Two years after an early-morning propane gas explosion reduced their church to a pile of rubble — with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary the only thing left standing, — parishioners of St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Colchester gathered Sunday, Aug. 27, to witness the blessing of their new house of worship.
Some 400 parisioners, guests and well-wishers watched under gray skies and a steady rain as Most Rev. Paul P. Chomnycky, OSBM, Eparch of Stamford, blessed the new $1.3 million church and attached meeting hall prior to celebrating the first Divine Liturgy along with Bishop Emeritus Basil H. Losten; Rev. Cyril Manolev, pastor; and other Ukrainian and Roman Catholic clergy.
The original church, built in 1954, was destroyed early Saturday morning, Sept. 10, 2004, in an explosion so powerful that it was reportedly heard ten miles distant.
A white marble statue of the Virgin Mary was all that was left standing and attracted hundreds of visitors to the site. Many called the statue — which had stood only about 25 feet from the old church — miraculous.
The statue stands now in front of the new church. Father Manolev said visitors continue to be drawn to the statue to pray and lay floral tributes.
“I think it's a miracle. How else can you explain how the statue survived,” the pastor said.
Sunday's opening of the new church was like "all the feast days rolled into one," said Bishop Paul in his homily.
“Two years ago, this very site was just a pile of rubble,” he said. “Now stands a shining gold dome. Tears of disbelief and sadness are now tears of joy and thankfulness.”
Bishop Chomnycky told the congregants in his homily that a “special ingredient" went into the rebuilding of the small parish, “maybe a touch of a miracle — the hand of Mary, the Mother of God.
“That little miracle was evident right from that first day, because as we know no one was hurt, not even a little,” the bishop said.
Father Manolev had been sleeping in the rectory with his wife, Suzana, who was nine months pregnant, and their son, Alexander, 50 feet from the church when it exploded.
Bishop Chomnycky said some will say it was just luck, a matter of fate, and others will say it was just the way the building fell that no one was hurt and that the statue survived.
“But I still think it was a miracle, deep down,” he said. “And it was really the miracle of the mother of God, fulfilling her mission. The statue of Mary, standing unscathed in the rubble, was like a beacon for us.
“Mary always shows us the way to Jesus even in the most difficult moments of our lives; she is always showing us the way to Jesus.”
On Sunday, as Manolev stood at the altar, his wife sat in the front pew with Alexander and their daughter, Maria, now almost 2, who was named after the Virgin Mary.
Before the service began, Bishop Chomnycky wearing a festive gold vestment and blue miter, circled the church outside with Bishop Losten and other priests and deacons and blessed it with holy water.
At the front door of the church, two children of the parish, Roma Romaniv and Matthew Pierko, met the bishop with a traditional greeting of bread, salt and a floral tribute.
Much of the new church was paid for with insurance money, about $1.1 million; the rest came from donations.
Bishop Paul acnowledged the great debt of gratitude due to wider Colchester community, but especially to the Knights of Columbus and to St. Andrew’s Parish.
Father Manolev said the parish still needs to raise money to put the finishing touches on the church, such as paintings and icons.
Following the blessing and Liturgy a reception was held at St. Clements Castle, Portland, CT.
Rev. Deacon Michael Puscas served as master of ceremonies; toasts were tendedered by parish trustees, Susan Allison and David Wasilko; the main address was by Father Gianelli, and the guest speaker was Bishop Paul.
