Saint Michael’s parish in Jenkintown hosted UCU fundraiser

Among the guests there was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova. She noted that for her this was not just a protocol event, but an opportunity to continue the tradition of supporting UCU. “My family and I did not miss a single UCU event in Lviv or Kyiv. Now, when such a first event takes place here in America, of course, I could not miss it, not only as an Ambassador to the United States, but also as a longtime member of UCU’s circle of friends, “said the Ambassador. Before visiting Perelaz, Mrs. Markarova and her family visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia and met with Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.

Metropolitan Gudziak thanked all the donors of the evening, and noted that the circle of friends of UCU is a network. “Philadelphia is one of 20 cities with UCU-supporting committees. This network of support and love, I am convinced, will further transform the university community,” he said. He stressed that supporting UCU also helps the church in the diaspora, as for example, most of  the priests he invited to serve in the Archeparchy are the graduates of UCU and the Lviv Holy Spirit Seminary.

UCU Vice-Rector Myroslav Marynovych, in turn, thanked the global community of Ukrainians for giving UCU its leaders. “Without Bishop Borys Gudziak, a graduate of Syracuse and Harvard, a Ukrainian from Belgium, Fr. Mykhailo Dymyd, and a number of other diaspora Ukrainians, UCU would be a faceless university, unable to overcome the genetic flaws of communist education. In turn, UCU has united around itself those Ukrainians who were suffocating in the musty atmosphere of the “Soviet legacy”. They found in UCU a place for creativity and inspired work.”

An integral part of Perelaz traditionally is a charity art auction. Philadelphia was no exception – guests had to compete for 14 lots, including icons and graphics of famous Ukrainian artists, necklaces, and artisanal Christmas decorations.

The musical atmosphere for the evening was created by Viktor Morozov.  A special surprise for the guests was an ethno-disco DJed by Oleh Skrypka.

Although this is the first time Perelaz has been held in Philadelphia, it is a long-standing tradition for UCU. Last June, the 14th folk ball was held in Lviv. To convey the atmosphere, not only UCU Vice-Rector Myroslav Marynovych came to Philadelphia, but also more than 40 Ukrainian entrepreneurs, old friends and donors of UCU.