Baskets Blessed

In a Ukrainian church on George Street, where ​“you pray with your whole body,” 100 families celebrated Easter in a tradition unlike any other in New Haven.

In a city rich in ethnic and religious traditions, Catholics of Ukrainian heritage who celebrate the eastern or Byzantine rite may not be among the best known. However, the Lodynskys (pictured) and the more than 100 other families who for generations have been associated with St. Michael the Archangel Church on George Street near Day, gathered there on Saturday for one of the most beloved and important ceremonies of their Easter season: the priestly blessings of the baskets of babka, kielbasa, fruit, cheese, horse radish, and, of course, hardboiled eggs, both painted and not.

Originally established in 1909, St. Michael’s is presided over by Fathers Iura Godenciuc (on the left) and Albert Forlano, who explained the significance of the basket’s contents.

“This feast, represented by the basket, is the most important in the Christian calendar. Although not everyone strictly observes the fast of Lent,” said Father Forlano, ​“the meat and the cheese represent items we refrain from during the forty days leading to Easter tomorrow. The egg of course is spring and rebirth. The children learn these things. You see the way the Lodynskys bring all their generations together, and they set up that little altar in front of the basket. In Ukrainian that sign reads Christ is risen. Family, generations, and church come together. We bless the food, and it is taken home, where it remains until after people return from Easter mass tomorrow. Then Christ is risen, and we celebrate renewal of life.”

p(clear). Nicholas and Stefania Kolos (shown here with St. Michael’s official Steve Ciukenda, on the right) were proud of their basket. And well they should be. ​“I went to the Ukrainian school here,” said Stefania, ​“and this is the 45th basket I have brought.”

p(clear). ​“In the old days, in Ukraine,” added Ciukenda, ​“people used to line up on the streets of Kiev and all the towns on Easter morning, and the priest would walk up and down blessing the baskets. When Ukrainians came to New Haven, they continued the traditions. It’s a nod to modernity and to convenience and being in America that we do this on Saturday at St. Michael’s.”

p(clear). Although there are some 240 families who are members of St. Michael’s (there’s another Ukrainian church on Fowler Street, but it’s an Orthodox Christian church; that is, it does not recognize the pope, as does St. Michael’s), the church’s heyday was in the 1950s when it swelled with 700 families. Many of those families included people displaced during World War Two and brought to New Haven.

p(clear). In addition to peak moments such as the blessing of the baskets, the heritage and language are kept alive in daily services that mix Ukrainian with English, and also through a Ukrainian Heritage Center, in a separate building adjacent to the church.

p(clear). Here, in a kind of mini-museum with an extensive collection of decorated eggs, period costumes, poems and images of Taras Shevchenko—the 18th century writer who is the poet laureate of Ukraine, and also has a highway named after him near New Britain— Luba Dubno stood with a mannequin, wearing vintage clothes from the old country representing Princess Olha. The princess is credited with bringing Christianity to Ukraine from Greece in the year 800; 88 years later, the country officially converted to Christianity. Dubno, who has just retired from 35 years of teaching ESL in the New Haven public schools, teaches theology, Ukrainian culture, and the rites of the Byzantine church to the 39 nine kids who are enrolled at St. Michael’s religious school, held every Saturday morning. In general, however, the congregation is graying.

p(clear). ​“There of course used to be more children in the school,” she said. ​“But you know how it is for all groups. The kids grow up, they move away.” There are ten Ukrainian Catholic parishes in Connecticut, Father Iura (sounds like Jerry) said, ​“with 12 churches. The bigger ones are in Ansonia, and Hartford, where we have our bishop. You should understand,” he added, ​“that our dogma is the same as any Catholic church. Our service is different. In the language, of course, but we also have no organ, no instruments, only the sound of the human voice, in chorus or a cappela. And no statues.”

p(clear). Instead of statues of Jesus, there are images prominently displayed, icons, on a long panel called an iconostasis. Before she went in for the blessing over her basket, this woman knelt and kissed what Steve Ciukenda described as a facsimile of the tomb of Jesus. ​“We built this on Holy Thursday,” he explained, ​“and at that time as you saw we darkened the church too. It’s somber. Christ is crucified and he has not risen yet, not until tomorrow, Easter morning. Tomorrow, the tomb will be taken away, as people in church tomorrow walk symbolically three times around the church. Then we open the iconostasis, the doors are open wide and light fills the church, in the culmination of Easter.”

p(clear). The social hall, where the blessing took place, was, as Fathers Iura and Forlano passed, redolent with sweet-smelling incense, and calls back and forth in Ukrainian: ​“Christovos Chres,” or ​“Christ is risen.” And then those to whom this is said, reply in confirmation Vioestonos Voscres,” or ​“Indeed he has risen.” 

p(clear). ​“No one,” said Father Forlano, ​“celebrates Easter like the Ukrainians.”

p(clear). And you don’t even have to be Ukrainian. This young family, the Dunkins (Samantha and her two sons (left to right) Anthony and Becket, with another child on the way) come in regularly for services, and they’re Scottish. Why come to St. Michael’s from Branford? They said they loved the incense and the general sumptuousness of the rite. ​“You pray with your whole body, and also,” added Samantha Dunkin’s husband (not pictured), ​“there’s a doctrinal clarity about this church, the emphasis on the holy trinity that speaks to me. And they are so welcoming.”

p(clear). It was young Anthony’s second season carrying his basket to Father Iura. Many more are sure to follow. For information about services, programs, or to arrange a visit to the Ukrainian Heritage Center, the contact is Father Iura Godenciuc at 626‑5722.