Ukrainian Greek Divine Liturgy

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ChristusVincit

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I went to the Ukrainian Greek Cathedral in London, UK, this evening for their Divine Liturgy, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I really liked the chant - it wasn’t what I was expecting, as I had heard Cappella Romana’s album and other albums. It had these interesting lilting and mournful harmonies that I had never heard before - a cursory look on iTunes seems to link these with the word “strochnoi” but I don’t know what that means.

Basically, I’d love a recording of it so next time I can join in. Does anyone know what it was I was a part of tonight, and a good recording of it?

Also - just comments really: I was confused about communion, and thus didn’t receive. I didn’t know when to go up etc.

After the Liturgy was finished, it seemed to just carry on with the Deacon - was that Vespers (or their equivalent)?
 
I cannot speak for the details of the use of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in London, but the text of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is pretty much the same throughout all Byzantine Churches, Catholic and Orthodox.

I don’t think the Ukrainian recension is on line, but you can find the Melkite one, among others, that might help answer your questions.

melkite.org/Dliturgy.htm

It is the duty of the Deacon to lead the Litanies. The Priest says the prayers–in some places aloud at the end of the Litany, in some places vox mystica during the Litany–and then says the Exclamation out loud at the end.

Communion is distributed when the Deacon (or Priest) comes out with the Chalice and says, “With fear of God, faith, and love draw near.” In most Byzantine Churches, the Holy Gifts are distributed in both Kinds to the people from a golden spoon.
 
ChristusVincit said:
I went to the Ukrainian Greek Cathedral in London, UK, this evening for their Divine Liturgy, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I really liked the chant - it wasn’t what I was expecting, as I had heard Cappella Romana’s album and other albums. It had these interesting lilting and mournful harmonies that I had never heard before - a cursory look on iTunes seems to link these with the word “strochnoi” but I don’t know what that means.

Basically, I’d love a recording of it so next time I can join in. Does anyone know what it was I was a part of tonight, and a good recording of it?

Also - just comments really: I was confused about communion, and thus didn’t receive. I didn’t know when to go up etc.

After the Liturgy was finished, it seemed to just carry on with the Deacon - was that Vespers (or their equivalent)?
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London, did Arsenal win today? I’m Ukrainian Catholic but I am from the colony of Canada. On communion, the Eucharist is given by spoon (bread and wine) orally. Just step in line and approach the priest along with everyone else. I do not know how tall you are in comparison to the priest but you usually just open wide and the priest will nicely rotate the spoon for the Eucharist to fall on your tongue in your mouth. I was always taught not to keep my mouth open after when consuming the Body and Blood. Step either to the left or right following this depending on which way traffic goes to allow the next-in-line up. But still at the front at the side facing the altar, bow and cross yourself facing the Altar (there is probably an iconostas) at the front and then back to your pew.

On music, here is a link to Ukraine’s national Church Hymn sung by a group from Lviv, Ukraine, the heartland of Ukrainian Catholicism. youtube.com/watch?v=Pm58wq5sp0w&feature=related The lyrical translation is slightly off but the words have a patriotic tinge because they were sung here in the diaspora while the Church was still illegal and the nation not free within the confines of the Soviet Union. I remember singing it as a kid and the lyrics being quite poignant because nobody in my family ever thought we would see an independent Ukraine and the downfall of the Empire.

On music for the liturgy I know where you can order a CD in Canada but as for the U.K. I don’t know. Some of the others here might know. I can look, but if you have any other questions, here is the place to ask.

God Bless, Andrew.
 
Here is the Hymn to the Cherubim sung in English at a Ukrainian Catholic Church in my eparchy, St. Elias, which unlike most of the churches in my Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy went right back to old country architecture (no pews) with Father Galadza in charge: youtube.com/watch?v=-w9WafjozWc

Funny thing is I know the lyrics in Ukrainian off by heart but forgot the English. I am not sure if your Liturgy in London was sang in Ukrainian or English?

Here is the same hymn from Ukr. Cath. Church in San Diego:
youtube.com/watch?v=5SdF-x-3KE4&feature=PlayList&p=CFD757C42FB50455&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=22

And just for fun because your post made me actually look for Ukrainian Church songs on the Internet here are two hymns for Ukrainian Easter which I just found posted on the internet for Khrystos Voskres! Voistinu Voskres Christ is Risen! Truly He has Risen!
youtube.com/watch?v=jYAZBMrLRek&NR=1

youtube.com/watch?v=aba9l2zlkfE&feature=related

Sorry couldn’t resist posting because your OP forced me for the first time to actually look this up and I am glad some parishes are posting.
 
Vincit, I checked out the stock of the Ukrainian Bookstore in England online and they don’t show any CDs or music in their catalogue. I am just wondering if the best bet isn’t phoning or asking someone at the Cathedral’s website: cerkva.org.uk//
 
I haven’t done a strong textual comparison, but this Carpatho/Russian Orthodox liturgy is fairly close to the Ukrainian Catholic liturgies I’ve attended.

aggreen.net/liturgics/C-R_Div_Lit.html

This section:
O Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
O Master, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
O Holy One, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
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I’ve only ever seen this done three times, in Slavonic liturgies. The Greek ones seem to only say this once “Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.”

Perhaps some of the other list members could perform a more further analysis, but this Orthodox variant came closest to what I’ve seen.
 
Yes, the Carpetho-Rusyn (not Carpetho-Russian) has that section.
 
Hi everyone,

Cheers for your help. I emailed the cathedral, and they said they have some CDs in their office, so I will check that out.

The Ukrainian anthem thing has those sort of harmonies I was talking about.

It’s weird, because I went to a Latin-rite Mass this morning and it was so different after that!
 
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It’s always sounded like plain old 19th century Romantic harmonies, typical of Theory 101-102 to me.
 
Were you at the cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile? I visited it when I was in London some 3 weeks ago. It was the first time I ever went to a DL. Very beautiful. I admit I understood nothing of what was said except “Gospodi pomilui”. I was amazed at the number of times it was repeated throught the service. I saw something there, though, that I have never seen anywhere else, and have only heard of as a “lost practice”: men sitting on one side of the church, and women on the other. I hope go to another DL, wherever I might find it, when I get the chance.
 
<<I saw something there, though, that I have never seen anywhere else, and have only heard of as a “lost practice”: men sitting on one side of the church, and women on the other.>>

The CIC of 1917 required the sexes to be separated, but it never seemed to have been enforced in the USA.
 
Cluny said:
<<I saw something there, though, that I have never seen anywhere else, and have only heard of as a “lost practice”: men sitting on one side of the church, and women on the other.>>

The CIC of 1917 required the sexes to be separated, but it never seemed to have been enforced in the USA.
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Guess you haven’t been into many churches that were built in the early part of the 20th century.

The men’s side of the church had clips for the men to place their hats on. The women did not. My family parish in Pennsylvania still has the hat clips on the men’s side, although I found out this week that the pews are going to be refurbished so that may go the way of good music also…😉

Guess you have not been to many weddings either as you’re usually asked if you were a gues of the bride or the groom… bride’s guests are seated on the women’s side of the church and the groom’s guests are seated on the men’s side…:eek:
 
Patchunky said:
Guess you haven’t been into many churches that were built in the early part of the 20th century.

The men’s side of the church had clips for the men to place their hats on. The women did not. My family parish in Pennsylvania still has the hat clips on the men’s side, although I found out this week that the pews are going to be refurbished so that may go the way of good music also…😉

Guess you have not been to many weddings either as you’re usually asked if you were a gues of the bride or the groom… bride’s guests are seated on the women’s side of the church and the groom’s guests are seated on the men’s side…:eek:
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The only weddings when I’ve been asked whom I know were Protestant ones.

I was referring to Latin canon law here.
 
Patchunky said:
Guess you haven’t been into many churches that were built in the early part of the 20th century.

The men’s side of the church had clips for the men to place their hats on. The women did not. My family parish in Pennsylvania still has the hat clips on the men’s side, although I found out this week that the pews are going to be refurbished so that may go the way of good music also…😉

Guess you have not been to many weddings either as you’re usually asked if you were a gues of the bride or the groom… bride’s guests are seated on the women’s side of the church and the groom’s guests are seated on the men’s side…:eek:
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Exactly my observation. My family parish in Ohio built in 1915 is the same. Even now, families will go to either side, but singles or groups of a single sex seem to migrate accordingly: ladies on the left, men on the right.🤷
 
Cluny said:
I was referring to Latin canon law here.
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Where my family is from, the Slovak church, Polish church and Italian church all had men’s & women’s sides of the church and they’re Latin Rite Catholics…

Whenever you heard any news about someone and couldn’t quite put a name with a face, you asked where they sat in church… half way up on the women’s side or in the front on the men’s side… made it easy to identify people:thumbsup:
 
Ora_et_Labora said:
Were you at the cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile? I visited it when I was in London some 3 weeks ago. It was the first time I ever went to a DL. Very beautiful. I admit I understood nothing of what was said except “Gospodi pomilui”. I was amazed at the number of times it was repeated throught the service. I saw something there, though, that I have never seen anywhere else, and have only heard of as a “lost practice”: men sitting on one side of the church, and women on the other. I hope go to another DL, wherever I might find it, when I get the chance.
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Yeah that was where I was. I loved how dark it was, there wasn’t much light - very atmospheric and peaceful. Though the men and women weren’t sitting on different sides!

They said they had CDs there but I can’t get down there for weeks, and have no money. Lol.
 
Slava Isusu Christu!!!

Dear CV, KyivAndrew has done an excellent job regailing you with references. One of the beauties of western Ukrainian or Kyivan chant, that which we use most frequently in the UGCC, is that it is easily approachable for Western ears and voices, and the harmonies come quite naturally. I hope you continue to experience and appreciate our Church.
 
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