Pylypivka – Immaculate Heart of Mary School

Grade 3 students introducing this year’s theme for Pylypivka: GIVING

For the faithful, Pylypivka is a time of preparing our hearts and lives for the coming Christmas season. It’s characterized by fasting or the abstinence of certain foods, prayer, attending pre-Christmas services, and acts of charity to others.

	The pre-Christmas period called “Advent” in the Roman Catholic Church is known as “Pylypivka” by Ukrainian Catholics. Pylypivka begins on November 15th, the day after the Feast of St. Philip (November 14), and continues for forty days until December 24th..

At IHMS, a Pylypivka prayer service was held on Friday, November 15 at 9:00 a.m. in the school gymnasium. During the course of the prayer service, this year’s Pylypivka theme was introduced to the students.

A few scenes from the November 15th Pylypivka prayer service

This year’s theme for Pylypivka is “Pylypivka is Giving”. For each of the 6 weeks leading up to Christmas, students will focus on 6 different areas of giving – one for each week of Pylypivka:

Week 1 – FAMILY: We can help with housework and chores.
Week 2 – FRIENDS: We will show them kindness, help them and be friendly with everyone.
Week 3 – Our SCHOOL: We will give respect by following school rules.
Week 4 – Our COMMUNITY: We will support our community by donating food to those who need it.
Week 5 – The ENVIRONMENT: We will pick up litter and not waste resources like water and electricity.
Week 6 – GOD: We will pray and show respect to all of God’s creation.

Classroom teachers will incorporate this theme of giving into their Religion classes by creating age appropriate activities for their students.

Every year during Pylypivka. IHMS undertakes a school wide Christian service project to raise money for disadvantaged people around the world. This global initiative is spearheaded by a group of grade 6-8 students called SMAC (Students Making a Change).

For this year’s Christian service project, SMAC will be collaborating with a local Aboriginal group called the Bear Clan. Over the next few weeks, SMAC will be encouraging the students of IHMS to donate non-perishable food items to this cause. These food items will then be delivered to the Bear Clan for distribution to those in need.

The Bear Clan is composed of over 1500 men and women who patrol certain inner city neighborhoods on a volunteer basis. Their goal is to provide security to Winnipeg’s Aboriginal community in a non-threatening, non-violent and supportive way: “Community People Working with the Community to Provide Personal Security“.

For more information about the Bear Clan, click here

The SMAC team explaining this year’s Christian service project to the students

Mary’s Angels 2019

Mary’s Angel 2019

Also during Pylypivka, the students and staff will be selling small ornaments called “Mary’s Angels”. These figurines are a keepsake and a remembrance for deceased loved ones. An example of the 2019 Mary’s Angel is shown in the photo at the left.

When an individual purchases an Angel, a prayer card is filled out at the school with the loved one’s name. The cards are attached to an Angel ornament and placed on the “Mary’s Angels Tree” located in the front foyer of the school. A Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by the students and staff on Friday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m. for the intentions of the loved ones.

After the Christmas season the Angels will be sent home with each of the students that sold them. The Angels are then given to the clients who purchased them as a keepsake in memory of their loved ones.Each Mary’s Angel can be purchased for $5.00, or a package of three for $15.00. Order forms will be sent out soon after the Pylypivka Prayer Service.

The proceeds from this project will go towards Marian Hour Centre, Radio Rosary on CKJS where the rosary is recited every evening from 10:30 – 10:45 p.m.