On Orthodox Christmas, symbols of faith and heritage and thoughts for war-torn homeland

Jan. 4—SHARON — Father Steve Repa sees the elegant long-necked crane as a symbol for this year's Christmas.

As pastor of St. John's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Sharon, Repa and his congregation will be celebrating Orthodox Christmas on Sunday.

In Ukraine, cranes are a symbol of good luck.

"When they migrate to north Africa, they have to fly over high mountains to get there," Repa said. "It's a hard journey."

An estimated 6 million Ukraines have fled their nation since Russia invaded their land in February 2022. Not everyone had the option to flee.

"If you have a family, it takes a lot of money to just pack up and leave everything behind," Repa said. "You're tasked with the financial responsibility of feeding and caring for your children."

None of the church's 30 or so family members were born in Ukraine. But like Repa, many have close relatives living there.

Communicating with cousins and other relatives by email or social media, Repa said they constantly talk of the brutal Russian attacks on nearby cities — most recently the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The city has been pounded by deadly missile and drone strikes.

"For the elderly who built up their lives are now seeing everything they have getting destroyed," he said.

And he said at times his relatives express fear that the Western world will stop backing their fight against Russia.

He criticizes Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine and continuing the war. There's no hope of creating a system where both sides can develop economic trade to help end the fighting, Repa said.

"Putin's mentality is, 'Why should I trade with you when I can just take it?' " Repa said.

Cranes have another meaning in Ukraine. When a member of the military dies the song, "The Cranes" is sung or played.

"I want us to remember that song," Repa said.

The lyrics speaks of soldiers being like some cranes in migration; some don't return.

He translated a poignant piece in the song:

In a foreign land I'll die.

By the time I cross the sea,

I'll wear away my wings,

I'll wear away my wings.

A number of Orthodox faiths use the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian one observed by most Western nations. There is a 13-day difference between the two calendars, which results in a Jan. 7 Christmas date for churches like St. John's.

And there will certainly be a celebration of the birth of Jesus, Repa said.

"Christ is the gift God has given us, which is his beloved son," he said.

The traditional Christmas Eve dinner will be served in the church's social hall. Tradition holds 12 meatless dishes be served — such as cabbage, herring, marinated mushrooms, bread and borsch — a hearty beet soup.

And the Ukrainian custom of remembering ancestors is a part of the celebration, Repa said.

"We didn't come out of thin air," he said. "There's historic genealogy of who we are."

There's been another struggle in Repa's life as he continues dealing with post-COVID-19 symptoms. He gets "attacks" that cause him to gasp for air and leave his body physically drained for days. On this day, he needed help out of his chair and needed a stair chair lift to get up to the church's main floor.

"I'll be ready for Christmas," he pledged.

An August report by the New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. officials, put the Ukrainian death toll at close to 70,000 and the number of wounded as high as 120,000. In early December, Reuters said U.S. intelligence reports that since the Russia invasion with 360,000 personnel there were 315,000 Russian troops, or 87% of that total, when the war started have been killed or injured.

That carnage is difficult to mingle in with Christmas, Repa said.

"It's hard for me to get psyched-up, to pretend everything is OK," he said.

St. John's Ukrainian Orthodox Church is selling nut rolls and perogies. To order: 724-342-0335.