UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA
CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRESS RELEASE

Parma’s Ukrainian Community Celebrates Ukrainian Independence Day!

On Saturday, August 25th – a bright and sunny day - the Ukrainian community in Parma, Ohio celebrated the 21st anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence with a parade down State Road, through the heart of Ukrainian Village, as designated by the City of Parma.

Promptly at 11:00 a.m., the parade began, led by Parma Police officers and Ukrainian American veterans carrying the flags of the United States and Ukraine.  This was followed by representatives from various Ukrainian organizations, city officials, parishes, schools and businesses.  Five high school bands, representing the various schools in Parma, added to the pageantry for spectators along the ¾ mile parade route.

St. Vladimir Cathedral was represented by the clergy, altar boys, men carrying the processional banners, the Ukrainian Orthodox League and students and teachers from the Taras Shevchenko School of Ukrainian Studies.

It was uplifting to hear the church bells ringing and to watch the parishioners who were unable to participate in the parade cheer and clap and they watched from in front of the Cathedral.

The parade ended at Ukrainian Heritage Park with the blessing of the flags of the United States and Ukraine.  The blessing ceremony was conducted by Bishop John Bura of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Rev. Michael Hontaruk from St. Vladimir Cathedral.

Both the flags and 2 - 20 foot high flagpoles were a gift from the Pasciznyk Family, in loving memory of their mother, Mary,  a dedicated member of St. Vladimir Cathedral.

It was at the request of the clergy and Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir Cathedral that this particular section of State Road in Parma was designated “Ukrainian Village.”  Since that designation, the city has hung multi-colored banners with Ukrainian designs, local businesses have decorated entire sides of their buildings with scenes of historical buildings in Ukraine and, this year, the City of Parma hung dozens of American and Ukrainian flags from the utility poles.

This is the 3rd year that the Ukrainian Village parade has been held.  It was most impressive and one of a kind outside Ukraine.  More pictures of the parade can be seen by going to the parish website at http://www.stvladimirs.org