This church builds with dough
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Ukrainian parish raising funds with cooking project, it takes some dough to make some dough. Parishioners at St. Stephen Ukrainian Catholic Church plan on making enough dough both the edible and spendable kinds to build a rectory for their growing community.
About 50 parishioners gathered at the church recently to make the first batch for the monthly project.
To get to church on Sundays, the Rev. Ivan Turyk, 29, must drive two hours from southern New Jersey. So he is especially grateful for the efforts of parishioners at the church, at 1344 White Oak Bottom Road. The potato-filled dough pouches known as "pyrohy" are the Ukrainian version of the Polish "pierogi," Turyk said.
The "pyrohy project" last week filled orders for 1,100 dozen of the delectables, which sold for $5 per dozen, said Helen Fedoryk of Brick, a parishioner and worker on the pyrohy project.
"It took three days to fill the orders," Fedoryk said. September's efforts brought in $4,000, said John Dzera of Dover Township, a church trustee who manages the pyrohy project finances. He also does the shopping for the project and cooks potatoes, he said. Dzera's wife, Anna, makes lunch for the workers. She loves to sing and led the group of "pinchers", so named for how they seal the dough pouches in Ukrainian songs.
A full-time priest is needed here in Ocean County, where the last census showed about 3,000 Ukrainian residents, Turyk said.
The pyrohy sales have gone a long way to help the church, Dzera said. "I would say about 80 percent of the churches are built with pyrohy projects," Turyk said. "Last year we had the burning of the mortgage," thanks to the pyrohy sales, Dzera said. They continue to raise money to fund the rectory and special needs for church.
On Monday, Turyk left to visit family in Ukraine for the first, time since being ordained three years ago. He has not been home to his small village of Snyatynka for five years.
After being ordained, Turyk was assigned as assistant pastor of the Ukrainian Cathedral of Philadelphia, then both to St. Stephen Ukrainian Church in Dover Township and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Church in Millville.
On Sundays, Turyk commutes two hours to the Dover Township parish to preside over Mass. Last February, he had a serious accident during the commute.
The project for next month already has 135 dozen orders, Dzera said. The most orders ever filled were last February 1,265 dozen, Dzera said. The pyrohy sales are held monthly from September to June, Dzera said. "I was raised in the Ukraine and would always be looking forward to Mom making pyrohies after church," Turyk said. "The traditions of the Ukrainian culture are being brought to the United States."
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/27/06 BY MARGARET F. BONAFIDE