Posted on 08/28/2006 1:23:09 PM PDT by NYer
COLCHESTER --
Before she stepped through the doors to worship for the first time in the new St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Stephanie Balacky paused Sunday to pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
"She's home," Balacky said, her blue eyes brimming with tears.
Thirty-two years ago, Balacky and her husband donated the statue of Mary, head bowed and hands clasped in prayer. She had no idea it would symbolize hope and rebirth and its survival would one day be called a miracle by the church's bishop.
"I think she's behind everything," Balacky, of Colchester, said of the Mary statue. "Without her, none of this would have happened. I believe in miracles."
Under gray skies and a steady rain, hundreds of worshippers flocked Sunday to the new 2,700-square-foot church for its first service since a propane explosion destroyed the old St. Mary's church on Sept. 10, 2004. Many stopped to pray or place flowers before the white marble statue of the Virgin Mary, which survived the blast.
Sunday's opening of the new church was like "all the feast days rolled into one," said the Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, Bishop of the Eparchy of Stamford.
"Two years ago, this very site was just a pile of rubble," he said. "Now stands a shining gold dome. Tears of disbelief and sadness are now tears of joy and thankfulness."
Chomnycky told the congregants in his homily that a "special ingredient" went into the rebuilding of the small parish, "maybe a touch of a miracle, the hand of Mary, the mother of God."
"That little miracle was evident right from that first day, because as we know no one was hurt, not even a little," Chomnycky said.
The Rev. Cyril Manolev had been sleeping in the rectory with his wife, Suzana, who was nine months pregnant, and their son, Alexander, who were 50 feet from the church when it exploded. On Sunday, as Manolev stood at the altar, his wife sat in the front pew with Alexander and their daughter, Maria, now almost 2, who was named after the Virgin Mary.
Chomnycky said some will say it was just luck, a matter of fate, and others will say it was just the way the building fell that no one was hurt and that the statue survived.
"But I still think it was a miracle, deep down," he said. "And it was really the miracle of the mother of God, fulfilling her mission. She is always showing us the way to Jesus."
Before the service began, Chomnycky, wearing a festive gold vestment and blue miter, circled the church outside with other priests and deacons and blessed it with holy water. At the front door of the church, two children, Roma Romaniv and Matthew Pierko, met the bishop with a traditional greeting of bread, salt and flowers.
The procession then entered through the wooden doors of the church and slowly walked to the altar. The church smelled of new carpeting and freshly painted walls until the pungent incense from the service wafted into the air. An overflow crowd watched a video of the service in an adjoining church hall.
Manolev said the past two years have been difficult ones for him and his parish, whose members attended a Roman Catholic church following the explosion. He compared the day of the explosion with Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified.
"But we made it through, and we are strong and today we are proud to celebrate in this beautiful place," Manolev said. "There is no Easter if there is no Good Friday.
"Welcome home," he said.
The church's 17-foot-high gold dome, three times the size of the one on the original church, can be seen from the highway. Many of the parishioners got their first glimpse of the church interior Sunday.
The marbled-floor altar sits under a massive archway, a choir loft is in the rear of the church and light floods in through circular windows in the gold dome.
For now, the church is a plain cream color until stained glass can be purchased for the windows, and ornate frescoes can be placed on the ceiling.
Some congregants said the new church is not as ethnic or as humble as their old church, built in 1955, but were overjoyed they have their own place to worship again.
"It's smaller than the other and more modern," said Stasha Horelik of Bozrah. "But it's a lovely church."
Residents from Colchester and many other towns attended the service, including clergy from local churches and the town's synagogue.
"I can't believe how many people are here," said First Selectwoman Jenny Contois, one of several dignitaries who attended. "It was scary because there were discussions about the church not being rebuilt or moved somewhere else. It's a great day for the church and the town."
The Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, Bishop, Eparchy of Stamford, led a prayer in front of St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Colchester. (RICHARD MESSINA)
An aerial view of the remains of St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Colchester after an explosion leveled the church. (SHANA SURECK)
A statue of Mary which was located outside the church was not harmed in the explosion and now stands outside the rebuilt St. Mary’s. (RICHARD MESSINA)
I've always found it quite tells how so many objects relating to the Blessed Mother that logically SHOULD be destroyed, remain unharmed.
There is amazing footage of the original explosion at the above link. In the midst of the destruction, stands that beautiful statue of our Blessed Mother.
I think the most remarkable was the story this weekend (I'm fairly certain you posted it, but it could have been Pyro) about the fire in Turkey that came within several yards of her house and then just left it alone.
Indeed. A statiscally unanticipated collection of extremely unlikely coincidences.
What would this event be without a color guard from the Knights of Columbus
The Most Rev. Basil H. Losten, Eparchy of Stamford bishop emeritus, center, sprinkles holy water Sunday with Eparchy of Stamford Bishop Paul Chomnycky, left, as they bless the St. Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Colchester. The old church was destroyed when a gas leak caused an explosion in 2004.
Maybe it has been changed, or perhaps the Ukrainian Catholics don't use it (or even more likely, I'M JUST WRONG), but isn't their traditional protocol about the type and color of flowers that are to be placed before statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
like when they tried to blow up Our Lady of Guadalupe!
I had forgotten about that.
"Propane explosion." How'd that happen?
**The Rev. Cyril Manolev had been sleeping in the rectory with his wife, Suzana, who was nine months pregnant, and their son, Alexander, who were 50 feet from the church when it exploded. **
Wife, son? Is this an Episcopal Church?
All those threads by NYer and this question still comes up about Eastern Catholics? Tsk, tsk.
Yes!! Simply miraculous. And the pope will be visiting that shrine later this year.
Really?! One of my coworkers is Ukrainian Catholic; I'll ask her tomorrow.
No, this is St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church.
The Eastern Catholic Churches allow for a married priesthood. Since marriage is a vow, the decision to marry must be made before the candidate may present himself for ordination. Up until recently, none of the Eastern Catholic Churches allowed married priests to serve in the west. That still holds true for the Maronite Catholic Church whose Patriarch, Cardinal Sfeir, discussed the challenges that come with a 'married priesthood', at last year's Vatican Council of Bishops. He explained the necessity to match married priests to parishes that can financially support them and their family. Only celibate Maronite priests are sent to the diaspora. Certain other Eastern Catholic Churches, however, have now begun to assign married priests throughout the world and even ordain married men in those countries.
Most of the Eastern Churches have a Hall on their property which is used for festivals, special events and often rented out for receptions. IIRC, the propane tanks were situated adjacent to the church.
Of course I know about the Eastern Rites that permit married priests, but other new Catholic may not.
Please FReepmail me if you'd like to be added to or removed from the KofC ping list.
Thank you for all of the wonderful photos! What a wonderful day for them, and what a powerful message from Our Lord regarding His Blessed Mother!
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