New York, NY (UCCA) – On Saturday, November 16, 2002, during a wind-swept rain that befell the eastern seaboard, the Ukrainian community of the greater New York Metropolitan area came out in the thousands to partake in a requiem service and program at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Sponsored by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, hierarchy and clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches concelebrated a traditional Ukrainian requiem service (panakhyda) for the repose of the victims’ souls of the 1932-1933 Ukrainian Famine-Genocide.

Patriarch Husar at St Patrick's Cathedral

H.E. Hryshchenko spoke of the sorrowful memories that many still recall on this day of remembrance: "We know that the tragedy of the Great Famine-Holodomor and the tragedy of the Holocaust are but manifestations of the same evil – genocide, committed against peoples by totalitarian regimes whatever name it had – communism or Nazism."

The "Dumka" Choir of New York, under the direction of Mr. Vasyl Hrechensky, sang the responses to the Requiem. Prior to the religious service, His Eminence Cardinal Egan of the New York Roman Catholic Diocese welcomed the congregation to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Bishop Losten

 He asked that those present reflect upon the horrors of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, which "should never be forgotten, but to the contrary, must be told to the world."

Also expressing his sentiments, His Excellency Bishop Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Church stated, "We pray that the evil done by men to them (the victims of the Famine-Genocide) has been converted into good by our Almighty Creator who, in His time, has allowed their story to be publicly acknowledged through the dissolution of atheistic communism and the access to its secret archives.

Following the completion of the religious service, Michael Sawkiw, Jr., president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), quoted both "The Black Book of Communism" and Webster’s dictionary to define the tragic aspects of the 1932-1933 Ukrainian Famine-Genocide.

M. Sawkiw

"Mankind has often known famine in all parts of the world brought about by prolonged wars, droughts floods, or other cataclysms," stated Mr. Sawkiw, "but never and nowhere have any people suffered so devastating a famine as that inflicted by a special Soviet government policy upon the Ukrainian people in 1932-1933. The word, as described by Webster’s dictionary, is simple ‘genocide – the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.’" .

To introduce the main speaker, Mr. Sawkiw invited His Excellency Bishop Basil Losten to the podium to present His Beatitude Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. His Eminence portrayed a surreal picture of the unspeakable atrocity one can only imagine during the height of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. "Death was unavoidable, yet the Ukrainian nation always held out hope and love for their country," exclaimed His Eminence Husar. The ten-minute remarks were followed by brief comments from the Honorable Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. In his address, H.E. Hryshchenko spoke of the sorrowful memories that many still recall on this day of remembrance: "We know that the tragedy of the Great Famine-Holodomor and the tragedy of the Holocaust are but manifestations of the same evil – genocide, committed against peoples by totalitarian regimes whatever name it had – communism or Nazism."

In preparation for the Famine-Genocide observance, the UCCA office received various statements from Members of Congress, governors, and city mayors in remembrance of the victims of the Ukrainian genocide. 

The list included: the Honorable Sander Levin (D-MI); the Honorable Marcy Kaptur (D-OH); the Honorable George Pataki (R-NY), Governor of the State of New York; and, the Honorable Anthony Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia. While acknowledging those greetings, Mr. Sawkiw read aloud a statement from President George Bush on behalf of the 69^th observance of the Ukrainian Famine-GenocideAlso representing the Ukrainian government, H.E. Valeriy Kuchinsky, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, spoke of the need to recognize the Ukrainian Famine as a genocide by the international community of nations. In his comments, Amb. Kuchinsky stated that, "In a recent address to the UN General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Zlenko called the Great Famine ‘a brutal act of genocide’ by Stalin’s regime." The ambassador also expressed the Ukrainian government’s support for the building of a Ukrainian Famine-Genocide Memorial in Washington, DC.

Concluding the program, His Excellency Archbishop Anthony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presented a chilling personal account of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide through the eyes and stories of survivors he encountered during a recent trip to Ukraine dedicated to the 69^th anniversary of the Famine. The Archbishop’s emotional comments resonated throughout St. Patrick’s Cathedral as they depicted the true horror and sacrifice the Ukrainian nation endured during the years of the Famine-Genocide. "Let us never forget their (the victims’) lives were lost for our salvation," stated Archbishop Anthony, "and therefore, let us never forget their eternal memory." The "Dumka" choir concluded the religious and secular program with the singing of "God Eternal and Great!".

Following the program, a press conference was held at the headquarters of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to formally announce the commencement of the building of a monument in Washington, DC to the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide.

Patriarch Husar Speaks at the Press Conference