Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (USA) Held an Annual Lenten Youth Lock-In Retreat
On March 7, 2026, Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, Ohio of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma hosted an annual Lenten Lock-In Retreat for youth. This year’s theme of the spiritual renewal was “The Cross as a Sign of True Fulfillment and Salvation for a Young Person” based on “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” as found in Galatians 6:14 (NRSVCE).
Youth, youth leaders, adult volunteers, and clergy from Ohio and Michigan gathered together for the annual youth Lock-In Retreat of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma under the leadership of its eparch, Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo at the Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH. The theme, based on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians 6:14, was focused on “The Cross as a Sign of True Fulfillment and Salvation for a Young Person.” The retreat was organized by the Eparchial Youth Committee (EYC) under the direction of Fr. Lubomir Zhybak — Director of the EYC, who also serves as the pastor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Youngstown, OH and St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church in Austintown, OH as well as the director of the eparchial office of children, youth, and vulnerable adults protection and a Reserve Chaplain, Captain of the United States Air Force — with Deacon Myron Spak from Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, PA serving as the coordinator of the retreat — both of whom were, unfortunately, unable to attend the event due to certain circumstances. This year’s Lock-In Retreat was led by Very Rev. Dr. Myroslav Dumych, pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Detroit, MI, Dean of the Michigan Deanery, and the Administrator of the Missionary Institute of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago. The youth event provided an opportunity for the youth to pray, reflect, meet others, and take time to focus on their Lenten spiritual journey to Pascha.
The retreat began with the First Hour led by Fr. Bohdan Nasypanyi, assistant pastor of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH. Following the prayer opening, the group was heartily welcomed, followed by an ‘icebreaker’ to help everyone get familiarized with each other.
Under the supervision of Olena Korendii, Iryna Maletska, Michael Levy as well as Michael and Belinda Spak, the youth prepared sandwiches for St. Herman House — FOCUS Cleveland, an Orthodox Christian hospitality house that serves the poor in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland (Ohio), which were afterward delivered to the house.
The event’s keynote speaker, Fr. Myroslav Dumych, offered engaging sessions and presentations that resonated with the youth. He focused on the importance of the cross in his life, in the early immigration of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States, and, ultimately, the importance of the cross in our own spiritual lives.
In between the presentations, the retreatants participated in some fun and exciting team-building games that were supervised and coordinated by the youth leaders and chaperones. In the evening, the attendees prayed Vespers on the eve of the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. Fr. Myroslav Dumych served as the main celebrant with the assistance from Deacon Biagio Oriti from St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH. The responses were sung by Michael Spak and Michael Levy with accompaniment from the youth and the adult attendees.
The youth also had an opportunity to take part in the Holy Mystery of Repentance. Fr. Myroslav Dumych assisted the retreatants in preparing for confession with an examination of conscience.
The youth event concluded on Saturday night with a pizza dinner.
Many helped to make the youth retreat a wonderful, joyful, and uplifting experience. Besides Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo who led the retreat, special thanks go to Fr. Lubomir Zhybak — Director of the Eparchial Youth Committee, Deacon Myron Spak — retreat’s coordinator, Fr. Mykhaylo Drozdovskyy — pastor of the Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH, Fr. Bohdan Nasypanyi — an EYC member and Pokrova Church’s assistant pastor, Subdeacon Taras Vorobets — a member of the Pokrova Church — as well as all the Pokrova Church’s parishioners, Fr. Myroslav Dumych — Lock-In Retreat’s main speaker, who was joined by his wife, Olena and their two children, Fr. Ivan Kozyar, Deacon Biagio Oriti from St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH, Michael Levy — an EYC member and a parishioner of St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church in Parma, OH, Joseph Levy — an EYC member and a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, PA, Michael Spak and his wife, Belinda — both EYC members and parishioners of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, PA as well as the Brothers of the Holy Spirit, Dale Sefcik and David Robert from Ohio. Very special thanks go to Olena Korendii — an EYC member and a parishioner of the Pokrova Church in Parma and her fellow parishioner, Iryna Maletska as well as to everyone else who dedicated time and energy to make the youth retreat happen.
The 2026 Lock-In Retreat was a wonderful and prayerful event whereby everyone present was able to experience our Lord’s love as well as to share it with one another.
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
