News

The month of June is an exciting time for all graduates. Some will complete their studies and will begin fulfilling their anticipated dreams in life. Others will celebrate their graduation from one level of education to yet another.

Ensure that your graduation celebration will involve expressing gratitude to God. It is His Grace in your life which enables you to have the spiritual strength to complete your studies, and to move on. Celebrate with God by giving Him thanks and praise in His holy Church.

Give thanks to the many that have been instruments in your education. Many teachers, administrators and support staff steadfastly guided and instructed you, motivated by their desire for you to reach your best. Parents, extended family and close friends offered much needed support and encouragement. Their love, offered with much hope and patience, enabled your maturing in the process of achieving your educational goals. You did not journey alone. Be thankful for that gift.

Be proud of your part in your achievements. Recognize your gifts and the self-motivation it took to reach success. Build on newly acquired self-confidence to pursue your new dreams in life. Go for broke with your personality to achieve that which you see as important in your life’s ambition.

Know that your new journeys are not meant to be traveled alone. Your loved ones and friends will support you. You will enjoy the challenge and excitement of new fellow travelers in your journeys. Be assured of God’s presence with you to gently guide you in His ways, in the pursuit of His abundant life promised to all who love and serve Him. And, our Blessed Mother will always be present to listen with patience, and to offer comfort and guidance when needed.

My heartfelt congratulations to all the new graduates of 2013. God bless you richly in ways only He can as you pursue your dreams.

Written by Miss Anna Lawrence

As a young student of Ukrainian folk dance on the east coast of the United States, you grow up with one dream: to someday dance at the Saint George's Ukrainian Festival in New York City.  The event, sometimes called 7th Street (for the street the church sits on), is a weekend long event held the second to last weekend in May.  Dance groups from across the tri-state area perform, including the professional dance group that calls NYC home, Syzokryli.  Musical acts from both the United States and Ukraine also perform.  Heavenly varenyky (pierogies to some) made by volunteers from the church are available to eat all weekend.  Vendors sell various Ukrainian products, from traditional necklaces called gerdany, to beautiful embroidered shirts, to the latest CD releases from Ukraine and across the international Ukrainian community.  It is the biggest festival in the NY metropolitan area, attended by thousands.  It is an exciting event, and a goal that many work towards the entire year.  This year, our oldest group of Assumption Catholic dancers were invited to attend, and realized that dream of dancing on one of the most famous festival stages in the Ukrainian community.

Dancers (and their entourages of moms, dads, and siblings) arrived early, some taking mass transit, others choosing to brave NYC traffic and parking.  As students assembled, girls got their hair braided (a must!), makeup applied, and then one final run through with their teacher, Yarko Dobriansky.  Then it was time to get into costume, pose for a few pictures, and then wait excitedly for the performance to begin.  There was some snacking on great Ukrainian food, while others chose to wait until after the performance.

At the start of the show, Pan Yarko, as some of the students call him, led the group to the very front of the audience area to wait and watch the other dance groups ahead of them.  Some of the students were nervous, some were excited; some were both.  This was it!  Finally, they were led onto the waiting area, and they got to watch the group ahead of them from a perspective that few get to see – from the "wings" of the stage.  The stage is set up outside, with the waiting area actually the front steps of Saint George's Ukrainian Catholic Church itself.  Finally – it was their turn.  The students took to the stage and gave it their all.  With arms outstretched and smiles on their faces, the children danced for the hundreds of spectators standing in the streets.  They concluded their dance to thunderous applause and wild screams of encouragement from the crowd, which included not just supportive moms and dads, but parishoners, friends, and absolute strangers.  They were a hit.

Afterwards they headed back to the school cafeteria where they had spent all morning, a crowded busy hall filled to the brim with other dance groups.  They could finally relax, change back into their regular clothes (more than a few showed ACS pride and wore their class shirts or gym shirts), enjoyed the festival for a bit more, and headed home.

It is a dream that is dreamed by many, but only realized by a few, and this year, our oldest dance group, Richka, got to enjoy this very special day.

On Friday afternoon, the Moleben to the Mother of God was celebrated  in church  and was attended by all students of ACS. A moleben is an intercessory service conducted by a priest, asking our Saviour, the Mother of God, or one of the saints for assistance with a specific matter (illness, family difficulties, employment, good health, success at school, travel, etc.). After Moleben, the Sodality Girls presented flowers to the icon of Blessed Mary.

Petitions to the Virgin Mary – from Moleben to Mary
Rejoice, Most Holy Virgin Mary, ever merciful Mother of God, and save all those who placetheir trust in you.
(Response after each petition)
People: O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mother of Christ our God, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mother of Eternal Love and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mother of God’s grace, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Virgin more honourable than the Cherubim, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Virgin, more glorious than the Seraphim and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary, untainted Dove, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary, fragrant Flower of incorruption, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary, Canopy more boundless than the heavens, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary, our Intercessor before the just Judge, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary Comfort to those in sorrow, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Refuge of sinners, and save all those who place their trust in you.
O most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Rejoice, Mary Advocate who did not abandon us after your Dormition, and save all those who place their trust in you.

When Aidialys “Ady” Roman’s brother battled cancer a few years she saw how tough the disease can be on kids.

She saw her brother develop a fever and become unable to get up during intensive rounds of chemotherapy. She saw him celebrate his birthday and New Year’s as a patient at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. “I was really bad,” said David Roman, 13, Ady’s brother. “It brought our family closer together and closer to God,” said Ady, 11, a fifth-grade student at Assumption Catholic School in Perth Amboy where her brother is in sixth grade.

When Ady saw girls in the hospital who had no hair from chemotherapy treatments, she wanted to do something to help other children with cancer.
Friday, she did. With her brother, who now is healthy, by her side, Ady stood on the school auditorium stage in front of her fellow students while her mother, Frances Roman, cut her yard long dark hair to donate to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to needy children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

The students clapped when the scissors finally cut through the last few strands of her thick hair. Roman said the long pony tail she cut from her daughter’s head will be trimmed to a 6-inch section that will be mailed to Locks of Love. “I thought she would not comprehend what was going on (when her brother was sick), but she did,” Roman said. “She gave of herself to help someone else,” Principal Michael Szpyhulsky said. “It’s one of the things we want to impress on youth today. It doesn’t hurt for you to help out.”

The hair-cutting/social responsibility demonstration was organized by fourth-grade teacher Lynda Rizkallah, who had been Ady’s second-grade teacher during the year her brother was sick. Roman said Rizkallah was helpful in offering her daughter support at a time when the family was devoting most of their time and efforts into helping David get better. Ady considers Rizkallah to be a family friend, in addition to her former teacher.

David was 9 when he began experiencing severe abdominal pains. Doctors determined he had Burkitt’s lymphoma, a condition in which white cells can’t fight infection, Roman said. “There is nothing worse than going through this with your kids,” said Roman, a former Perth Amboy resident who now lives in Rahway. “It changes your life.”

Although the family tried to mask the seriousness of the disease so David would continue fighting it, Ady figured out her brother had cancer after seeing the children in the hospital rooms next to her brother with no hair and being treated for cancer. “She figured it out,” said Roman, adding that her daughter said she felt bad for the children with no hair. She said Ady’s perceptions were further realized when she saw her brother lose his hair. “She felt sad and knew he had cancer,” Roman said. It was while her brother was sick that Ady told her mother she wanted to let her hair grow and donate it to children suffering hair loss from cancer. “I think it’s real good she’s doing this so somebody can just have hair instead of no hair,” said David, who has checkups every four months and an annual CAT scan but takes no medication.

Ady, who had her last haircut when she was about 5, said her hair has always been long. But she’s happy to have it shorter for the summer and the upcoming school dance when she will have curls in her hair. But then she will resume growing her hair. “I want to donate more hair,” said Ady, adding that next time she wants to grow her hair even longer.
 
Here is the link and video to the newspaper article about Ady donating her hair.

Reprinted from www.mycentraljersey.com
Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@njpressmedia.com

Assumption Catholic Church located at 684 Alta Vista Pl, Perth Amboy, NJ will hold a Ukrainian Cultural Festival in our parish on Saturday, June 22nd , 2013 from 12 noon until 8 p.m., featuring church and school tours, live entertainment, dancing, family activities, vendors, traditional Ukrainian food/drink, ruffles and more. Ukrainian dancers will perform at 2:30 p.m. inside the hall. Fun for all ages. No admission. For vendors and more information call 732-826-0767 or visit us at www. assumptioncatholicchurch.net
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Regards,
Fr. Ivan Turyk – Pastor

There were flowers, flowers everywhere.  The ACS Garden Club had its annual Mother’s Day flower sale last Friday.   Eighth grade students wrapped the flowers in tissue paper for the students that purchased flowers.  It was a huge success, thanks to all who bought flowers for their mothers.

May Christ’s life and love fill you today and every time you receive him in Holy Communion.
Congratulations to: Joshua Paul Manuel Bouchard, Alexander Nicholas Brandafi, Natalie Ann Daly, Gabriel Johan Gomez, Victoria Gomez, Laura Anne Grausam, Diana Maria Kalynyak, Brody Joseph Kist, Nathaniel Michael Perez, Jada Rodriguez, Destiny Marie Saez, Adrian Rainer Anatole Wowk, Andrew James Zulin. Our special thank you goes to Mrs. Khouzam ( 2nd grade teacher) and Sr. Yosaphata , MSMG for preparing children for their special day. Please view more pictures on our school site.

Over the Easter recess there was a tragic fire in Perth Amboy, NJ involving about six homes three blocks from our school. It turns out that one of the families that lost their home and belongings was a family whose two children graduated from our school. Our Sodality girls had just completed their fundraising efforts for a deserving cause. When the girls (under the direction of Mrs. Lawrence) heard that there was a connection to our school, they decided to donate the money they raised. So, with the help of other alumni, a meeting was arranged. On Monday of this week, the Sodality and Mrs. Lawrence presented $500 to the family. Although this amount cannot bring back everything that was lost in the fire, the Sodality girls hope that it can somehow ease the pain this family is suffering through. What a wonderful gesture on the part of the Sodality girls!

The Class of 2013 recently put their science lessons to the test with an experiment of their own. After learning about the role of heredity and physical traits they designed a lab activity in which they tested themselves and other students for color- blindness.
 
Students first researched the kind of test that is given for this trait. Next, they either designed their own model for testing or used one that they found on a reliable web site. Participating students then were asked to tell what they thought they saw on the paper. This information became part of seventh grade’s data which helped to determine if there might be any students here at ACS that might be color-blind.
 
In the discussion at the end of the lab, students concluded that most likely there are no color- blind students in the upper grades. They finished up the lab by writing down their findings and handing in their lab report for a grade.

On a recent afternoon, the eighth grade class waited patiently for Father Ivan to arrive at their classroom.  He was coming to discuss their progress in their religion lessons. They were ready, yet a little nervous. Once Father Ivan asked the first question, everyone relaxed and the class showed Father how well they knew their faith lessons.

Upon finishing their religion discussion, Father Ivan announced that he was going to give the class a test. This time it was about social studies. The class then took a sample test as if they were going to become a citizen of the United States. Then Father Ivan shared his personal journey to become a United States citizen. The class was surprised on how much you need to know and how long the journey takes. At the end of the day, the Class of 2013 went home with the memory of a great afternoon spent with our pastor, Father Ivan.