Ukrainian Orthodox Church leader finishes visit to Bloomingdale

For the first time in nearly 20 years, John Jaresko dusted off his robes to serve as a subdeacon during a service at the St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Sunday.

It was, after all, the chance of a lifetime for Jaresko, 40, and for the church.

Patriarch Filaret, the leader of nearly 15 million Ukrainian Christians worldwide, visited the Bloomingdale church and officiated Sunday's liturgy, his second and final ceremony since his arrival Friday night.

"It's a wonderful experience," said Jaresko, president of the St. Andrew church board. "I grew up in the church and served with many archbishops in the metropolitan area. Now to serve with the Patriarch, it's a huge honor."

Patriarch Filaret visited the United States to both meet with his faithful and promote the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which today still remains under the Russian orthodox umbrella. The religious leader also designated the Bloomingdale church as the U.S. administrative center for the Kyivan Patriarchate.

"It's huge," said church parish secretary Taras Konowal. "Many don't get to see him in person. He has a really deep and unbelievable effect on people."

Some were moved to tears as Patriarch Filaret blessed a large, just-completed mosaic on the church's facade. Jaresko and the church's pastor, Victor Poliarny, greeted him with the traditional bread and salt given to people of importance.

Even though Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, church members say their church still lacks recognition from Moscow.

Patriarch Filaret hopes to change that and has brought his message to the United States.

His national tour will take him to Washington D.C. for visits with congressional and Ukrainian embassy officials.

He will also visit a church in Ohio before returning to Ukraine. As the country's religious leaders push the struggle forward, Jaresko said a victory in this fight would help the country feel truly independent.

"As individuals, they never believed they'd see a free Ukraine," he said of parishioners. "It's emotional in that this is the next step. With the independent country, now you have your independent church."

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