The link below is to the Archeparchy which will channel the funds to Ukraine. (Via PayPal) Online Donation to Ukraine
People can mail checks to our church as well. Make the check out to Nativity Church
and in the memo line write Ukraine.
From Father Richard: One type of question I get all the time from people who call and are thinking of donating:
"Where is this money going and how will it be spent?" because they are suspicious about
administration costs and potential misuse of donations. The newsletter link below has tons of
very helpful information (even though some of the videos are only in Ukrainian.)
We hope this will make people feel much
better about their giving, and it will help connect them more with the fruit of
their giving. Link to Newsletter
Today's letter from Patriarch Sviatoslav (courtesy of Paul and Michelle Warila)
From His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav
English translation of His Beatitude, Sviatoslav of Kyiv and Halych,
Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church this morning from Kyiv:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Today is Saturday, February 26, and the sun is rising over Kyiv, over Ukrainian Kyiv, over Kyiv that is triumphing, over Kyiv that has survived another night, a night blessed by God.
Allow me to address all of you with a word of greeting, a word of blessing, and a word of thanks.
First of all, allow me to pass on to you the words of greeting and support from the Holy Father, Francis, who called me himself yesterday in order to express his support. He said literally the following words: "Farò tutto che é possibile." (I will do everything possible.) Of course, to stop the war, so that innocent people do not die, so that Ukraine has the opportunity to develop freely. I would like every to be thankful to the Holy Father, because the whole global community is mobilizing itself in our support.
I would like to thank everyone today who in the last few days have sent me letters of support and solidarity with Ukraine, with the Ukrainian people, and with our Church.
I would like to thank the Bishops’ Conference of Europe and its president, the archbishop of Vilinius, archbishop Gintaras Grušas, as well as the bishops of Poland, Germany, France, England, Italy, USA, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, but it was particularly pleasant for me to receive a letter from the all the Catholic bishops of Kazakhstan expressing their support for our Ukraine and expressing their unity with our people in prayer.
To all those who are supporting Ukraine in various ways, in the name of our people, in the name of our state, in the name of besieged Kyiv, in whose streets battles are taking place, let me say a sincere “thank you.”
They say that when artillery speaks, muses are silent. Let the muses remain silent, but we Christians, we people, have no right to be silent.
In these moments when blood is being poured out on the land of Ukraine,
when the words of Patriarch Joseph are being repeated, mountains of bodies and rivers of blood, in our cities and all the shores of the Dnipro river, from the borders with Belarus, to the shores of the Black Sea, no one has the right to be silent, because with a word, lives can be saved. But silence can kill.
I ask all those who heard our voice from Kyiv flowing with blood: fight for peace. Intercede for those who require your aid. Do everything so that the aggressor retreat and leave the land of Ukraine. Whoever you may be, whether you are leaders in parliament, politicians, military personnel or church leaders, do you work, say your word to support Ukraine.
I would particularly like to thank His All Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew, who expressed his concern for my personal wellbeing here in Kyiv and shared his brotherly support and prayer. We see that in the face of death, in the face of brutal military force, every church schism and division falls, and we all unite in the name of God and the good of the person.
I want to thank all our bishops, especially those who are in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, all our priests who are in besieged cities and serve the Ukrainian people, who open their homes, who open their churches, their cellars, to all our monastic communities, to our seminaries, who open their buildings and residences to all those in need today.
I also would like to thank all our brothers and sisters, all our faithful, our bishops, our monastics, on the territory of Western and Central Ukraine. Today there are tens of hundreds of thousands of refugees moving in your direction. Accept them in the name of Christ, as emissaries of God. “He who accepts you accepts me,” said the Lord to His Apostles. In the name of God, receive those who knock at the door of your homes.
In this dramatic but heroic time, let us continue to pray.
Today, on this Saturday, we celebrate the Universal Commemoration of the Dead, and we especially pray for our soldiers who gave their lives for Ukraine, especially in these last days. We embrace in prayer the border guards of Snake Island in the Black Sea, our hero who with the price of his own life stopped Russian armies at Kherson by blowing up with himself a bridge across the Dnipro. Today the Ukrainian land and Ukrainian people are giving birth to many such heroes. We pray for all those who gave their lives for Ukraine. We pray for the innocent victims among the civilian population: women, children, the elderly. Today we commend to God’s hands all those who have already departed this world and ask that the Lord receive them in His embrace.
Ukraine is conquering. Ukraine is fighting. But we ask the world today to be in solidarity with us and not to remain silent, because the word saves, the word builds peace. Silence and indifference kill.
From our golden-domed, holy city of Kyiv, the new Jerusalem, with my whole heart, I impart to you my blessing, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
Nativity Parish is an Eastern Catholic parish which celebrates
the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
Fr. Richard Janowicz, Pastor rjano@aol.com
Cantors: Joe Escobar, Jeremy Morton
704 Aspen Street
Springfield, Oregon 97477
541-726-7309
"We believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches
is an integral part of the heritage of Christ's Church . . .
the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition..."
- Pope John Paul II, Orientale Lumen, "Light of the East" (1995)
"That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their
venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church."
- Pope Benedict XVI, Prayer Intention for November 2011
"Your meeting, organized under the aegis of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe,
is a sign of the rich ritual variety of the Catholic Church on this continent,
which is not limited to the Latin tradition. Among you, I see many who represent
the different Churches of the Byzantine tradition and many from beloved Ukraine."
- Pope Francis, Address to Eastern Catholic Bishops
of Europe (2019)
Brethren:
For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.
If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work.
If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage.
But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-34
Then Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,* why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
