St. Andrew Memorial Church (South Bound Brook, New Jersey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Andrew Memorial Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA |
| Rite | Byzantine Rite |
| Year consecrated | 1965 |
| Location | |
| Location | Main St, S. Bound Brook, New Jersey 08880 |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Architectural style | Cossack Baroque |
| Completed | 1965 |
| Dome(s) | Three |
The St. Andrew Memorial Church is a special Ukrainian Orthodox church in South Bound Brook, New Jersey, United States. It is known as the main church for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.
This church was built to remember the many people who suffered. It honors those who died during a terrible famine in Ukraine in the 1930s. This famine was caused by the Soviet government. The church also remembers all Ukrainians who worked hard for freedom and independence for their country.
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About St. Andrew Memorial Church
Why Was It Built?
The idea for this memorial church came from Archbishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk). In 1942, he was sad that many churches and important Ukrainian leaders were destroyed. He wanted a place to remember them.
In 1950, work began on his dream. Land was bought in Somerset County. A Ukrainian-Canadian architect named George Kodak designed the church. He got ideas from a famous church in Kyiv, Ukraine. Building started on July 21, 1955. The church was officially opened on October 10, 1965.
What Does It Look Like?
The church is a great example of Ukrainian Baroque Cossack architecture. This style is very old and beautiful. Inside, you can see amazing mosaics and icons. These were made by Petro Cholodny. There are also beautiful wood carvings by Andreas Darahan.
The church is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Center. This center is a large area with many buildings. It includes a cemetery, a school for religious studies, a library, and a museum.
Special Events at the Church
Every year, people visit the church for a special event. This happens on the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. They come to remember innocent Ukrainians who suffered. This includes those who died in the great famine (Holodomor). They also remember victims of the Chernobyl disaster and other conflicts.
In the 1980s, two bronze statues were added to the church grounds. These were made by the artist Peter Kapschutschenko. The statues show Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky and St. Olga of Kiev.
St. Andrew Cemetery
The church has a cemetery where many important people are buried. The first person buried here was Serhiy Lytvynenko in 1964.
Notable Burials
- Ivan Bazarko (1910–1989), a lawyer and political activist from Poland.
- Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), who was the first leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kyiv.
- Pyotr Grigorenko (1907–1987), a person who helped start the human rights movement in the Soviet Union.
- Taras Borovets (1908–1981), a Ukrainian leader during the Second World War.
