St. Volodymyr Parish Established in the Chicago Eparchy
On March 22, 2025, the parish of St. Volodymyr was officially established at St. Volodymyr’s Church in Santa Clara, California. Parishioners, together with church administrator Fr. Roman Bobesiuk, Fr. Denys Smoliarsky, and Deacon Oleh Zatvarsky, solemnly welcomed Bishop Venedykt Aleksiichuk of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago. They greeted the bishop with bread, salt, and flowers as a sign of respect and spiritual unity.
This was reported by the press service of the Chicago Eparchy.
Before the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Cross was brought out for veneration.
Bishop Venedykt presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, delivering a pastoral message in which he emphasized the importance of valuing time and using it wisely. He reminded the faithful that every Christian has a calling—to draw closer to the Lord and serve others.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, two significant decrees were read. The first, announced by Fr. Denys Smoliarsky, officially recognized St. Volodymyr’s Parish, which had previously functioned as a missionary village. This marked a historic moment, as the parish now holds full status, opening new opportunities for growth and pastoral outreach.
The second decree, read by Fr. Roman Bobesiuk, concerned the transfer of the relics of Blessed Martyr Mykola Charnetskyi to St. Volodymyr’s Parish. From now on, these sacred relics will be permanently housed in the church, offering parishioners a place for prayer and veneration.
The celebration concluded with words of gratitude from Fr. Roman and Bishop Venedykt’s final blessing.
The UGCC Department for Information
