03/31/2026
"Saint John Paul II, during his papacy, was fond of saying that our Catholic Church breathes with "two lungs" - the West (the Roman Catholic Church) and the East (the Eastern Catholic Churches). It is meaningful to me, as a Scouter, to know that this multiple-year tradition of a Scout Sunday Pray for Ukraine observance here in Hillside, NJ which was originally conceived five years ago as an expression of solidarity at a time of pain and uncertainty (which continues to this day) has served as a living reminder of the brotherhood between Scouts and people of many religious traditions and cultural backgrounds. And it has allowed our young people to gain an appreciation of the universality and diversity within our Church."
Jim Agar, A Scout parent adult volunteer with Troop 73 (Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Westfield, NJ) shared the above quote on Sunday, March 22, 2026, when Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts and Cub Scout members from Pioneer and Fishawack Districts of Patriot's Path Council and Plast USA Senior Scouts of the Khmelnychenki Fraternity joined parishioners at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church, Hillside, Union County, NJ to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and pray for those affected by the war and difficulties in Ukraine.
After singing "God Bless America", the Scouts carried the following flags in procession: American (Ryan Stevens), Ukrainian (Filip Sasko) and Vatican (Johnny Roberts). Attendees sang the American and Ukrainian National Anthems.
Scouts Nicholas Shatynski read the Troparion and Kondakion, Cash Bolcar read the Prokimenon, Nico Rinaldi read the Epistle in English and parishioner Michael Szpyhulsky read the Epistle in Ukrainian. Father Vasyl Vladyka, pastor of Immaculate Conception, gave a very inspiring sermon that reflected on how the Scouts were truly living the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
During the Lenten Sorokousty Memorial Service, Father Vasyl Vladyka mentioned, name by name, deceased Scouts' family members, names of the dearly departed that parishioners submitted, those that sacrificed their lives in the current war in Ukraine, as well as deceased long time Hillside resident and NY Yankees shortstop and announcer Phil Rizzuto, Oskar Schindler and the individual names of Hillside, NJ residents' Schindler List family members who were murdered in the Holocaust / Shoah.
Afterwards, in the church hall, Orest Hrycak presented a history of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting in Ukraine and the diaspora. Alexander Gerus, a Senior Scout of Plast USA Khmelnychenki Fraternity, interactively answered questions that the audience had about his experiences being a member of Plast USA.
Thank you to Orest Hrycak (Troop 75 Assistant Scoutmaster), Nicholas Shatynski (Troop 173 member) and Joe Shatynski (Troop 173 Committee Member) for organizing this special gathering.
