For the 80th time, descendants of Eastern European immigrants will gather to celebrate their faith and heritage at Ukrainian Seminary Day.
The annual event will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at St. Nicholas Picnic Grove, Route 901, Primrose. Seminary Day is sponsored by the South Anthracite Deanery of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, which is comprised of 12 parishes in Schuylkill, Luzerne, Columbia and Northumberland counties. Admission and parking are free.
Proceeds from the event benefit the St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Seminary Day, which is considered a coming home event for descendants of Ukrainian immigrants, brings culture and heritage alive through entertainment and food.
The event will kick off with hierarchical divine liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka and clergy of the deanery. Other scheduled activities include 11:30 a.m., live polka broadcast by WPPA 1360 AM; 1:15 p.m., St. Nicholas School student chorus, Minersville; 1:30 p.m., Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble; 3 p.m., Patronage BVM Women’s Junior Choir, McAdoo; 4 p.m., John Stevens Doubleshot polka band.
The event will also feature crafters and vendors selling Eastern European items, pysanky demonstrations and classes, theme basket auctions and games for the family.
Members of the parishes make the food for Seminary Day, including ethnic favorites such as pierogies, halushki, halupki, kielbasa and bleenies. Traditional picnic fare, such as hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage and peppers, will also be available.
The Rev. Roman Pitula, pastor of St. Michael and St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic churches in Frackville and Maizeville, said the event is great because it brings together the community and the parishes. He said the event is possible because of the “generous” work put in by the members of the local parishes.
After 80 years, Pitula said, he hopes Seminary Day can continue for another eight decades.
“Only God knows. We really hope it can go on next year and the year after,” he said.
Ukrainian Seminary Day began in 1934 in Lakewood Park, Barnesville, where it was held through its 50th anniversary in 1983. It is traditionally held on the last Sunday of July.
According to a history of the event provided by Michelle Teevan, parishioner at Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Mount Carmel, large numbers of Eastern European immigrants came to America in the 1870s in pursuit of the American dream. Many of the people from western Ukraine and eastern Poland settled in Schuylkill County and northeast Pennsylvania to work in anthracite coal mines. A priest arrived in 1884 and blessed their first church in Shenandoah.
In addition to being the 80th year of Ukrainian Seminary Day, 2014 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Cum Episcopo, a document enabling hierarchs of Ukrainian Catholic and Byzantine Catholic churches to shepherd their faithful in the U.S., according to the event’s history.
In 1924, Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky was named bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Philadelphia. Shortly after assuming his duties, he recognized the need for a seminary. In 1933, Bohachevsky requested the deaneries of the then-Philadelphia Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy to gather in the summer for social and fundraising events, according to the event’s history.
The Shamokin Deanery held the first Ukrainian Day in Lakewood Park, with funds raised used to help establish the first Ukrainian Catholic College Seminary.
“The annual Ukrainian Seminary Day, held on the last Sunday of July, helped the effort of the entire Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States to continue its realization of having a major theological seminary in the United States, so that seminarians would no longer be sent to Europe for studies. And from that first Ukrainian Day in 1933, the tradition continued throughout the decades,” according to the event’s history.
Lakewood Park closed in 1984, jeopardizing Ukrainian Day’s future. In 1985, the event was revived by the South Anthracite Deanery Holy Name Society and clergy. The event was renamed to Ukrainian Seminary Day and moved to St. Nicholas Picnic Grove,” according to the event’s history.
For more information about Ukrainian Seminary Day, visit the event’s website at www.seminaryday.org.