UKEMONDE - UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC
UKEM
NDE.COM |
UKEMONDE - UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC
UKEMNDE.COM |
Ukrainian
Canadians celebrate their roots in Montreal
-
Canada to
celebrate
120th anniversary of settlement of Ukrainians
The church services one of five
Ukrainian-Catholic parishes on the island. It's also the oldest, built
in 1917.
Saint Michaels is considered a home-base of the 30,000
Ukrainian Quebecers which is celebrating 120 years in the province.
Many, like Bohdanna Monzczak are grateful for their lives in Canada which offered refuge from Eastern Europe where warring Russians and Germans had brought destruction to their land. Many were imprisoned or killed in the conflict between Communism and Nazism, transforming the fertile lands - known as the breadbasket of Europe - into a war-torn territory.
"Right after the war, this was really paradise and I still think this is paradise," she said. "The church was full of people with a beautiful choir. Everybody was welcoming. We could have freedom and we could have whatever we wanted here," said Monzczak.
Ihor Ostash, the Ambassador of Ukraine, visited the oldest Ukrainian church in Quebec this week as part of a cross-Canada tour of Ukrainian communities. "It's a great opportunity talk about our joint Ukrainian-Canadian history," he said.
The one low point in relations was when 1,200 Ukrainian immigrants were interned during World War I at a camp 600 kilometers north of Montreal. The Canadian government apologized for the internment.
But that has been long forgiven
and the current events are looking at appreciating local Ukrainian
roots.
"The goal of this celebration is to renew
our spirituality and especially to search our roots here," said Ihor
Oshchipko, reverend at the church.
| UKEMNDE.COM |
 |
This
Page is
dedicated in memory of my father, Wolodymyr Golash |