In the warm embrace of the "Rodyna" festival

Perhaps some of you, dear readers, upon picking up the latest issue of the newspaper, might hastily say: "Another article about the festival! How much more?!" And I will immediately respond: we have written and will hopefully continue to write because Ukrainian festivals in the parish communities of Chicago and surrounding towns are always a special event.

With special meetings, special prayers, a special mood, and special reflections on the times we live in, on events that unite us in the sense of our mission on this earth and the significance in our destiny of the ancestral land — Ukrainian, and thus native, paternal, unique in the world. And also in the feeling of family, that sacred guardian, which is so important for everyone, with which no wealth can compare. Because family means protection. A shoulder to lean on. Hands that will embrace. Eyes that understand without words. Lips that whisper a prayer. The threshold of the ancestral home that always awaits your return from distant roads. Icons adorned with embroidered towels. Hollyhocks by the house — like guards, so that no evil dare step here...

This was the spiritual canvas of the festival we are talking about today. It even had such a name — "Family Fest". It took place last Saturday at the parish of St. Nicholas, concluding this year's festival season, which lasted throughout the summer. And the final point was placed here, in the Ukrainian neighborhood, where more than a hundred years ago the first emigrants from Ukraine settled. Needing God's care, they built the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which, without exaggeration, is called the mother church, the main temple of the Chicago Eparchy of the UGCC, and the residence of Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk. And also a home for everyone who, far from home, seeks the feeling of family, or who was born on American soil but has Ukrainian blood.

For the "Family Fest" festival, due to the lack of church territory, a part of Rice Street is traditionally set up. And although many guests come to the festival, it never feels crowded. The fact that the festival lasts only one day encourages everyone to come early and stay until the final minute, so as not to miss or lose something particularly important. To have time to be inspired by the common prayer and the feeling of home. This is what the festival advertisement promised. This is the main message of the festival event that Father Pavlo Drozdjak, the administrator of St. Nicholas Cathedral, spoke about on Radio UA Chicago, and together with the parish priests, the organizing committee, all the volunteers, all the concerned parishioners, and of course, the festival sponsors, they gave their guests a sincere, heartfelt, and spiritual family celebration.

I don't know what others felt, but at every step, it seemed like family was speaking to me. Right away, as soon as I stepped onto the festival grounds, — with fragrant herbs and a variety of flowers: a master class was held here, teaching how to weave wreaths.

And someone tried their hand at being a potter for the first time and will have a self-made clay cup as a memory of the festival. Further on, professional masters taught those interested how to arrange bouquets to convey their feelings through the language of flowers. Or simply taught painting, to transfer the palette of their thoughts and emotions onto paper or glass with paints.

Family spoke to me through the variety of embroidered shirts and souvenir products: there are always many at our Ukrainian festivals, and they always find their buyer because new styles, new patterns, new plots appear, and you simply cannot pass by such beauty indifferently without buying something for yourself.

We move on. To where the aromas of food call, which also spoke to me of family, because Ukrainian cuisine is always something incomparable. Oh, how the parish hosts and hostesses worked hard! You need to know — and they know! — a special secret to turn ordinary potato pancakes or dumplings into a fantastically delicious dish. Not to mention the shashlik. And especially the bograch. In short, the instruction was: take, taste, and enjoy.

Which is exactly what the festival people did: the guests of the celebration sat at generous tables, engaged in leisurely conversations, reminisced about the past, and talked about the present day. Nearby, children ran and played carefree — a wonderful playground was set up for them. Probably, this is what happiness looks like: when everyone is alive and well, when the dearest people are around you, when the heart is filled with gratitude to God for peace and love in the family, for peace of mind and outside your home.

Why has your peace and tranquility, my distant but so close at heart Ukrainian family, my Ukraine, become a thorn in the enemy's throat, who has gone to war against you?! And today you speak to us with anxiety and pain, and with the desire to help, so that a peaceful day comes to the native land. So that our defenders return home. So that our blessed land is not plowed with deadly metal, but so that Ukrainians sow and harvest bread, goodness, and love. Because in this is the Truth.

And this family Truth also spoke to me at the festival with the presence of wounded Ukrainian soldiers who are in America for treatment and prosthetics. Helping them return to a maximally functional state is not just a duty, it is a measure of our humanity and conscience when we see boxes for financial assistance to charitable foundations that care for those affected by the war. Do we not avert our gaze from them? Let each of you answer this question for yourself. And to those who donate without hesitation, who approach the boys to talk, to embrace, to thank — a bow for your heartfelt kindness. Because the Lord said: "…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

So do it. Like this man, about whom I want to say a separate note. He bought a collectible postage stamp in honor of the Heroes of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which was provided for auction by the mother of the fallen Hero of Ukraine Mykhailo Yavorsky — his photo is also on the stamp. The woman is raising funds to help Mykhailo's combat comrades, sending them donations received from the sale of the book "With a Ray of Sunshine", where her son's story is immortalized in words.

So, about that man. I don't know if he is a philatelist. But he simply bought the stamp for $600. When Mrs. Maria approached him to take a commemorative photo and asked, "Who are you?", he replied, "I'm just a Ukrainian." No, you are not just a Ukrainian. You are a UKRAINIAN!!! Because you understand what cause you are giving money to, so every letter in this word is capitalized. And I am ready to write about everyone who does not separate their prosperous life under the peaceful sky in America from the bloodied fate of Ukraine. And once again, it is pleasant to note that Chicago — church parishes, community organizations, and simply caring people — can serve as an example of helping Ukraine and its defenders in the fight against the hateful Muscovites.

And our festivals, like this one, today, are not just a celebration for entertainment. They are primarily a meeting for prayer, for the manifestation of mercy, for the awareness of one's mission on this earth — to be a Human, to be a Child of God, to remember the love with which the Lord endows us, because "whoever lives in love lives in God."

And love must be shared. As our talented performers shared it from the festival stage — from the very young, those who are just beginning to master the art of the stage, to the already experienced, skilled, talented, with artistic titles and honors. Thus, family spoke to me with songs and dances, demonstrations of wonderful folk clothing, the enchanting sounds of the violin, the special sound of the brass band, the musical overflows of the trio, the fiery songs of the "Svaashky", the mega-energetic performance of the ProstoBand, which gathered even the laziest to sing and dance.

Family spoke to me with the sincere words of the festival hosts, who found the most appropriate words and comments for every situation, for everyone who took the stage. And Ivan Sabat's speech, focused on the importance of our help to wounded Ukrainian soldiers, simply tore the hearts of those present. As did Liliya Semko's gentle but convincing manner of communicating with the audience, who each time read lines from the Holy Scriptures, conveying to us the great Divine Teaching.

Family spoke to me with the presence of priests from many parishes who came to the celebration and with whom one could share their thoughts, doubts, and worries. And, of course, the presence of Bishop Benedict, who never misses an opportunity for a sermon on community unity, for Christian teaching, and simply for sincere, but truly deep in its sense advice: when you wake up in the morning — think about what good to do, because otherwise, the devil will come up with some task for you, but it will not be good. And there are many examples of evil in life around us. We, created in the image and likeness of God, must care for the world and glorify God, sending to the Heavenly Father our thanks for the graces He has given, our requests for God's mercy and help, our prayers for peace on our native land.

And she, the native land, spoke at the festival with an incredible performance by the headliners — the band YAGODY ("YagOdy"), which works in the direction of ethno-drama and popularizes Ukrainian songs using exotic motifs in their creativity. Unusual? Yes. But this did not prevent the audience from singing along with the original performers and thanking them with warm applause for the songs that flowed like silver streams from the unclouded sources of the Ukrainian land.

And at the end of the festival, I, like everyone who awaited the final part of the celebration, was warmed by the family bonfire. It was that moment when people gathered in a tight circle, when they sang together about the red rue, when they felt each other's shoulders, and some even stood embraced. How important it is in life to have someone to hug. And for someone to hug you. Sincerely, warmly, like family. This is how the strength is born with which we can withstand the most difficult trials of fate. Thank you, "Family FEST", for allowing us to feel and understand this once again.

Photos by Petro Kovtun and the newspaper's editorial staff.