Immigrants went to the rally against the closure of the Ukrainian school in Los Angeles

Ukrainian community activists launched a desperate protest under the walls of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Los Angeles. To protect the only Ukrainian school in southern California, activists are ready to hold an indefinite protest, writes Ukrinfrom.

Photo: ukrainiancatholicla.com

Activists of the Ukrainian community staged a desperate protest under the walls of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Los Angeles (a parish of the UGCC in the USA) demanding not to destroy the only Ukrainian school in all of southern California. Previous attempts by the diaspora to stop the eviction of classes from the church, as well as the public’s appeal to the UGCC clergy, did not yield any results, said the director of the “Native School” Galina Bond.

“The matter has not progressed recently. We are still waiting for a response from the Chicago diocese (to which the UGCC parish in California belongs), from Philadelphia (Metropolitan of the Philadelphia UGCC in the USA Boris Gudziak), as well as from His Beatitude Svyatoslav Shevchuk,” said the head of the educational institution.

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The conflict lies in the fact that the rector of the UGCC church in Los Angeles, Father Igor Korzina, is trying to forcibly evict the Ukrainian “Native School” from the church. And this happens by the sole decision of the priest, despite the fact that the educational institution has been operating in the church for decades, and the classes for it were specially designed by the architect in the 1980s, during the reconstruction of the church.

The priest himself still avoids any comments for journalists, and the school’s leadership generally advises to contact his lawyer. The UGCC higher clergy in the United States is also silent.

Photo: Facebook / Nativity of BVM Ukrainian Catholic Church, LA

More than a month ago, the management of the “Native School” sent official letters to the senior leadership of the UGCC, in which they asked for help in resolving the situation. In response, the Chicago Diocese of the UGCC noted that this problem will be considered at a large meeting of priests in Arizona (which has already taken place).

No changes followed. This prompted teachers, parents and children to protest outside the walls of a church in Los Angeles. People held posters in their hands: “Hands off the Native School”, “It’s no good to drive away children - drive away uneducated businessmen”, “Learn the language in the open air, because your father said it’s necessary!” and others.

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The students also showed that they care about teaching the Ukrainian language and were active at the protest, wearing matching T-shirts with the school logo. And even despite such a reaction from society, none of the UGCC clergy ever came out to the people and responded to requests from the “Native School”.

In this regard, the community again addressed an open letter to the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. “Your indifference forced our children to take to the streets to defend their right to education. We urge you to leave for the Ukrainian children who study at the "Native School" in Los Angeles, premises that were designed and built specifically for the Ukrainian school, and in which for four decades children from Ukrainian schools have been learning their native language, writing and literacy, history and culture families,” the letter notes.

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Meanwhile, neither teachers, nor children, nor society are going to put up with the fact that their problem is ignored by the Church. “We are open to dialogue, but we reserve the right to hold an indefinite protest until the situation is resolved,” noted Galina Bond.

She explained that this means holding other events at the church, including with the involvement of local American media. After all, the situation is no longer limited to internal issues within Ukrainian society, it is already a direct challenge to American values ​​- the preservation of cultural diversity.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• The only one in the whole of southern California Ukrainian school may cease to exist because of the sole decision of the priest.
• The higher clergy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the United States are silent, and the community of immigrants from Ukraine is already cannot restrain disturbances and requires justice.

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