‘Sing Joyfully to the Lord’ Concert Tour of Sacred Music of Carpathian Mountains
A concert program by the Seminary Choir of the Blessed Theodore Romzha Theological Academy of Užhorod, Transcarpathia (Ukraine) was presented Sunday Sept. 18 at St. Elias Church in Munhall, Pa., where Very Rev. Andrew Deskevich and parishioners joyfully welcomed their guests. St. Elias Church was one of several stops on the choir’s “Sing Joyfully to the Lord” Concert Tour of Sacred Music of the Carpathian Mountains, undertaken in September and early October this year. The 15-voice Seminary Choir visited Byzantine Catholic parishes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC over a three week period.
At each location, the group presented a concert of sacred music according to the singing tradition of the Carpathian Mountains of eastern Slovakia and southwestern Ukraine. Each concert included a combination of liturgical selections and hymns in Church Slavonic. Featured were Marian, Christmas, Lenten and Paschal hymns, and liturgical choral arrangements.
Father Kevin Marks visits with Bishop Nil at St. Mary Church in Youngstown, Ohio, where the Seminary Choir presented their concert on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
photos: Nick Havrilla, Sr. (St. Elias) David Mayernick (Holy Ghost)
Accompanying the seminarians were Bishop Nil Lyushchak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Mukachevo; Blessed Theodore Seminary Rector Rev. Archimandrite Petro Beresh; Choir Director Rev. Myroslav Ryabinchak; Rev. John Zeyak, a retired priest of the Passaic Eparchy who acted as the group’s translator, and tour organizer Jack Figel. On the morning of Sunday Sept. 18 the choir led responses for the Divine Liturgy at Holy Ghost Church in McKees Rocks, celebrated in Church Slavonic by Bishop Nil and concelebrated by Archimandrite Petro, Rev. Myroslav, Rev. John and Holy Ghost pastor Rev. Frank Firko.
Bishop Nil thanked the faithful in attendance for their patronage of the choir’s concert tour, and in his homily told the faithful “Don’t forget about your roots, because a tree without roots has no life.” Speaking through Father John, Bishop Nil related that Byzantine Catholics in the U.S. have received this faith from their grandparents and greatgrandparents, who lived their faith every day. “Strive to teach your children! Let us teach our children our faith and the wonderful ways of worship, and our beautiful hymns of praise and glory to God.”
Following the Divine Liturgy, a brunch reception was held in the parish social hall, where attendees were treated to robust impromptu choruses of Ruthenian and Ukrainian folk songs sung by both the seminarians and their leaders, and joined by parishioners and members of the Archieparchial Choir, who impressed their guests with their knowledge of “Old Country” tunes. The Seminary Concert Tour was conducted under the auspices of the Orientale Lumen Foundation, based in Fairfax, Va.
Weirton Parish Welcomes Seminary Choir
Father Larry Dorsch, pastor of St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Weirton, W.Va. (far right), introduces the Bishop Theodore Romzha Seminary Choir. The group presented its 2016 concert tour program at the church on Wednesday Sept. 21 under the sponsorship of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church of Weirton, where Father Vasyl Symyon is pastor.
The Blessed Theodore Romzha Seminary Choir sang responses Thursday Sept. 22 for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Church in Weirton, W.Va., celebrated by Bishop Nil Lyushchak of the Eparchy of Mukachevo (Ukraine). St. Mary parish council member Janet Winwood is pictured in the church social hall with Seminary Choir members and house guests Pavlo (left) and Andrew during the post-liturgy luncheon. Pavlo is a relative of +Bishop Andrew Pataki of blessed memory. – photos by Michael Gara
