Brent Kostyniuk

by Brent Kostyniuk Those who are old enough will remember the Baltimore Catechism. We spent religion class after religion class memorizing the commandments, the prayers, and those concise statements which defined our relationship with God. At the time, that Catechism, more than anything, seemed to encapsulate the Catholic faith. However, as importance as it was, the Catechism did not address the spiritual needs of Eastern Catholics. While reliance might today seem to have been over emphasized, the need for a catechism, in whatever form it takes, is essential to any religion. In that light, publication of the Catechism of the…

by Brent Kostyniuk Although the Catholic Church consists of 23 separate or sui iuris Churches, over 98 per cent of her members belong to the Latin, or Roman, Church. The remainder belong to the 22 Eastern Churches, which include Coptic, Maronite, and Ukrainian Catholics among others, Put another way, of the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, only 16 million are of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Inevitably, as in any family, conflicts do arise when dealing with each other. Recently, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter intended to bring a little more harmony into this family. The Apostolic Letter De Concordia Inter…

by Brent Kostyniuk Thank goodness they still exist. Many decades ago, parish operated summer camps were a common feature on the prairies, however few remain. A remarkable exception is Camp St. Basil located about 45 miles south west of Edmonton near Mulhurst Bay on Pigeon Lake. The spark for Camp St. Basil came in 1950 when it was decided an overnight camp in the country would provide a highly desirable opportunity to educate Ukrainian Catholic youth in the Catholic faith and Ukrainian culture. It would have greater impact on them than the summer day camps for boys and girls operating…

by Brent Kostyniuk In the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the months of May and October are set aside for special devotion to the Mother of God. Commonly, this devotion takes the form of a Moleben, or prayer service, dedicated to her. Patterned after the Divine Liturgy, it includes general petitions, a Gospel reading specifically about Mary, direct petitions to her, and hymns in her honour. Gracious Lady, you pray for all those who with faith take refuge in your powerful protection. We sinners ever in misery and affliction have no other recourse to God than you. We are burdened by many…

by Brent Kostyniuk Whenever I look at this photograph of my grandparents, I want to ask them what they are thinking. What drove you and your family to leave your home and travel to an unknown country, with a foreign language you had never even heard spoken before? Was it the tyranny? Was it the poverty? Or was it more? What are your dreams? What trials have you overcome to get this far? There are just so many things I would like to know. There is, however, one thing I do know. I owe a great debt to my gido…