Submitted by Archimandrite Serge Keleher, Administrator
Dublin - 20070530 - The Greek-Catholics in Ireland, centered in Baile Átha Cliath around the Congregation of Blessed Nicholas (Charnetsky), rejoiced in the presence of our Apostolic Visitor, Bishop Hlib of Bareta, for Pentecost, 14/27 May 2007. Early Saturday afternoon, the Bishop arrived by plane from Warsaw; Father Archimandrite Serge of Baile Átha Cliath and Mr. Ivan Ivanenkiw of Dún Dealgán were at the airport to welcome His Grace.
The Bishop and his companions went directly to Archbishop’s House, Drumcondra, where through the hospitality of the Archbishop of Baile Átha Cliath, the Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Bishop Hlib would lodge during his stay in Ireland. There were two other stops to make, and the Bishop and his companions returned to the airport to meet Andrij Bebko, arriving from London, to add his welcome assistance with the liturgical chanting for the feast.
Mr. Ivanenkiw brought the Bishop and his companions back to Baile Átha Cliath. The Bishop returned to Archbishop’s House; Mr. Bebko and Mr. Sheehy went to Mr. Sheehy’s home in Glasnevin, and Father Serge to his own home.
On Pentecost Sunday the joy of the feast was multiplied: by the grace of God and the kindness of the present owner of the building, we were enabled to have the Pontifical Divine Liturgy of Pentecost in Saint Alphonsus Church in Drumcondra. Built around 1870, the Church served the monastery of Redemptoristine nuns for over a century; Blessed Pius IX sent it an Icon of the Theotokos Odegitria (known in the Western Church as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour), with the request that this icon should be made known and loved in Ireland – and Saint Alphonsus Church became an important center of devotion in Baile Átha Cliath to the Mother of God for well over a century. In 1932, our own Blessed Nicholas (Charnetsky), Bishop of Volyn, Pidlassia, and Polessia, serving the Greek-Catholics of north-eastern Poland, came to Ireland for the Baile Átha Cliath Eucharistic Congress. Blessed Nicholas lodged in the guest accommodation at the Redemptoristine Monastery for a fortnight and served Pontifical Divine Liturgy in Saint Alphonsus Church several times. But about ten years ago, when the nuns built a new monastery, Saint Alphonsus Church was sold and divine services were discontinued, although the Church appointments, including the Icon, remain. The Divine Liturgy on Pentecost Sunday 2007 was the first public prayer offered in the Church during the new Millennium. Not only the Greek-Catholics, but other Catholics in Baile Átha Cliath also came to pray in the Church they still love, and to greet the Holy Icon. For this occasion, many of the faithful brought flowers. The Ukrainians often call Pentecost “Green Sunday”, and in accordance with that tradition, they adorned the Church with much greenery as well as the flowers: Bishop Hlib wore gold vestments with a green-and-gold mitre; Father Archimandrite, not to be outdone, wore green and gold vestments (and later explained to the visitors that this had nothing to do with the Irish flag!). The green and gold vestments were actually a gift from a parishioner who found them on sale in Eastern Europe and who brought them back to Baile Átha Cliath for use on Pentecost.
The parishioners of Blessed Nicholas congregation brought the necessary equipment for the Divine Liturgy from Saint Kevin’s Oratory, where we usually serve on Sundays, to Saint Alphonsus, and erected the central section and Royal Doors of our Icon-Screen (itself the gift of the Brothers of Saint John of God). There were only 3 or 4 benches in the nave, set along the walls for the elderly and the infirm. Bishop Hlib heard Confessions directly in front of the shrine of the Icon; many penitents took advantage of the opportunity to come to Confession. The pontifical cathedra was set in the center of the nave; the absence of pews (as is traditional) not only meant that most of the congregation stood throughout the service except for the Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost, but also made the symbolism of the Little Entrance and the Great Entrance much clearer. The eagle-rugs were set in their places and the Bishop, preceded by the Processional Cross, a group of the parish children, and the subdeacons bearing the dikerotrikera, processed with glory to the main entrance of the historic, magnificent Church, where Father Archimandrite Serge and the faithful were awaiting him and greeted him in the customary fashion.
The service went on as usual, with the Bishop in the center of the nave surrounded by his flock – with the children closest to him – like the father of a family in the midst of those for whom he is responsible. At the Little Entrance, the Bishop entered the Altar and offered the solemn incensation, as the chanters acclaimed him with Bortniansky’s setting of the triple Eis polla Eti, Despota.
It being Pentecost, the Trisagion was not sung, being replaced by the Baptismal verse of Saint Paul All those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia, which the assembly sang in Ukrainian, pausing to allow the Bishop and those in the Altar to chant in Greek. The Bishop proceeded to his apsidal throne at the High Place.
The Epistle was read in Ukrainian and English; the Bishop read the Gospel in Ukrainian and Father Archimandrite read the Gospel in Irish.
Following the Gospel, Bishop Hlib blessed the new “portable” Holy Table for the Greek-Catholics. A Holy Table which will have to be moved from time to time is not consecrated, but the Bishop blesses it with prayer, Holy Water, and incense. The Holy Table was built by men of the congregation. The “vestments” of the Holy Table were sewn by the ladies of the congregation, using for the under-cover pure Irish linen and for the brocade over-cover beautiful cloth-of-gold given by a Ukrainian friend of the parish in Canada.
Bishop Hlib then preached the Archpastoral sermon, stressing that the “many tongues” (languages) which the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles on Pentecost are and must always be the language of love in the Church. He expressed also his great joy at serving in the same Saint Alphonsus Church where Blessed Nicholas had come and served seventy-five years ago to represent the Greek-Catholic Church during the Baile Átha Cliath Eucharistic Congress.
The Pontifical Divine Liturgy continued as usual; at the Great Entrance the Bishop commemorated Pope Benedict, Patriarch Lubomyr, and Archbishop Diarmuid of Baile Átha Cliath; Father Serge then commemorated Bishop Hlib. The Symbol of Faith was sung in Ukrainian and read out in Irish (in both cases without the interpolation). Mr. Bebko chanted the Ninth Ode of the Pentecost Canon towards the end of the Anaphora, as the Church requires on such great feast days.
The Lord’s Prayer was sung both in Ukrainian and in Irish. A great many faithful came to receive Holy Communion from the hands of the Bishop – some of the faithful from Dún Dealgán drove to Baile Átha Cliath for the Pontifical Liturgy.
After the Ambo Prayer, Bishop Hlib invited the faithful to join him in kneeling down (Pentecost is the first time since Pascha that one should kneel in the Church) while he offered the special “Prayers of Genuflection” which the Church uses on this particular feast. After the Dismissal and the Polychronia (the “Many Years”) the Bishop gave each of the faithful the Precious Cross to kiss and a share of the Antidoron.
Both the clergy and the faithful were reluctant to leave the beautiful and beloved Saint Alphonsus Church. The Bishop publicly thanked Mr. Patrick O’Reilly, An Taisce (the Irish Heritage department of the government) and others who had enabled the service to take place in this beautiful Church today, and all those who had come to pray and especially to receive the Holy Mysteries.
Then it was necessary to remove the Greek-Catholic liturgical appurtenances and return our equipment to Saint Kevin’s. Some of the Ukrainian faithful in Blanchardstown (a new Baile Átha Cliath neighborhood in the north-west part of the city) had invited the Bishop and his companions for dinner (at an excellent Chinese restaurant that the Ukrainian community has become fond of); we were celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Bishop Hlib’s ordination to the Holy Priesthood and the fortieth anniversary of Father Serge’s ordination.
After all this, everyone was tired, naturally, as well as very joyful. Bishop Hlib and Father Serge spent most of Monday together at Father Serge’s home on the south side of the city, relaxing and going over some ecclesiastical business, especially involving a project of reprinting a seventeenth-century manuscript of the pontifical services.
On Tuesday Bishop Hlib and Father Serge visited Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fedenyshyn and their daughter Elisabeth (aged six months and already quite hospitable!) for luncheon in Clontarf, and then went to Mr. and Mrs. Mykola Babij in Castleknock for supper – it was Mr. Babij’s birthday and many of the Ukrainian faithful came to congratulate him and to meet with the Bishop. A particular concern is the need for a regular program of catechesis, especially for the children. Bishop Hlib is hopeful that this can be accomplished, with materials from Ukraine, the use of the Internet, and the active involvement of the Baile Átha Cliath and Dún Dealgán parishioners.
Bishop Hlib has been visiting Ireland once each year; he hopes now to increase this to twice a year, which Father Serge and the faithful in Ireland will be very glad to welcome.
After these lovely days in Ireland, Bishop Hlib had to return to L’viv, taking an early flight from Baile Átha Cliath to Warsaw on Wednesday, 30 May. The Greek-Catholics in Ireland are already looking forward to his next visit to us.
“Through the prayers of our Holy Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us!”