Our Eastern Catholic Youth

[Peter_J]

That was sort of my point (or at least part of it) earlier. Staroslavenksi (aka Church Slavonic) is not a vernacular (never was, actually), but it is the traditional liturgical language of the Slav Byzantine Churches. And because of what it is, its use is very different from that of the “national language” of any individual group.

I don’t know much about staroslavenski,

As illustrated by the fact that I didn’t realize it was another name for Church Slavonic.

 

[Aramis]

That was sort of my point (or at least part of it) earlier. Staroslavenksi (aka Church Slavonic) is not a vernacular (never was, actually), but it is the traditional liturgical language of the Slav Byzantine Churches. And because of what it is, its use is very different from that of the “national language” of any individual group.

Most of its fans use the exact same arguments the Latin Trads use for Latin. When this is pointed out, the reactions vary.

For non-slavic language speakers, it’s far more of an issue. Much like Spanish and Italian only recently hit the point of people really complaining about the Latin, while English, German, and nordic speakers have been complaining for centuries (at least 5 of them, more in some places) about latin.

To live the faith one must know the faith… but most faithful learn the faith from the liturgy. At least, in the byzantine rite, they do.

 

[pfilipo]

People:

As stated in an earlier post, I am a deacon in the UGCC. Yesterday, at our parish meeting, there was a discussion of 'bi-lingual', Ukrainian / English liturgies, i.e., having one liturgy in the summer of 2014 due to Sunday attendance going down during the summer months. I raised my objections to this mainly because my children and the youth in our Church not being able to understand Ukrainian, including myself. I was forcefully asked at this point, ‘Why did I become a deacon if I could not speak Ukrainian?’ This in many ways illustrates why our youth are leaving Eastern Churches.

To many of our parishioners, it is more important to be Ukrainian, to speak, understand Ukrainian that it is to believe in Christ or in my case, hear the call to serve. Our Churches have become ethnic ghettos where ii is more important to preserve the ethnicity that it is to spread the Word of God. Somewhere, somehow our Eastern Churches have lost the evangelical spirit of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and reverted to talking to an ever aging congregation who are satisfied to hear the language of their homelands. They decry the youth you have ‘forgotten’ their roots and attempt force them to learn a language foreign to the youth rather than praise them for coming to the Church. Sadly Our Church bemoans the loss of our youth but do little to encourage them to stay or come back. 

Every Sunday I pass a newly formed evangelical church. When this church first opened a year ago, I saw few people walking to this church. Last Sunday I noticed a crowd of tens of dozens of people walking to this church with much of this crowd composed of young families and youth. I arrived shortly at my parish where there are not enough children to form a Sunday Catechetical class. Likewise, I have attended Roman Catholic Churches, mainly for sacramental celebrations of the children of my cousins. These RC Churches have many young families and youth and their congregation is composed of many ethnic groups, many ages, young and old, and many colours reflecting the universality of the Church. I look to our UGCC congregation, not only at my parish but at other parishes, and I see mainly a sea of white skin and hair. 

I lament the fate of the UGCC in Eastern Canada. Within a few decades, I fear it will become an Eparchy of a small number of parishes. Already my bishop has closed a number of parishes with many others, including mine, declining rapidly. The UGCC has failed our youth at the altar of Ukraine and is paying the price for it.

 

[Rafkqa]

People:

As stated in an earlier post, I am a deacon in the UGCC. Yesterday, at our parish meeting, there was a discussion of 'bi-lingual', Ukrainian / English liturgies, i.e., having one liturgy in the summer of 2014 due to Sunday attendance going down during the summer months. I raised my objections to this mainly because my children and the youth in our Church not being able to understand Ukrainian, including myself. I was forcefully asked at this point, ‘Why did I become a deacon if I could not speak Ukrainian?’ This in many ways illustrates why our youth are leaving Eastern Churches.

To many of our parishioners, it is more important to be Ukrainian, to speak, understand Ukrainian that it is to believe in Christ or in my case, hear the call to serve. Our Churches have become ethnic ghettos where ii is more important to preserve the ethnicity that it is to spread the Word of God. Somewhere, somehow our Eastern Churches have lost the evangelical spirit of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and reverted to talking to an ever aging congregation who are satisfied to hear the language of their homelands. They decry the youth you have ‘forgotten’ their roots and attempt force them to learn a language foreign to the youth rather than praise them for coming to the Church. Sadly Our Church bemoans the loss of our youth but do little to encourage them to stay or come back. 

Every Sunday I pass a newly formed evangelical church. When this church first opened a year ago, I saw few people walking to this church. Last Sunday I noticed a crowd of tens of dozens of people walking to this church with much of this crowd composed of young families and youth. I arrived shortly at my parish where there are not enough children to form a Sunday Catechetical class. Likewise, I have attended Roman Catholic Churches, mainly for sacramental celebrations of the children of my cousins. These RC Churches have many young families and youth and their congregation is composed of many ethnic groups, many ages, young and old, and many colours reflecting the universality of the Church. I look to our UGCC congregation, not only at my parish but at other parishes, and I see mainly a sea of white skin and hair. 

I lament the fate of the UGCC in Eastern Canada. Within a few decades, I fear it will become an Eparchy of a small number of parishes. Already my bishop has closed a number of parishes with many others, including mine, declining rapidly. The UGCC has failed our youth at the altar of Ukraine and is paying the price for it.

I am so sad to hear that is the situation. It has been our experience that the Parishes that attract the most youth have been those that offer the liturgy in English. Recently a weekday English liturgy was introduced and lots of youth who previously did not attend liturgy on weekday, started attending.

I have also seem the mindset “our youth have to learn Arabic” as well. The reasoning is always so that we do not “lose our ways” (interesting that many of them did not think it important to learn syriac so that they do not lose their ways). While I do not personally have any objection to learning another language and personally I did learn to read and write Arabic - I understand your frustration.

I have to say the biggest thing that has made a difference is vocations for English speaking priests. Priests who can comfortably lead the liturgy comfortably in English. While we have had many good priests who have come from Lebanon who after living in the Australian context have realised that the youth needed the liturgy in English, some of them really strucggled to pick up the language and some just never became comfortable with it (some of the younger ones picked it up and really blossomed). However, it is the priests that grew up here and not only had English as a first language, but also understood the cultural context, who were most equipped to encourage our youth. Of course many of the others still can, but it takes time, patience and an willigness to learn a new language and more importantly understand a new cultural context on their behalf.

So do not be discourged pfilipo, but know that it is ultimately people like you, becoming deacons and priests which will have the most impact on attracting youth and of course lots and lots of prayer and patience

 

[Peter_J]

People:

As stated in an earlier post, I am a deacon in the UGCC. Yesterday, at our parish meeting, there was a discussion of 'bi-lingual', Ukrainian / English liturgies, i.e., having one liturgy in the summer of 2014 due to Sunday attendance going down during the summer months. I raised my objections to this mainly because my children and the youth in our Church not being able to understand Ukrainian, including myself. I was forcefully asked at this point, **‘Why did I become a deacon if I could not speak Ukrainian?’**

Well that last part is disturbing. But to look on the bright side, the fact that they’re open to doing something different is a good sign.