With the blessing of Metropolitan John the
Ukrainian Self-Reliance Association
National Executive invites you to participate in
National Symposium 2009
to be held at St John’s Cultural Centre –Edmonton
on the theme
“Faith and Culture: Gender, Sexuality and Family Life - The Challenge of Living a Holy Life in Today’s World”
WHY A SYMPOSIUM?
Today in North America traditional Christian morality is under violent assault.
Fr. Paul O’Callaghan summarised our situation most succinctly
“Originally, marriage was considered to be lifelong and indissoluble, but now divorce is acceptable and epidemic. Once adultery was considered a grievous sin and act of betrayal; now it’s called “having an affair” or “open marriage”, and is widely tolerated. Once sex outside of marriage was considered to be a sin and a shame; now premarital sex and “living together” are seen as completely normal. Once sex meant a man and a woman; now homosexuality is just a different “sexual preference” and is widely accepted — it’s no more significant than the fact that some people like chocolate ice cream and some like vanilla. Who knows what is next? Only AIDS has slowed the progress of the media drive to investigate and promote acceptance of every kind of “sexual preference” or “lifestyle.”
The faithful of the Orthodox Churches in Canada live in a scoiety that lives and promotes an anti-Orthodox Christian – secular humanist message – worldview . In order to deal effectively with this challenge we need to understand how the secular world view differs from a patristic Orthodox Christian world view and why. Much too often, many of our members are permeated with a non-Orthodox Christian world view without even realizing it. In the absence of a solid grounding in the teachings of the Orthodox Faith on a level capable of challenging secular and differing worldview assumptions and in the absence of an experience of a ‘life in Christ’a large percentage of our faithful lead nominal–superficial Christian lives. In particular, this is so when it comes to our understanding of issues relating to gender, sexuality and family life. The statistics bear this out. Our profile as to divorce rates, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, teen births and pre-marital co-habitation are no different then that of the society at large.
The purpose of this Symposium is to deepen our understanding of the differences between these world views. To do this, as a first step, we need to explore in some depth the Orthodox Christian view on what is a holy life and then go on to systematically explore the points of conflict.
SYMPOSIUM OBJECTIVES
To review, clarify and renew-deepen our understanding of what is a holy life and why are we called to live a holy life by our Orthodox Christian Faith.
In particular we wish to review, clarify and renew-deepen our understanding of how the Orthodox Christian Faith views-understands gender, sexuality and family life.
To clearly understand how and why Orthodox Christian norms and patterns of behavior as they relate to gender, sexuality and family life differ from those of the dominant contemporary North American popular culture.
To challenge our faithful to deepen their commitment to live a holy life as taught by the Orthodox Christian Faith.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM
Friday Evening March 6
6:00 PMRegistration
7:00 – 7:15 Moleben
7:15 – 7:30 Opening Session – Remarks by Symposium 2009 Chairman Yaroslaw Lozowchuk and USRA National President Dr. Tony Harras
7:30 – 9:30Part I: The Teaching
Session 1 – The Basis For What Constitutes a Holy Personal and Family Life
- Theology of the Holy Trinity and of the Incarnation/Mankind
- Purpose of Human Existence and Human Sexuality
- The Role of Images both True and False
- Holy Icons of Oneness
- Cultural Icons of oneness
- Theology of Human Anatomy
Presenter - Fr. Andrew Moore
9:30Reception
Saturday March 7
7:30 – 8:00 AMBreakfast
8:00 – 10:00
Session 2 – How Theology Informs/Transforms the Culture – The redemption of image, language and culture of human sexuality
- Nature of the Priesthood
- Marriage According to Orthodox Theology
- Sexuality Outside of marriage
Presenter – Fr. Andrew Moore
Discussant for Part 1 – Dr. Valerie Karras
10:00 – 11:30 Divine Liturgy
11:30 AM – 1:00 PMPart II: Lessons from the Past
Session 3–The First Christian Centuries – How the Christian Gospel Changed the Pre-Christian Views on and Behavior Relating to Gender, Sexuality and Family Life
Presenter: Dr. Valerie Karras
Discussant: Dr. Roman Yereniuk
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 – 3:15
Session 4–How the Christian Gospel influenced Morality and Life in Kyivan-Rus'
Presenter: Fr. Roman Bozyk
3:15 – 3:45 Nutrition Break
3:45 – 5:00Part III The Challenge of Today
Session 5 – The Current Challenges to Living a Holy Personal and Family Life – The Insights of an Orthodox Psychiatrist
Presenter: Dr. Peter Kondra
5:00 – 7:00 Supper Break
7:00 – 9:00
Session 6 - Panel Discussion – How are the Challenges to Leading a Holy Life Experienced by our Faithful Today? Participants: Andrij Krochak, Gerald Luciuk, Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Mykola Sawchenko and Dr. Sandy Sawchuk,
Moderator: Dr. RomanYereniuk
Sunday March 8
7:30 – 8:00 Breakfast
8:00 – 11:00 Part III - From Lessons To Action
Session 7 - Group Session
Part a - Summarizing the Lessons for Orthodox Personal, Family and Community Life- Local and NationalChurch
Session Leaders: Gerald Luciuk and Emil Yereniuk
Part b - From Lessons to Action – So what do we do now?
Session Leaders: Gerald Luciuk and Emil Yereniuk
Closing Remarks - Dr.Tony Harras, President, National Executive USRA, Departure for home
11:00 – 12:30 Divine Liturgy
12:30 – 1:00 PM Dinner -
BIOSThe Very Rev. Archpriest Roman BOZYK
#117-29 Dysart Rd.
Winnipeg, MB
R3T 2M7
Home: (204) 269-1161
Work: (204) 474-8895
Work Fax: (204) 474-7624
Home Email:
Chaplain:
St. Andrew's College Chapel
(Winnipeg District)
Year and Place of Birth: 1956 - Vita, MB
Spouse: Genia
Education:
1962-70 Primary school — Shevchenko School, Vita, MB
1970-74 Secondary school - Shevchenko School, Vita, MB
1974-79 University of Manitoba — B.A.
1974-79 Bachelor of Divinity — St. Andrew's College
1986 - Master of Divinity - St. Andrew’s College
1990 — College domincain de theologie — M.A. (Th)
Currently Ph. D. – candidate
Ordination:
Diaconate: August 19, 1979 — Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) — St. Michael's Historical Church in Gardenton, MB
Priesthood: August 26, 1979 — Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) — HolyTrinityChurch in Vita, MB
Joined clergy U.O.C.C. (date): August 19, 1979
Awards:
Nabedrenik — 1985 — Archbishop Wasyly
Scuffia — 1987- Metropolitan Wasyly
Kamilavka — 1990 - Metropolitan Wasyly
Golden Cross — 1992 - Metropolitan Wasyly
Archpriest — 1998 — Metropolitan Wasyly
Epigonat / Palytsia — 2001 — - Metropolitan Wasyly
Jeweled Cross – 2007 – Metropolitan John
Pastoral Work:
Toronto, ON (Cathedral of St. Volodymyr) — October 1979 — July 1981
Ottawa, ON (Dormition of the Virgin Mary) — August 1981 — August 1992
St. Andrew's College, Winnipeg, MB—Chaplain, Registrar and Lecturer – August 1992 to Current
Acting Principal of St. Andrew’s College, May 26, 2003 to Current Dean Faculty of Theology, September 1998 to Current
Tompson, MB (St. John the Baptist) till December 1, 2004
Priest-in Charge of St. John’s, Thompson, MB and St. George in Flin Flon, MB –from August 1, 2006 – July 31,2007
Valerie A. Karras
Assistant Professor of Church History
Member of the Perkins faculty since2005
214.768.1400
Education
Ph.D., The Catholic University of America, 2002; Th.D., Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1991; M.T.S., Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 1982; B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, 1979
Teaching Specialties
Patristic (early Christian) theology, Byzantine church history, Orthodox theology
Research Interests
Women in the Byzantine liturgy, gender in Greek patristic thought, Orthodoxy and feminist theology, Orthodoxy in ecumenical and inter-religious contexts, Greek patristic anthropology and soteriology
Selected Publications
“The Liturgical Functions of Consecrated Women in the Byzantine Church,” Theological Studies 66:1 (Spring 2005): 96-116; “A Re-evaluation of Marriage, Celibacy, and Irony in Gregory of Nyssa’s On Virginity,” Journal of Early Christian Studies 13:1 (Spring 2005): 111-121; “Female Deacons in the Byzantine Church,” Church History 73:2 (June 2004): 272-316; “Beyond Justification: An Orthodox Perspective,” in Justification and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement, ed. William G. Rusch (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2003), 99-131; “Eschatology,” in Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology, ed. Susan F. Parsons (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 243-260.
Professional Distinctions
Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies Board, 2002-present; Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research Board of Directors, 1997-2001; North American Academy of Ecumenists Executive Board, 1996-2001; American Academy of Religion, Eastern Orthodox Studies Group Steering Committee, 1993-2000; Byzantine chanter, Greek Orthodox Church
Roman Yereniuk is an educator and former public official in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has been the principal of St. Andrew's College at the University of Manitoba, and was a trustee with the Winnipeg School Board from 1989 to 1995 and again from 1998 to 2006. He has also ran for the Canadian House of Commons on two occasions, as a candidate of the New Democratic Party. Yereniuk is a prominent member of Winnipeg's Ukrainian-Canadian community.
Educator and community leader
Yereniuk started working for St. Andrew's College in 1972, and became its principal in 1988.[1] He no longer holds the latter office, although he continues to serve as an Associate Professor of Theology.[2] He also teaches religion at the Center for Ukrainian Canadian Studies at the University of Manitoba. He has served as president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Winnipeg Branch, and is its national treasurer for the 2004-07 term.[3] He has also been a board member of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and head of the Christian and Heritage Education Committee of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.[4]
Yereniuk has written extensively about the Ukrainian-Canadian community, in such fields as Ukrainians in politics[5] and the Ukrainian Orthodox faith.[6] He has been vice-chairman of the board of Ukrainian Voice newspaper, and helped oversee the release of the video "Headlines: 90 years of the Ukrainian Voice Weekly" in 2001.[7] In 1990, he co-authored a book entitled Moments to Faith: Ukrainian Churches in Manitoba, released by the University of Manitoba Press. He latter issued a video entitled "The Theotokos in the Ukrainian Religious Tradition", studying icons in Ukrainian religious culture.[8]
Yereniuk has also been active in the labour movement, and has served as vice-president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 3909.[9] He was an international observer to the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election and the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[10]
School trustee
Winnipeg's school board has nine trustees, elected in multi-member wards. Yereniuk first sought election to the board's third ward in 1986, but was narrowly defeated for the final position. He tried again in 1989 and won, and was re-elected in 1992. After the election, he caucused with the New Democratic Party group of trustees.[11]
Yereniuk served as a Regional Director of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees in 1993-94.[12] In 1994, he voted against a proposal to teach greater tolerance toward homosexuals in Winnipeg schools.[13] Yereniuk indicated that he believed homosexuality should be addressed in schools "with dignity and sensitivity", but argued that it was the responsibility of the provincial government to bring it into the curriculum.[14] He was narrowly defeated in the 1995 municipal election, losing the final position in Ward Three to Luba Fedorkiw. He later began a court challenge against the election of Mike Babinsky, another successful candidate, on the grounds that he had not fulfilled Winnipeg's residency requirements. He dropped the challenge in May 1996, citing financial strain.[15]
Yereniuk returned to the school board in the 1998 election, as the school board shifted to the left.[16] In 1999, he supported a proposal to rehire the city's truant officers.[17] He later opposed the imposition of province-wide language arts exams for grades six and nine,[18] and in 2001 suggested introducing Ukrainian-language arts courses for grades nine through twelve at a central location in Winnipeg.[19]
He was re-elected in 2002, and supported a controversial pay raise the following year.[20] In 2003, he called for the Winnipeg School Division to become a partner in the proposed Canadian Museum for Human Rights.[21] He later endorsed a complete ban on smoking in the Winnipeg school division.[22]
In 2005, Yereniuk was one of three trustees to vote in favour of introducing major changes to the Winnipeg School Board's system of election.[23] He was defeated in the 2006 election, again losing the third position in Ward Three.
Federal candidate
Yereniuk campaigned for the federal New Democratic Party in the 1997 and 2000 elections, in Winnipeg—St. Paul. On both occasions, he lost to Liberal incumbent Rey Pagtakhan.