Sts. Volodymyr and Olha

Initially, the congregation of 1,000 families found a temporary home at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. This strengthened ecumenical ties with the Orthodox brethren which continue to this day. Construction of the new church was completed between 1971 and 1973. Architect Jaroslav Korsunsky of Minneapolis designed the church, employing the Byzantine-Ukrainian style of 11-13th century Ukraine. Churches of this style are traditionally cruciform, with the altar facing the East. The rounded gold dome, along with a strong preference for circular patterns - avoiding almost all angular designsi - is also typical of this style.

Members of the parish are proud of the fact that the Patriarch Josyf Slipyj was involved in all significant events of the parish's development. Besides establishing the parish, Patriarch Josyf, blessed the cornerstone of the church and, subsequently, in 1973 blessed the church itself. The reason for the parishioners' pride has to do with the Patriarch's position in the Catholic Church as a Confessor for the Faith. In 1945 Patriarch Slipyj was arrested by the Soviet authorities and held prisoner in Siberian labor camps for 18 years. Refusing to give in to Soviet pressure to renounce the Catholic faith in favor of Russian Orthodoxy, Patriarch Josyf was repeatedly sentenced to harsh prison terms. Through the intervention of Pope John XXIII and President John F. Kennedy, Patriarch Slipyj was released from Siberian imprisonment in 1963. Taking the lead from his predecessor, Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky, as well as the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, Josyf Slipyj has worked to restore self-government to the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the form of a Patriarchate. In 1965, Patriarch Slipyj was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.

In the early stages of the Church's development, diverse Christian communities gave rise to what is commonly called "Rites." The Church of Alexandria developed the Alexandrian Rite, that of Antioch the Antiochene Rite, that of Rome the Roman or "Latin" Rite, etc. Byzantium (Constantinople) gave rise to the Byzantine Rite. It was this Rite which was adopted in 988 by Volodymyr, the Grand Duke of Kiev, when he decided to make Christianity the official religion of his realm. Christianity, however, was preached in Ukraine before Volodymyr's time. His grandmother, Olha (+969), for example, became a Christian in her adult years and was later canonized. The parish is named in honor of these two great saints of Ukraine.

The term "Rite" does not only refer to external rituals. The Ukrainian Church is not only different from the Roman Church in her liturgy, but also in her spirituality, theological emphases, and canonical discipline. The Byzantine-Ukrainian Rite is characterized by its distinct approach to public and private prayer (spirituality), its greater emphasis on the divinity of Christ (theology), and its tradition of a married clergy (canonical discipline).

Among the most visible distinctive elements of the Rite are church art, architecture, music, and liturgy. Iconography is the term used when speaking of the paintings in the church. Since they are not painted for the sake of decoration or simple aesthetic pleasure, they are not ordinary paintings. Rather, they are images ("icon" in Greek means "image") of the world transfigured by the power of God. Viewers often note the abstraction of icons. This abstraction is usually an attempt to represent the otherness of the transfigured universe.

The angles drawn in the background of iconographic scenes illustrate how perspective and proportions are changed for the sake of a spiritual emphasis. Frequently, elements of the background such as furniture, mountains, or the contours of secondary figures - are drawn in such a way as to point to the central character of the icon. Throught this effect, the eyes of the worshipper are attracted to that which is spiritually most important in the icon.

Also, icons are meant to be contemplated - used as modes of communion with God and His saints. Thus, the eyes of those depicted on icons are proportionately larger than ordinary human eyes. They are indeed meant to be looked into. In no way, however, do we worship icons. Rather, the reverence shown towards them is directed to the figures depicted.

Iconography is also a kind of language. Thus, certain elements have specific meanings. The colors employed, for example, are meant to convey a message. For example, Christ is portrayed in a burgundy robe covered by another blue robe. Burgundy here denotes royalty and by extension divinity, while blue symbolizes humanity. Jesus is God before all ages, thus the burgundy undergarment. In His nativity, however, Jesus takes on humanity; thus, the blue outer garment. With the Mother of God it is just the opposite. Mary is a human (blue undergarment), who takes on divinity in bearing the Son of God (burgundy outer garment).

Placement also conveys a message. Icons are not placed haphazardly throughout the church. Rather, their placement follows a definite scheme. In the dome, which represents heaven, we see Christ the Pantocrator (the Creator of all). Descending we see the events of salvation history, until finally, on ground level, we find ourselves in the company of our forebearers, the saints. This suggests that the church is the union of heaven and earth, as well as the past and the present. The Crucifixion is portrayed in the northern apse, while in the southern apse we see events relating to the Resurrection. This placement emphasizes that they are two aspects of a single reality.

The ikonostas, or icon-screen, is also a distinctive element of Eastern-Rite Churches. It reminds us that the area around the altar is the Holy of Holies. But although the ikonostas separates, it also unites, for the icons placed therein unite the worshipper with God. Here again placement has its symbolism. The four evangelists are depicted on the central doors ("royal gates"), over the gates we see the Last Supper. Thus, it is through the Gospel and participation in the Eucharistic life of the Church that we enter the Kingdom of God. Also on the iconostas are St. Nicholas, St. John the Baptist, as well as St. Volodymyr and Saint Olha. Behind the Royal gates the altar faces east toward the rising sun that is Jesus, whose Resurrection is depicted in the domed background. It is from the altar that the priests and the people unite to praise the mighty Lord.

The wooden frame of the ikonostas was hand-carved from oak by Paul Mozes of New York. The icons are the work of Ivan Dykyj. In 1974, the "Midwest Magazine" of the Chicago Sun-Times referred to him as the "Michelangelo of Chicago." The stained-glass windows are the work of Jaroslav Baransky, Yonkers, New York. The windows in the southern apse portray the Protection of the Mother of God flanked by Sts. Volodymyr and Olha. The windows in the northern apse portray some of the patron saints of Ukraine: St. Andrew the Apostle, who first came to Ukraine to proclaim the Word, of God; St. George (Yuriy) the Conqueror; and Saint Michael the Archangel.

From the very begining, Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Parish stood in defends of the Ukrainian community from assimilation and loss of the its identity.