On December 4, composition student Josh Armenta directed the choir of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family at the groundbreaking of the National Monument to the Victims of the Ukrainian famine-genocide known as the Holodomor in Washington, DC. The Holodomor took place in present-day Ukraine from 1932-1933, caused by the Stalinist regime, and an estimated 3 million Ukrainian citizens died of starvation. In attendance at the groundbreaking were ambassadors and consuls from European nations including the Czech Republic, Estonia and Lithuania, hierarchs from the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, Rep. Sander Levin (D-Michigan), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), representatives from the National Park Service and various government organizations. The choir of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family is comprised of approximately 24 volunteer singers, largely from the Ukrainian community. Reorganized and directed by Armenta from 2011 through 2013, the choir is currently under the direction of Alexander Ruhling.
Menu
