In Hayward, California, an annual hike was held to the resting place of Father Agapiy Honcharenko, the first Ukrainian emigrant to the United States. The event was organized by representatives of the Ukrainian community on the West Coast.
This was reported by Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Thus, participants from different parts of California gathered at Ukraine Park, which is considered a historic Ukrainian heritage site, to honor the memory of Father Agapiy Honcharenko and his wife Albina. The hike began from Carden Lane, near Stonebrae Elementary School, and lasted more than three hours.
In the center of the route is the burial place of Father Agapiy, where a Panakhida was held. The prayer was led by Fr. George Mykhailivsky of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Father Oleh Kepeschuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Francisco.
“Our Ukrainian community unitedly set out on the Ukrainian Trail to the resting place of Father Agapius Honcharenko and his wife Albina. There we prayed together and honored their memory… This day was an opportunity not only for prayer, but also for the unity of our community,” the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church noted.
After the service, the community returned to J. A. Lewis Park, where the traditional Repast barbecue was held, which became a place for informal communication, a family atmosphere and a festive conclusion to the event.
Organizers include the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC), the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco, the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Michael, the UNLWA women’s organization, the Ukrainian Heritage Club, and the St. Michael Ukrainian School in San Francisco.
“My Nenka Ukraine… will rise for the good of people, for eternal truth and freedom”
Agapiy Honcharenko (real name Andriy Gumnytsky) was born on August 31, 1832 in the Kyiv region into the family of a priest. He was the first Ukrainian to conduct an Orthodox service in North America, and was one of the most prominent figures of the Ukrainian emigration of the 19th century.
He studied at the Kyiv Theological Seminary, and later became a novice at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. His church career turned into a path of struggle for truth: he condemned the abuses of hierarchs and became a supporter of the ideas of Shevchenko, Herzen and Dragomanov. While in exile, he managed to visit London, Mount Athos, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire.
In 1865, Father Agapiy arrived in the USA, where he immediately became involved in educational and public activities. In San Francisco, he founded the first Slavic political organization in America - the "Decembrist Club", and also published the newspaper Alaska Herald and the supplement "Freedom", where he spoke out against autocracy, defended the rights of immigrants and popularized the Ukrainian idea.
He spent the last years of his life on his own farm "Ukraine" near the city of Hayward (California). He was buried there with his wife Albina. In 1999, the place became an official historical reserve of the state of California.
Father Agapiy Honcharenko left a deep mark as a spiritual leader, journalist, human rights activist, and symbol of the Ukrainian spirit abroad. His life is an example of an uncompromising struggle for freedom, truth, and national dignity.
Author: Inna Mikhno