Church Organizations and Education

• St. Demetrius Adult Education Classes
• St. Demetrius Sunday School
• St. Demetrius Men's Club
• Sisterhood of the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• St. Ann's Auxilary
• Senior and Junior UOL Chapters
• St. Demetrius Altar Servers

St. Demetrius Adult Education

Established in the fall of 2009 and led by Father Deacon James Cairns, Adult Education classes are offered on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Church. The classes are intended to serve those who would like to learn more about the Orthodox faith. Whether a person is new to the faith, a life-long member of the parish, or would just like to learn more about the church of the Apostles, all are welcome. Topics of discussion are chosen by the questions and suggestions given from the class. Newcomers are always gladly received, and parishioners are encouraged to bring friends.

A short Vespers service precedes the beginning of each class at 6:30 PM in the Church.

St. Demetrius Sunday School

In the1952 Father John and Pani Irene Hundiak recognized the need to catechize the youth in the teachings of the Orthodox Church. That fall, classes began in the church basement. The Parent Teachers Association was organized shortly thereafter on October 29, 1952 by Father and Pani Hundiak. Pani Irene was the first superintendent of the Sunday Church School and served for many years in that capacity.

Today the Sunday School is run by Michelle Chubenko, and children from grades K-12 are educated about the love of God, the teachings of the Church, and the importance of our faith.

ST. DEMETRIUS MEN'S CLUB

In November 1949, the St. Demetrius Men's Club was formed within the parish of St. Demetrius, with the following objectives:

• To organize adult male members of St. Demetrius
  Cathedral into a Christian body;
• To provide, support and help supervise religious, recreational and educational programs for the children of St. Demetrius Cathedral; and
• To join and support national organizations which are a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.

Inspired by the above objectives, members of the Men's Club became active members of the church, holding offices on the Board of Trustees and Church Committees.

Generous monetary contributions were given to the church on Feast Days as well as toward property improvements. During the Golden Anniversary of our church, the Men's Club donated the ceiling icon of the Crucifixion of our Lord, which has recently been replaced.

Throughout the years, the Men's Club has participated in many activities beneficial to our church. Annual affairs include a picnic for members and their families, a Christmas party for the parish children, and active participation in the Ukrainian Days of the past and currently the pig roasts, as well as the Mothers Day program, fishing, baseball, and football trips.

Over the years, the Pavilion has been modernized and recently underwent an extensive renovation of the kitchen, social hall, and meeting rooms for the benefit of all parishioners. We are grateful to the founders for their foresight in establishing the Men's Club and to our officers, past and present, for their leadership.

SISTERHOOD OF THE PATRONAGE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The Sisterhood of the Patronage (Pokrova) of the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first church society of the parish organized by Father John Hundiak, later His Grace, Archbishop Mark of blessed memory, on October 14, 1933.

Organized during the Great Depression and with massive unemployment, the Sisterhood found ways and means to help the parish financially by arranging various social affairs, such as card parties, dinners, raffles, food sales, etc.

Over the past seven decades, the Sisterhood has also accomplished the following:

• Purchased vestments, altar linens and other articles used in divine liturgies and other services, and two banners;
• Paid for the beautiful icon of the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the ceiling, which recently suffered water damage and has been replaced by a new icon of the Blessed Virgin in the center on the left wall, which the Sisterhood also donated;
• In the first year of its existence, began collecting funds for the Iconostas which was finally constructed and dedicated thirty years later;
• Provided necessary household articles for both rectories; and
• Purchased dishes and silverware for the Center and, in general, remains dedicated to the church and ever mindful of its needs.

The present members, many of whom are daughters and grand-daughters of the original founders, are preserving the tradition of serving God and His Church to the best of our abilities, and remain proud to be members of the first parish society.

ST. ANN'S AUXILIARY

The St. Ann's Auxiliary was organized on November 7, 1937 by Father John Hundiak, later to become His Grace, Archbishop Mark. Mrs. Catherine Ginda was our first president.
During World War II, members of St. Ann's served as hostesses at the servicemen's center in Carteret and also worked for the Red Cross.
Some of the projects St. Ann's has undertaken during the more than 70 years
of existence are the following:

• Purchased many sets of altar covers, vestments, altar boy cassocks, church banners, kneeling cushions, asphalt tile, and later carpeting for the church floor;
• Responsible for cleaning and changing of altar covers, sponsored the First Holy Communicants Breakfast, and participated in all church affairs;
• Purchased Center drapes and furniture for the Conference Room and Church School rooms;
• Commissioned the crafting by John Lesky of the vessel for blessing of water on Epiphany, which was dedicated and blessed on the Auxiliary's 40th Anniversary in November 1977;
• In the mid-1980's, paid for a lift near the church front steps to make our church handicap-accessible; and
• In 1990, paid for the Tree of Life, which is installed on a wall in the Center, as a lasting remembrance of our parishioners and special events in their lives; and
• In 2009, as part of the Centennial re-modeling of the church, donated the icon of St. Ann on the right side wall.
  
  

ST. DEMETRIUS SENIOR AND JUNIOR UOL CHAPTERS

At the 1956 Convention of the Ukrainian Orthodox League of the United States of America, the Convention body decided that chapters, replacing the former member clubs, should be formed in local churches, with the express purpose of creating a separate league organization.

St. Demetrius organized its Senior Chapter in the same year, 1956. Although the Chapter was not very active in the early years, nonetheless it fulfilled all its obligations to the League, both on the national and regional levels. Our efforts were recognized by having Chapter members elected to the national and regional Executive Boards.

Through these early activities and with the establishment of a Junior League also on the national level, interest in a local junior chapter grew. With the Church School senior high class as a nucleus, a Junior Chapter at St. Demetrius was formed in 1962.

Over the years, delegates from the Senior and Junior chapters have attended the Annual Conventions of the national UOL, held in a different city each year. In l973, l981, and l988 (the Millennium of the Baptism of Ukraine), our Senior and Junior Chapters hosted the Annual Convention of the UOL of the USA, all of which were very successful.

For many years in the 1960's through the 1990's, a large number of our juniors, sponsored by our parish's organizations, attended the week-long Teen-Age Conference, first at Camp Kon-O-Kwee and later at our own All Saints Camp in western Pennsylvania. At the 30th Anniversary of All Saints Camp in June 2008, the newly-built Chapel was dedicated. Our Senior Chapter donated an icon on one of the Deacon doors.

The Senior Chapter continues to be active and sponsors the annual New Year's lunch (which evolved from the Epiphany Eve supper), a Lenten fish dinner, coffee hours on Sundays, and brunch on Orthodoxy Sunday as well as a very successful Millennium brunch. From that brunch, we began a Church Beautification fund which allowed us to donate the Holy Icon of St. Andrew the First Called as part of our parish's 100th Anniversary renovation. Our Junior Chapter hosts an annual luncheon for the parish's senior citizens as well as other fund-raising activities.

ST. DEMETRIUS ACOLYTES

The boys and men that assist the priest in the Sanctuary are referred to as "acolytes" in the Orthodox Church. Although this role is commonly known as an "altar boy" in other faith groups, the term "acolyte" is used in Orthodoxy, as there is no age limit to serve. Each week they faithfully perform their duties of bearing the candles, lighting incense, and assisting in the processions of the Services.