On Sunday, September 24, 2023 we joyfully celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Fr. Ivan Turyk’s Ordination to the Holy Priesthood. The Church was packed with well-wishers and Fr. Ivan was joined at the Holy Altar by his longtime friend Fr. Mykola Buryadnyk from St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chicago, IL who offered an outstanding sermon, and Rev. Robert Hitchens, Rector of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington DC, who was the main speaker at the banquet and who read the greeting letter from Fr. Ivan’s ordaining bishop, + Stefan Soroka, Metropolitan-Archbishop Emeritus.
After the Liturgy, the beautiful Anniversary Banquet, followed at the packed hall, with almost four hundred guests. The banquet included a delightful meal prepared by the parish volunteers and very nice program. Following the dinner, the parish children, altar servers, choir “Boyan”, Assumption Catholic School, Sodality girls and Sisters Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará entertained the guests with a beautiful concert. The highlight of the Banquet (and there were many) was Fr. Ivan’s parents Vasyl and Olga Turyk, who arrived from Ukraine, addressing the parish with a special greeting. Looking out on the crowd, you could see the tearful expression on many faces that showed the love and appreciation they have for their son.
Vitaliy Kutnyy, President/CEO from Chicago and representatives of Selfreliance Federal Credit Union’s New Jersey branch office joined the parishioners at the Liturgy and the banquet and presented a check of $5,000 for the Assumption Parish on the occasion of their Pastor’s celebration.
Fr. Ivan then came to the podium and thanked those who organized the event and his brother priests for their continued friendship and priestly fraternity. He continued with humble comments including knowing that even though all parish gathered to celebrate his anniversary, but it is really Jesus the Great High Priest who was honored, for he is the one who called Father to the Holy Priesthood and brought all together.
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