"Church Leader Blesses Holy Trinity's Generosity."
By KEN RITTER
COPYRIGHT 1999 The Journal News. All rights reserved.
Publication date: 3/22/1999
YONKERS -- William Bocik looked around the gray-haired congregation yesterday at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox
Church and reflected on the generosity that helped raise $15,000 in two weeks to feed hungry Russian children.
"These are humble people," said Bocik, a church trustee.
Just then, the pastor introduced the Very Rev. Robert S. Kondratic, who is chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America
and a representative of Alexy II, the church's patriarch.
"We use your church as an example of what it's like to care for others," Kondratic told the 115 congregants.
Presenting a ceremonial cross on behalf of the leader of worldwide Russian Orthodoxy, Kondratic said: "Every time you
use this cross, know it is he who is blessing you."
Humility, hard work, reverence and faith have long been the coin of the realm at Holy Trinity, a century-old church in
Yonkers' Hollow section that celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
For decades, the church served Slavic immigrants who worked at the nearby Otis Elevator Co. and Alexander Smith &
Sons Carpet Co. and who prayed on Sundays beneath the distinctive patina-green copper dome.
"These people came here without anything and built all of this with work," said the Very Rev. Yaroslav Sudick, the church's
pastor.
Factories have since closed and younger generations have moved away. There are more funerals than baptisms these days.
Membership hovers around 300, but only about 115 turned out yesterday.
Still, the church hasn't lost its dedication to charity.
The need has been particularly acute in recent months, said Kondratic, citing the economic instability of post-Communism
times and the lasting effects of a particularly harsh winter.
"Imagine going to the bank, being unable to get your funds and not knowing when you could," said Kondratic, who
personally delivered the money that the church raised in December to orphanages in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Siberia.
"Obviously, we can't help the many thousands in need. But we can help some of the children."
"Sale of Dolls to Provide Food For Russian Orphans"
By CAROLYN WEINER
COPYRIGHT 1999 The Journal News. All rights reserved.
Publication date: 5/15/1999
YONKERS -- He's known as Father Gerry to parishioners, but this winter, Russian orphans could call him Father
Christmas.
The Very Rev. Gerald Sudick, 62, rector of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church in The Hollow section of Yonkers, is
organizing a campaign to raise at least $25,000 for Russian orphans by selling 18,000 Matryoshka nesting dolls made in
Russia and donated to the church by an anonymous American corporation.
Sudick organized an assembly line of church members earlier this week to begin packaging the dolls.
"The cartons keep arriving from the Brooklyn Navy Yard from United Parcel," Sudick said, sounding rather overwhelmed.
"I found a box on my front porch today."
The corporation got involved after reading a news story about the church being honored for raising more than $14,000 to
feed Russian orphans. The church was the only one in the United States to receive a special cross from Alexy II, Patriarch
of Russia and head of the 250 million-member Russian Orthodox Church, for its quick response to the food crisis in the orphanages.
"The corporation, which at this time wishes to remain anonymous, called and said it wanted to help," Sudick said. Other
donors have contributed some $2,000, according to the priest.
Peter and Helen Bachar, who are in their 70s, were among the 30 volunteers who helped with the packing.
"I'll see those dolls in my sleep," Helen Bachar said stoically.
The wooden nesting dolls are wrapped two to a plastic bag. They will sell for $5 a package. The colorfully painted 3-inch
dolls, which each have two smaller dolls nesting inside, originally sold for $6 for the set of three. The dolls have different colors and facial expressions.
On Monday, the Manhattan Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America will hold its annual meeting at Holy Trinity.
Sudick, who is also the dean, will ask each of the 100 participants to take about 200 dolls to sell in 67 parishes. Proceeds will be channeled through Holy Trinity with all proceeds going to the orphans. Sudick's only expense so far has been $1,000 to purchase plastic bags, he said.
He also hopes he'll get help from the Episcopal Archdiocese, which has a Russian Committee and funds St. Alexis Hospital
in Moscow. And, he will turn to the local community -- restaurants, florists, churches, and other businesses for help in
selling the dolls.
"We need to raise the money by November so the food can arrive by then," he said.The money would provide six Russian
orphanages with food and medicine.
Sudick is planning a nesting doll sale on a Saturday in early fall. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to purchase dolls or be part of
the project can call him at 965-6815.
