By Caroline Smith and Mark Reidy
Perched on a hill in the riverside suburb of Maylands, the icon-filled church of St John the Baptist serves as a reflection of the community it represents: Ukrainian Greek Catholics who have been here in WA since the 1940s, and whose story is one of hope triumphing over hardship, and of identity discovered through traditions and faith.
An adjoining hall tells the parish’s story through photographs, from its establishment in 1951 by migrants fleeing Soviet repression, to the building of the church in 1965, and a more recent visit by Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who leads this Church of around 10 million people worldwide, including four million in the Ukraine itself.
The parish’s loyalty to tradition is reflected in Father Wolodymyr Kalinecki who, after nearly 20 years, has been its longest serving priest. Fr Wally – as he is known – is about to return to Melbourne, where he grew up, with Fr Ihor Holovko coming in to take the reins.
Fr Wally explains how the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) has grown over time, under the influence of Rome, but has kept many Orthodox practices. Its roots lie in the mediaeval state of Russia, and the embrace of Christianity by Prince Vladimir I of Kiev in 989. After a split with Rome in 1054, Eastern churches went their own way but, at the Union of Brest in 1596, a group of bishops sought to restore the connection, and so formed the UGCC.
The Church initially experienced repression in the mid-19th century under the Tsarist regime, and this worsened significantly after the Second World War, driving the faith underground, and causing many of its adherents to flee to other countries, including Australia. Indeed, it was not until 1989 that those who stayed in the Ukraine would have their Church recognised.
When Fr Wally sits down with me to tell his own story, it begins in a context of similar repression, and includes post-war deportation, divided families and emigration.
“During and just after the war, my uncle finished up in the American sector in Eastern Europe, while my mum finished up in the Russian sector,” he said.
“She was being taken to Siberia, but he was given a choice, and chose to come to Australia.
“My mum and some other ladies on the train heard that it was going to Siberia so, one night, when it slowed down a bit, they jumped from the train and walked home.”
After returning to her village, his mum was ordered by the military police to travel east towards what is now Poland – formerly Prussia – and this was where Fr Wally was born in 1949.
The story took a more positive turn when his uncle found the family through the Red Cross and brought them to Australia, Fr Wally said.
“We went on an Italian ship called Toscana. It took 40 days to get here, so it was like the people in the Old Testament, spending 40 days in the desert,” he added.
Settling in Melbourne, the family became part of the city’s vibrant Ukrainian community, and it was here that Fr Wally decided to enter the priesthood at the age of 40, prompting a return to Europe – this time to Rome for his training.
Fr Wally returned to Australia for his ordination, and regales how, from his very first week, he was ‘thrown in the deep end’, with some dramatic experiences.
“In 1994, I was ordained and, the very next day, the priests realised that there was another priest in the parish so they decided to take a day off,” he joked.
“Then there was a big knock on the door at about 10pm that night, and there was an older Sister there who said, “Hurry up, the old bishop has collapsed”. I went to help him out and called an ambulance – he had suffered a stroke, poor fellow – so that was the first of my courageous decisions.
“So, I spent two years in Melbourne as assistant priest, and then the priest who was in Perth became ill, and the bishop’s assistant told me I was needed there.”
When he first arrived at the Maylands parish in 1995, it was expected that he would just fill in for a couple of weeks while a replacement for the current Father was found. The plan, however, changed again and Fr Wally became a permanent fixture at St John the Baptist.
“The bishop thought I’d be here for a while just relieving: he was worried because I was just a new priest,” he said.
“So, when I went back to Melbourne for a visit in 1996, I asked if they were getting a parish priest ready, and the bishop said, ‘You’re going to be there a bit longer’.”
Administering to the 240-strong parish – as well as a fortnightly trip to a smaller community in Northam – has been an enriching experience, says Fr Wally. But he expresses concern that the Church is losing many young people.
Nevertheless, a recent experience of new Parish Priest Fr Ihor may show the UGCC as a dynamic source of identity for many Ukrainians, particularly given recent conflict in the country.
Fr Ihor was studying in the Ukraine when the Euromaiden uprising began in 2014, and he found himself in a public square, praying with the crowds for peace. He said the atmosphere of the square – where people were provided with food, medical services and other supports – was something very unique.
“People were welcome to join us in prayer, to sing Ukrainian songs, or help out in some way – everyone was friendly and helpful to each other, asking if they needed anything – it was like another world.”
The protests – which began in February 2014, and involved clashes between riot police and protestors seeking stronger ties with Europe rather than Russia – point to returning times of hardship in the Ukraine but, as Fr Ihor says, “what doesn’t destroy us makes us stronger”.
While Maylands may be far away from the conflict, it appears a preoccupation for bothpPriests, who express the hope that their Church might be a source of strength during these times, and that people from the community worldwide might find identity within it.
“It’s true that many people – not just the young – have been affected by this event; they have been changed and converted,” Fr Ihor said.
From page 26 and 27 from Issue 1: ‘The Year of Mercy: Seeking an Encounter with Christ’ of The Record Magazine