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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..
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. |
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The theme of Pylypivka this year at IHMS is “Fill Your Bucket”, and to get things started, a prayer service was held in the school gym on Friday, November 21. The idea of “filling your bucket” is to encourage students do good deeds and to make small sacrifices for the benefit of others. The student doing the good deed should be genuinely concerned with the needs and wishes of others – it should be a completely unselfish act.
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In order to create a concrete visualization of the power of this idea, a plastic bucket was provided to each classroom teacher. Every positive action by a student in that class is acknowledged by adding something to the pail, such as a piece of paper with the good deed written in it. Younger students will add something simpler like a cotton ball or a marble.
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| An example of a buckey used in each of the classrooms |
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IHMS will also be undertaking a school wide Christian service project during Pylypivka to raise money for disadvantaged families in Third World countries. This project is being spearheaded by a group of grade 6-8 students called SMAC (Students Making a Change), and the goal is to raise enough money to purchase several goats at $50 a piece.
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A female goat can be a tremendous benefit to a Third World family by providing up to a gallon of milk a day! This sustainable source of nutrition has the potential of improving the fortunes of an impoverished mother and her children. This is very similar to last year’s Pylypivka Christian service project where various farm animals were purchased in order to “fill a stable”. |
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| Basically, this year’s Christian service project involves raising money, and although parents and students are free to donate at any time during Pylypivka, Tuesday’s will be known as “Toonie Tuesdays” where students are encouraged to donate two dollars on every Tuesday. Every time a classroom raises $50, a symbolic paper goat will be taped on the wall in the hallway outside the classroom. The school hopes that this Christian service project will raise enough money to purchase several goats for families in need. |  |
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Also during Pylypivka, the students and staff will be selling “Mary’s Angels”. These glass figurines are a keepsake and remembrance for deceased loved ones. An example of a Mary’s Angel for this year (they vary from year to year) can be seen in the photo on 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 19 at 1:00 p.m. for the intentions of the loved ones. |
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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 first Pylypivka Service.
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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.