the various events that had already been planned.
In July of 1988, Most Reverend Robert Moskal, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the annual St. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival. He shared the historic evolution of Christianity from 988 to 1988 in Ukraine with all the Slavic people in attendance.
In August of 1988, "The Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine," sponsored by the Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston, was on exhibit in the Central Houston public Library throughout the month of August. Oksana Danylyk, one of the original founders of St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church and Exhibit Chairman, coordinated this project with the help of committee members Olia Holowka Palmer, Martha Uschak Noukas, Justyna Uschak, Marika Macko, Daria Byrd, Halia Kichtan, Eguene Kuchta, and
Halia Filenko, all members of St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church and The Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston. Display items were created or loaned by individual members of the Ukrainian community in celebration of their common spiritual and national heritage.
Commissioned by the Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston and in commemoration of the Millennium of Christianity, Lydia Ostapuk Earl, a Pokrova parishioner, painted life size iconographic representations of St. Volodymyr and his mother St. Olga who together established Christianity in Ukraine in the year of the Lord 988. These two icons gracefully stand guard in the back of the church today as a testament to the continuation of the Ukrainian Christian heritage.
In conjunction with the celebration of 1000 years of Christianity in Ukraine the name of the church established in 1957 was legally changed to PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD (POKROVA) UKRAINAIN CATHOLIC CHURCH. It is the only church in the St. Nicholas Diocese so named.
Sadly, Reverend Augustyn Porodko passed away on August l, 1988. The funeral service was celebrated by Most Reverend Innocent Lotocky, Bishop of St. Nicholas Diocese. Bishop Lotocky was assisted by five priests who accompanied him to Houston.
Reverend Porodko was laid to rest at Resthaven Cemetery in Houston, Texas, in the Ukrainian Catholic section alongside many church founders and parishioners who contributed to the welfare of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church during their lifetime. He is fondly remembered by the parish he served.
World events, such as the breakup of the Soviet Union and its iron fisted hold on the Captive Nations, impacted not only the world but also this small Ukrainian church in Houston, Texas. The immediate impact was on travel and immigration to the United States from Ukraine. Michajlyna Balaban was brought to the United States on February 14, 1988, after a lifetime of separation from her husband, Victor Balaban, one of the original founders of Pokrova. This small event in the scheme of things brought together a family that from the time of their arrival have contributed their time, money, and talents to the support of the church that keeps them and all the parishioners of Pokrova connected to their Ukrainian roots.
1989
After Reverend Porodko's death, the parish was served by temporary administrators.
From November 1988 to December 1989, Father Douglas Lorance served the needs of the parishioners.
Father Lorance completed St. Mary's Seminary and University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. He visited Pokrova often during his studies in the seminary, and many times he assisted both Father Blazejowskyj and Father Porodko in celebrating the Divine Liturgy. Upon graduation from the seminary, his wish was to become a priest in the Eastern Catholic Rite. He was permitted to join the newly organized diocese for the Ukrainian Rite of Parma, Ohio, and then ordained by Bishop Robert Moskal on September 30, 1984.
Father Lorance was then placed on temporary loan for one year from the Ohio
Diocese as an interim priest in Houston.
1990
Father Richard Kirouac served as administrator for several months in 1990. During that brief period, he expressed his desire to return to the Houston parish as its pastor.
Although the parish was without a permanent pastor, the parishioners continued to handle the day to day needs of the church. Financial burdens were always in the forefront.
On Saturday, September 29, 1990, Pokrova, under the chairmanship of Martha Noukas, sponsored its first Ukrainian Festival. It was quite successful and brought in a small profit of $1500. It was another showcase for Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian people. The proceeds from this and subsequent festivals were designated for the Pokrova Building Fund. The festival always started with a Divine Liturgy. The entire church community was involved with this project. The Houston public attending the festival was able to take a personal tour of the church and church gift shop. In Martha Noukas's words " there were some very nice displays put out at those festivals and there was a lot of beautiful work by a lot of beautiful people, some of whom are no longer with us."
Mrs. Michalyna Balaban brought to Houston her daughter-in-law, Eugenia, and granddaughter, Nadia, on August 8, 1990. Eugenia's hands have never stopped preparing traditional foods and tortes for all church fund raising events.
(Rev. Richard Kirouac: 1990 -1994)
1991
Rev. Richard L. Kirouac was named the fifth pastor of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church on April 21, 1991. The parishioners had to again learn to work with a new pastor. At that time, church membership was on the upswing. Traditional parish life was vibrant.
Talented parishioners continued to share their gifts with the church. In 1991, Houston painter and iconographer, Lydia Ostapuk Earl, beautified the church by applying gold leafing to the Iconostas.
On September 28 and 29, 1991, Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church sponsored its second annual Ukrainian Festival. The Festival Co-Chairpersons, Mrs. Pat Baran and Mrs. Martha Noukas, organized and executed a wonderful ethnic experience for the Houston public. Medicus, Ukrainian musicians from Lviv, Ukraine, performed. Houstonians were also treated to folk tunes played on the bandura by Steve Schoenfeldt and Eric Heymann, another non-Ukrainian convert to Ukrainian folk music and dancing. The parish worked hard to prepare this festival, and the meager proceeds were placed in the Church Building Fund.
Four new banners were added to the interior of the church. They were lovingly embroidered by dearly departed Mrs. Pokotylo, parishioner Daria Byrd's mother.
Then church life began to change drastically. Parishioners were not served properly. During this period, the Parish Council tried to improve the church compound by paving the parking lot. A contractor was found who would complete the job for $20,000. Unfortunately, this project had to be postponed, and to this day, the church does not have a paved parking lot. Decisions made during this period were not conducive to the welfare of the parish. Even the traditions of the Ukrainian church were ignored and sometimes undermined. It was a sad period in the history of Pokrova.
1992
The parish gained more permanent members of the Victor Balaban family. Ihor
Balaban and his daughter, Halia Seniw with husband Bohdan, and their mother-in-law, Paulina Seniw, arrived in Houston on February 14, 1992. Though speaking no English, the entire family set about contributing to the welfare of the church. Their mission was to continue with the legacy started in 1949 by all the original founders of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church.
The annual Ukrainian Festival sponsored by Pokrova, again under the leadership of Martha Noukas, added more meager funds to the Church Building Fund. Notable was the entertainment provided by "Veseli Chasey." Groups from Ukraine were now free to leave Ukraine and tour throughout the world. The founders of Pokrova never dreamed they would be able to mingle freely in the United States with people from their motherland. Ukrainians from abroad were also astonished that they could find a community of Ukrainians preserving their religion and heritage in steamy, hot Houston, Texas.
(Rev. Yaroslav Dowbush: 1994-1996)
1994 - 1996
In 1994, Rev. Yaroslav Dowbush became the temporary Administrator for Pokrova. The faithful were served well by this pastor. He had a pied piper effect on the children of the parish, and they always flocked to his side. Church attendance began to increase during this period.
(Rev. Andrij Dwulit: 1996-2002)
1996
In September 1996, Father Andrij Dwulit came to Houston from St. Volodymyr and Olha Parish in Chicago, Illinois, after serving as priest for five years. He finished the University of Lublin, Poland with a Masters Degree in Theology and was ordained in Lviv. With his arrival in the last part of the 20th century, an old Ukrainian tradition was brought from the Ukrainian homeland to Pokrova. Father Dwulit was a married priest who brought his wife and child to Houston. The parish was delighted with this new experience.
1997
In 1997, the Parish Council, chaired by Martha Noukas and Eugene Kuchta, busied itself with overdue projects such as maintenance of the church and property and beautifying the grounds. Mrs. Noukas was the chairman for raising money for the Tree Project. Parishioner Wsewolod Hirka designed the landscaping project in order to bring down the electricity costs for cooling the church by planting tall trees around the south and west sides of the building. After collecting donations totaling $3500, the Tree Project Committee was able to buy the trees, landscaping timbers, and azalea bushes that now line the church sidewalk on the south side.
Pokrova sponsored its last Ukrainian Festival in 1997. Martha Noukas again used her organizational skills to promote and support the efforts of the church to foster its unique cultural heritage. This can be summed up in the headline in the This Weekend section of the Houston Chronicle: "Ukrainian Fest Delivers Taste of Tradition to City•" Regretfully, it was decided that this event required too much manpower for such limited profits and aging parishioners.
Sadly, in 1997, the parish lost a very dynamic member of the church. Jurko Mykytyn, the self-appointed hospitality ambassador and church greeter, passed away. This simple man with the big heart and colorful humor, who passionately loved his church, was always the first to greet visitors and make them feel welcome. He amazed everyone with his comical Ukrainian proverbs and folk songs. His repertoire seemed endless and would be sorely missed.
As the saying which goes, all good things come to an end eventually. In 1997, Golden Nugget Bingo, which had been in decline for some years, closed its doors. The church lost its main source of revenue. The parishioners had to start digging deeper and deeper into their pockets to sustain the church. During this time, however, the church began experiencing an influx of new people who came to Houston as a result of job transfers. The church pews started to fill up again with young, energetic parishioners.
Despite the gloomy outlook of lost revenue, Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church
celebrated its 40th anniversary in the fall of 1997 with a banquet in the Parish Hall. As always, the parish members looked to the future with renewed hope for growth and prosperity in the church.
1998
In 1998 Pokrova Parish started to flourish again with new parishioners and a
renewal of spiritual and cultural life. A new Parish Council was elected in January of 1998:
Reverend Dwulit, Chairman
Mr. Tom Sroka, Vice Chairman
Mr. Walter Romaniuk, Treasurer
Mr. Bohdan Seniw, Director of Maintenance
Dr. Geroge M. Wawrykow, Secretary
The Ukrainian National Women's League, Houston Branch 118, donated $2000 for the installation of greatly needed new red carpeting in the church. Everyone in the parish was grateful for the removal of the old shabby carpet. Bright red carpet brought bright anticipations for a growing parish.
Tom Sroka, Vice Chairman of the Parish Council with the help of the Director of Maintenance, Bohdan Seniw, replaced the water pump and put a new roof on the church hall, rectory, and Learning Center.
This was a very active year. New ideas and new directions were forged. The Parish Council laid the groundwork for a Pastoral Council to work in conjunction with the Church Council on better providing for the spiritual and religious needs of this humble parish.
Dr. George Wawrykow and Carolyn Wawrykow implemented Pokrova's first Bible Study/ Prayer & Praise Group. The group read and discussed the Gospel reading for Matins, Old Testament readings for Vespers, Epistles and Gospels for Divine Liturgy. Troparia, Kotakia, Prokimenia, and Communion verses. After studying the Scriptures and the Inspirational Changes for the Liturgy, the group prayed intercessory prayers for each Other and the needs of individuals and families of the parish. Before and after the Bible study, the group praised the Lord in song.
An Ecumenical spirit with service to all Christians of all dominations was evident in the church.
The parish experimented with different methods for providing bilingualism Liturgical Services. The solution decided upon was that on Sundays the priest intoned both English and Ukrainian, while the people chanted their responses in Ukrainian.
The church spiritual life was evolving and continued to be intertwined with the cultural life of the community.
On Saturday, April 4, 1998, the article entitled "A Houston Tradition" appeared in the Houston Chronicle:
"The 10 annual Ukrainian Easter Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 5 at the Ukrainian Hall of The Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church. The bazaar spotlights Ukrainian Easter eggs, which are made and shown by area artists."
This annual Easter Bazaar, organized by the Ukrainian Women's League, Houston Branch 1 18, continued to bring the Houston public in contact with the beautiful Easter church traditions of the Ukrainian people. Pokrova parishioners rolled up their sleeves to help the UWLA have another successful event.
For Easter the new Parish Pastoral Council provided bilingual booklets for Resurrection Matins. Hardbound bilingual missals were placed in the pews and became very popular with the parishioners. It became possible for non-Ukrainian speaking parishioners to more fully participate in daily and Sunday Liturgies and in Resurrection Matins.
The parish and the various Ukrainian secular organizations that use the church grounds as their headquarters fulfilled God's instructions to "contribute to the needs of God's people; extend hospitality to strangers." (Romans 12:13) Pokrova parishioners, led by a committee including Father Dwulit, Greg Buchai (Honorary Consul of Ukraine), Alex Filenko (President of Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston), Dr. George Wawrykow (Pokrova Pastoral Council Chairman), and Pokrova parishioner Margo Hellerman extended hospitality to sixteen Ukrainian seamen who came from cities in southern Ukraine and were stranded, penniless, on a ship seized by creditors in the Houston Ship Channel. The men were flown to Houston with the promise of earning money by serving on a ship bound for Europe. What they found upon arrival was a derelict vessel with no cargo and no plan.
The Pokrova parishioners, along with members of the Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston, provided the men with food, clothing, and money. The men were brought to church on several occasions to receive the sacraments. Father Dwulit and parishioners visited them on their ship, EPTA, to minister to them. Each seaman was provided with a Bible.
On August 23, 1998, their court case was finalized and a settlement for the sailors was agreed upon. The Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church opened a "Stranded Ukrainian Seamen Fund" to raise money to fly the sixteen sailors back to Kiev, Ukraine. Greg Buchai was instrumental in getting Continental Airlines to pledge $28,000 in tickets. Donations from organizations and individuals helped raise the necessary funds enabling the seamen to fly back to their homes in Ukraine. The Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston contributed S8000. The UNWLA, Branch 118, gave each sailor SIOO ($1600 total) so that they could each have money to purchase things they needed before flying home. The seaman returned the communities generosity by painting the roof on the church.
During that year average attendance on Sundays increased from 25-50 and 70-110 people. In 1998 the Easter service had over 150 faithful attending. Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church was again seeing substantial growth in its membership.
For the third year in a row, the parish celebrated Epiphany by observing the tradition of sculpting an ice cross. In Houston that was quite a challenge when often the temperature is not 40 degrees below as in Ukraine, but 80 degrees as it often is in Houston in January. Bohdan and Halyna Seniw, who sculpted the cross that year had a difficult job keeping it intact until the Divine Liturgy was completed. This, of course, was only a minor challenge for this humble parish that continued to follow the Christian traditions of their homeland.
Many exciting religious and cultural events filled out 1998:
The annual January Malanka, coordinated for the church as a fund raiser by the dearly departed Marika Macko, was an important time of fellowship with the members of the parish and invited guests.
The children of Ridna Schkola, organized by Mrs. Luba Detsyk, celebrated through concert the remembrance of Taras Shevchenko.
The Ukrainian Boys Choir of Kiev gave a dazzling performance in the church of liturgical, classical, and traditional Ukrainian folk music. Everyone was awed and tears fell as the elder parishioners were reminded of their beloved homeland.
The annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival was hosted by Pokrova. The Most Reverend Michael Wiwchar, Third Bishop of St. Nicholas Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy that year.
Since donations to the church increased that year, Bishop Wiwchar proposed that the Pokrova parish purchase two lots adjacent to the church property to accommodate the space needed for a new traditional Byzantine style domed church in which to worship. The future looked bright. Unfortunately, this project had to be postponed due to objections from the majority of the parishioners who felt the price of the land was too costly. Dreams of a new church had to be put on hold again.
2000
Refurbishing the aging church facilities became a priority. Since the only source of income besides the Sunday collections was the Church Hall rental, it became apparent that the parish needed to start there. It was decided that the two restrooms located outside the hall needed to be refurbished so they could be used by renters and during future festival events. God always provides when the parish is in need. This time the help came in the form of Wsewolod Hirka who volunteered to refurbish the restroom. Alex Filenko, Eugene Kuchta, and Bohdan Horodecky also volunteered to help Wsewolod with this task. Working tirelessly in the sweltering Houston heat and after working hours and on weekends, Wsewolod and his crew of three replaced the sheetrock and floor tile. He installed new plumbing and light fixtures. A new coat of paint completed the job. After months of tedious work, the restrooms were ready for the annual Ukrainian National Women's League Easter Bazaar on Palm Sunday in 2001.
2001
In September of 2001, Eugenia Balaban and her daughter Halyna Seniw donated to the church a complete set of hand embroidered priest's vestments at a cost of $2,400. This blending of Ukrainian cultural folk art with religious worship is a unique aspect of the Ukrainian church. The iconostasis and icons throughout the church are also adorned with embroidered towels lovingly crafted and hung by the hands of Mrs. Eugenia Balaban and her daughters.
Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church again had to accept change. The parish began to lose parishioners, many of whom left for job transfers. After five years of serving Pokrova, Father Dwulit moved to New York in order for his wife to complete her medical residency.
(Rev. Mykola Dovzhuk: 2002 —present)
2002
While the parish was petitioning the Eparchy for a priest, Rev. Wasyl Sawchyn, of St. Sophia Ukrainian Catholic Church, located in Dallas, Texas, traveled to Houston once a month to celebrate the liturgy and minister to the parishioners.
In 2002 Father Dovzhuk, newly emigrated from Ukraine, arrived to prepare for his pastorate in Houston. He was born in Ternopil, Ukraine, and after completing seminary in 1989, he served in Eastern Ukraine until 1992. Father Dovzhuk then served in Western Ukraine until 2000 when Bishop Michael Wiwchar, Eparchy of Chicago, invited him to serve the faithful in the United States.
The parish soon learned that Father Dovzhuk would be bringing to Houston his wife and three teenage daughters. The Ukrainian tradition of married priests was to continue in Houston, Texas. This interesting turn of events necessitated extra bedding and a hurried preparation of the church rectory to accommodate Father Dovzuk and his family. A young Ukrainian couple, newly arrived from Canada, Roman and Helena Cherwonogrodsky, rolled up their sleeves and single handedly cleaned the rectory and donated all the extra sheets, pillows, comforters, dishes, and silverware. The parish was ready for the new family.
In November of 2002, Father Mykola Dovzhuk arrived with his family to become Pokrova's next pastor.
2003
The Parish Council worked diligently to help Father Dovzhuk acclimate to life in the United States and, in particular, to hot, muggy Houston, Texas. The Parish council Treasurer, Taras Bryndzia who devoted countless years to managing the church treasury, continued to provide assistance in managing the church financial affairs. Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church began looking forward to increased membership and expansion.
In the spring of 2003, the church grounds were expanded when seven families, spear headed by Oksana Danylyk, one of the original founders, purchased and donated to Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church the premises adjacent to the church hall. The plan was to add a small meeting hall and several classrooms to the church compound. The benefactors were: Michael and Oksana Danylyk, stephan and Halia Kichtan, Sonia Tymnialg Bill Byrd (In memory of his wife, Daria (Pokotylo) Byrd), Greg and Nadia Buchai, Luba Detsyk, Anthony Sharanowych (In memory of his wife, Irene Sharanowych).
On October 1, 2003, Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church leased this property for thirty years to The Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston. Throughout the years, the church allowed the club to use its facilities as its headquarters. The club was to use the newly purchased land and existing structure to build a new meeting hall and classrooms. This project has yet to be implemented. Nevertheless, the church grounds were expanded for future growth.
In October 2003, the church was adorned with new embroidered linens for the altar, tetra pod, and podium. Mrs. Eugenia Balaban and her daughter, Mrs. Halia Seniw donated these beautiful hand embroidered linens. This brings to mind a full circle. Mrs. Balaban's father-in-law, Victor Balaban, one of the original founders of the church, donated the green and red banners that have adorned the front of the church since the 1960's.
Improvements to the church grounds were made in 2003 when a dedicated parishioner, Eugene Kuchta and his wife Irene, decided to celebrate his 25th anniversary of employment by making a donation to Pokrova. This donation was designated for the paving of the front parking area. Defined parking spaces that included handicap spaces added a finishing touch to the front of the church and were certainly a luxury the parishioners have ever since enjoyed. No more the rocky Texas frontier look!
2004
In 2004, the church interior was further beautified with two embroidered banners purchased in Ukraine and donated by Ms. Justyna Uschak. Throughout the years Mrs. Uschak's embroidered linens have embellished the church altar and tetra pod.
Renewing and remodeling the church compound continued. After all, the church was fast approaching the ripe old age of fifty. The small Pokrova Learning Center was remodeled inside with funds from the Ridna Shkola which reorganized in the 80's and operates its school at Pokrova. The school was given access to all church facilities.
The Learning Center received new flooring, paint, cabinet refinishing, and new bookcases. The Ukrainian American Cultural Club which also uses this room for monthly meetings donated a new refrigerator to be placed in the Learning Center for use by the school children. This harmonious intermingling of various organizations, both secular and religious, helped the church with its refurbishing efforts.
2005
Mr. Davis's bell tower showed signs of aging along with many other parts of the church compound. The bell tower became a safety hazard, and, of course, God always provides for this humble parish. An anonymous donor provided the necessary funds to rebuild Mr. Davis's bell tower. Generous, devoted parishioners always sustained and contributed to the needs of this struggling church. Bohdan and Halia Seniw provided the money for replacing the cross on top of the bell tower. The parish expects this new bell tower will continue providing sanctuary for the next fifty years for the statue of the Blessed Virgin also donated by Bohdan and Halia Seniw.
2006
After forty-nine years of service to the Ukrainian community of Houston, the aging buildings of Pokrova began showing signs of much needed repair and sprucing up. Father Mykola took his first step by refurbishing the precious wooden tabernacle commissioned and paid for by Petro Wolansky in 1961. It was removed from its shameful hiding place in the church loft and placed back in its entire splendor on Pokrova's altar table in the sacristy. Very few parishioners who remember its initial creation are alive today to enjoy its beauty. Hopefully, future parishioners will appreciate and preserve the Tabernacle's place in the history of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Also in 2006, renovations of the Church Hall were started. Since rental of the hall was a major source of income for this small parish, it was a necessity for the church to tighten its belt and for the parishioners to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for this project. Extra Sunday collections and generous donations of eight families provided the initial funds to begin this renewal. The Ukrainian National Women's League, Branch 118, also provided much needed assistance by donating $1000 toward the purchase of a new stove in the church hall and $900 toward the purchase of a dough rolling machine that both Pokrova and UNWLA will use to make varenyky for the various fundraising events. As always, the goodwill relationship between Pokrova and the organizations that are allowed to use its facilities benefited and still benefits everyone.
2007
This was a busy year for improvements in and around the church. Roman Cherwonogrodsky and the Balaban family painted the church interior. Parishioner Reginald Bardin added to the refurbishing by helping with the new water pump cover and table dollies in the church hall. Throughout the church hall remodeling process, Halia Seniw and Roman and Helena Cherwonogrodsky rolled up their sleeves and worked tirelessly with the contractor in an effort to cut down on the renovation costs. As she has done ever since her arrival in Houston, devoted and dependable Paulina Seniw cleans the church every week in preparation for the Divine Liturgy. These labors of love are not always acknowledged, but they leave a lasting footprint in the continuity of this parish.
The priest's vestments that were showing signs of age and deterioration needed to be replaced. Halia and Stephan Kichtan and Eugenia Balaban graciously donated the money to purchase red vestments to be used during funerals and purple vestments for the Easter Lenten season. Renewal was in progress.
To continue sprucing up, the parishioners of Pokrova collected donations to purchase badly needed altar boy robes. The original robes were in great disrepair. The boys stood proudly at the altar in their new white robes during the Easter season in 2007. Eugene and Irene Kuchta, long time parishioners and parents of two altar boys serving Pokrova, donated the money to purchase purple altar boy robes for the Lenten season.
Two new embroidered church banners, one of St. Olha and the other of St. Volodymyr, were hung in the church for the first time on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Pokrova. They were purchased by Martha Noukas from Father Blazejowskyj during his last visit to Houston. It is truly amazing that these two historical Ukrainian saints who accepted Christianity in 988 and then helped baptize all the population of Kiev on the banks of the Dnipro River are still remembered and honored in 2007. These banners remind all who enter the church of the continuity of Ukrainian faith and history.
In 2007, the Pokrova Iconostas was further expanded and beautified by two new Icons on the left and right side. These priceless icons were hand embroidered by Reverend Dr. Blazejowsky whose life goal now is to preserve Ukrainian Iconographic embroidery. How fitting that these icons were placed on the Iconostasis that he commissioned in 1961. The parish is grateful that Halia Kichtan, one of the original founders of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church, purchased, framed, and donated these two precious icons to forever grace the altar and remind the parish of Rev. Bluejowsky's industrious efforts to build the first Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Southwest.
Things continued to go rather well, with the parish under Father Mykola’s leadership staying fairly stable. In 2018, the new bishop, Vladyka Benedict, paid a pastoral visit to the parish.
At Pentecost 2019, the parish got a wonderful addition to its parish family in the form of Steven Nowak. This young man had relocated to Houston from Dallas for work. Having previous experience with serving in the altar within the Byzantine rite, he helped make sure everything inside the altar was smooth every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy. His main hurdle here would be lack of knowledge of the Ukrainian language, but this would remedy itself through time. This year would also mark Father Mykola’s 30th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. To celebrate the occasion, Vladyka paid another pastoral visit to the parish on December 22 and celebrated a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the occasion. After the Divine Liturgy, the parish held a celebratory dinner for Father Mykoka.
All was well in the parish until halfway through the first quarter of 2020. A new worldwide pandemic, SARS-COV-2, had started in China and had made its way through the whole world. In response to the pandemic, the Ukrainian bishops in the US asked in March (right around the start of great lent) that each parish switch to a private Divine Liturgy until further notice. In response, Father Mykola made the decision to start streaming the Divine Liturgy on the internet so parishioners could watch and still witness the Divine Liturgy being offered for the parish each Sunday. At the same time, the previous cantor had gone missing in action due to the pandemic. Because of this, Father Mykola tapped Steven to fill the post of new parish cantor as well as using Steven’s software development and computer background to provide tech support for streaming the Divine Liturgy each week. This private Divine Liturgy would continue for almost a year. The pandemic also had the effect of all hall rentals being cancelled during this time, dealing a major financial blow to the parish since renting the hall out was one of the parish’s biggest sources of income. The beloved Saints Cyril and Methodius festival slated for the fall was cancelled and would be cancelled the following year as well due to the pandemic.
In great lent of 2020, the bishops lifted the order and allowed people to start attending Divine Liturgy in person again. After being couped up in their homes every Sunday for over a year, parishioners could see each other every Sunday again and parish life could resume. Some parishioners were still weary of the coronavirus, so parish attendance had not reached its pre-pandemic levels yet. As everyone was coming back, the parish gained another young man in the form of Joseph Cherny. Joseph had been studying for a PHD in Philosophy at the University of Saint Thomas and had never really been part of a Ukrainian parish growing up even though his father was Ukrainian Greek Catholic and discovering Pokrova allowed him regular participation in his own church. He also helped Father Mykola and Steven by taking on Steven’s old role as head server in the altar on Sundays so Steven could focus his role as cantor. This year also saw the establishment of the eparchy’s new Mission Institute, created to help train new parish leaders and participants could also work towards several liturgical roles as part of the program as well. Since the parish had in its 63 years of existence has never had a deacon in the parish, Steven submitted himself for formation for the diaconate as part of the program and was later blessed to start diaconal formation with mission institute studies when the institute stared in October.
2021 has started as a continuation of 2020 and not much has changed. In the summer, talk started about the restarting the Saints Cyril and Methodius festival again. After much discussion, the decision was made to not only hold the Saints Cyril and Methodius festival this year (since it was Pokrova’s turn to host it this year), but to also to revive the parish’s own Ukrainian festival in honor of its patronal feast on October 1. To kick off this revival and prepare for the parish festival, Martha Noukas planned and hosted a series of Ukrainian culture nights every 2 weeks on Friday nights for 4 months leading up to the festival. The purpose of these nights was to provide an outlet for parishioners to socialize and learn something about church culture and Ukrainian culture.
