Holodomor Commemoration Held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the Ukrainian-American community gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to solemnly commemorate the 1932–1933 Holodomor, Stalin’s genocidal famine against the Ukrainian people. The event united survivors, clergy, and officials in prayer and reflection.
The requiem service, led by bishops from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOC-USA) and accompanied by the Ukrainian Chorus “Dumka” of New York, included members of the Ukrainian diaspora, children and youth, Ukrainian defenders receiving treatment in the U. S., diplomats, and American officials.
Among the attendees was Holodomor survivor Nadia Severyn.
Leading the ecumenical prayer were Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia; Bishop Paul Chomnycky, Eparch of Stamford; Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma; Bishop Ken Nowakowski, Eparch of the Holy Family in London; Bishop Stepan Sus, Curial Bishop of the UGCC and Head of the Pastoral-Migration Department of the UGCC; Metropolitan Antony Scharba, Primate of the UOC-USA; and Archbishop Daniel Zelinskyy, Head of the Consistory of the UOC-USA.
Metropolitan Antony noted that such a prayer has been held in the cathedral for the 37th time and thanked the Cardinals of New York for their hospitality and support.
In his remarks, Metropolitan Gudziak linked the past genocide to Ukraine’s current struggles:
“Ninety-one years ago, on the world’s most fertile land, millions were forced to die of hunger. Today, we commemorate that genocide, the Holodomor, as a new genocidal war is being perpetrated against Ukraine and its people. We honor the victims of the Holodomor and those who are suffering from the present aggression”
“We come together as people of different confessions, backgrounds, and languages to express our faith in God’s providence. God’s truth will prevail. We thank God for the miraculous resilience of our country standing like David against Goliath. We come together to pray because we have faith in God’s love.
Metropolitan Gudziak expressed gratitude to the American people and their leaders for steadfast support: “We thank all Americans—the people who pray, the journalists who advocate, and the politicians who cast their votes to aid Ukraine.”
He also extended special thanks to Cardinal Timothy Dolan for hosting the annual commemoration. Archbishop called people to unity stating, “When we are together, we are resilient”.
Reflecting on the Holodomor’s ongoing significance, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya also drew a parallel between past and present:
“As we reflect on this tragedy, we recognize chilling parallels between history and the present. The Holodomor and the current aggression against Ukraine share the same origin—the Kremlin. Moscow, Russia… And starvation remains a weapon for them. This time — a weapon used not only against Ukraine, but against the most vulnerable nations around the world…”
Kyslytsya highlighted Russia’s attempts to weaponize food by attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure and grain storage facilities, aiming to cripple Ukraine’s agricultural exports. He added, “Putin would like to see Ukraine brought to its knees. Instead, Ukraine unites other nations to address the global threat of starvation. What a powerful example of Russia’s failure to subjugate Ukraine!”
The service served as both a memorial and a call to action. As Kyslytsya noted, “We project our today’s commemoration to the future. Ukraine fights today and it is not only a fight for its existence but for the enduring principle that no people should ever again face the horrors of genocide.”
Archbishop Borys finished with a prayer “Today, we pray for those of the past and for those suffering in the present so that there will be a future. Our hope remains strong. Let our prayer be fervent, and may our fellowship and communion be the source of our strength”.
ukrcatholic.org
