Holy Trinity’s outdoor shrine stands for faith

By Linda M. Linonis

YOUNGSTOWN — Ties to the ancestral homeland, Ukraine, remain strong among members of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church. That’s one reason the church will celebrate Ukraine Independence Day Sunday with a Divine Liturgy at its outdoor shrine.

The country in Eastern Europe — bordered by Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south — had experienced periods of independence throughout its storied history. After a failed attempt by the Communists to overtake the country again, the Ukrainian parliament adopted the Act of Independence on Aug. 24, 1991, and declared Ukraine an independent democratic state. Freedom is cause for celebration and Ukrainian churches do just that.

Luba Horsky, administrative coordinator and church member, said the Divine Liturgy will be at 10 a.m. “We’re hoping for good weather,” she said. “We’ll have a small procession from the courtyard to the altar.”

Parishioners and the choir will sing and chant responses as the Rev. Andrew Marko, pastor, officiates. The church follows the Byzantine rite.

After the liturgy, which will last a little over an hour, there will be a special prayer service called a panakhyda. “The prayer service was written by early church fathers and is very powerful,” Father Marko said. “The prayer service is dedicated to all those who lost their lives fighting for freedom of the Ukraine.”

Father Marko, who is of Ukrainian heritage, said the day remembering hard-fought independence remains important to all those of Ukrainian ancestry. “We hope the weather cooperates. In the outdoor service, the sunshine ... the light of the world ... Jesus ... shines on us,” he said. And, he added, the huge cross contributes to the solemnity and meaning of the event.

After the prayer service, the congregation will partake in a special repast featuring Ukrainian foods. Horsky said Basil Luciw is preparing foods that will include pirogis with blueberries (“... Tastes like blueberry pie,” she said), potato pancakes, kolbasi with beet and horseradish sauce, crepes, beet salad and stuffed cabbage.

The outdoor shrine, in its glory under God’s sky, is located next to the church at 526 W. Rayen Ave. It was built to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the church in 1986. The completion of the shrine also coincided with the observance of 1,000 years of Christianity in the Ukraine. “In 988 A.D., Prince Vladmir and his grandmother, Olga, accepted Christianity. People were baptized in the rivers,” Horsky said.

The shrine, showcasing an imposing 80-foot cross, makes a statement. “It’s a sign of our Christian faith. It is a presence,” said Kathy Terlecky, church historian and archivist.

Though the shrine is part of Holy Trinity, Terlecky said there has been discussion about opening it up to neighboring churches and the Cultural Heritage Society, a secular organization that includes ethnic groups in the Mahoning Valley. “It could be used for outdoor services or for those who would like to sit and meditate,” Terlecky said.

“The congregation wanted to have a visible sign of faith in the downtown area,” Horsky said.

From 8 p.m. to midnight, the cross also is illuminated. “People have seen it as they’re traveling on 680. We’ve gotten calls about it and people have thanked us for having it,” Horksy said. “It is a sight to see.”

The shrine, designed in 1985 by Canfield architect Frank Pavliga, is centered around the cross. The cross and its foundation weigh 275 tons, according to church records on the project. And even if wind kicks up the city, the cross is wind resistant to 120 miles per hour.

A wrought iron fence encloses the shrine area, which also features brick walkways, landscaping and benches.

“It’s a beautiful setting for meditation,” said Anne Borovitcky, church secretary. She also noted circles of bricks set near benches display the names of church members whose families and friends bought the engraved bricks in their honor.

The church and its shrine, now more visible since a neighboring building was razed, contribute a piece to the ongoing downtown renaissance. “It is our part of beautifying downtown,” Terlecky said.

The shrine, which provides a peaceful and green place in an urban setting, also is the site for a Good Friday procession with the cross, manger scene at Christmas and procession with the Baby Jesus and a May 1 event honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Terlecky said she is exploring the possibility of having the church and shrine declared a historic landmark at the local, state and national levels of the historical society. “In the church there are flying buttresses, a type of architecture in eastern Europe,” Terlecky said.

Horsky said there are about 170 families adding up to about 250 members. The congregation is preparing for its 100th anniversary in 2011 by addressing repairs and renovations.

The church, organized in 1909 and dedicated in 1911, also has an array of treasures including a massive one-piece marble altar with a relief of the Last Supper and imported stained-glass windows. A towering iconastasis (icon screen) includes 50 icons, which represent sacred and sanctified people.

Three front doors opening into the church symbolize the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

One of the stained-glass windows reflects the church heritage including an American flag with 13 stars for the original colonies, the Ohio state flag and the Statue of Liberty as the symbol of freedom for those coming to a new land.