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• � 3�3 CHURCH Lord will help said the Rev. Gregory Podhurecec, the priest who has led this parish for only a year. V CONTINUED Face, I He comes from a Washington, D.C., parish that did what these mas is Christmas, no matter folks hope to. where you are, she said. There are other hopeful signs. The Ryans took their places on Since the church's plight has be- folding metal chairs in a candle come public, several banks are of- lighted room. They sat among a fering to help, at lower interest flock of 50 faithful — many with rates. graying hair and decidedly Ukrai- Now, what's needed are more nian accents. loan guarantors, like Katherine Here, icons of the Virgin Mary Buhajenko, whose late husband and Infant Jesus hang on the walls was a fervent believer in the and incense floats in the air. Red building project. ` I feel my hus and white poinsiettas surround an band's spirit is still helping us," altar draped with gold and white she said. cloths. A small choir sings the lit- Dick Naughton, owner of James urgy. The priest, dressed in hand- Steele Construction Co., which embroidered robes, leads a 90- built the church, has faith, too. "I minute service of prayer, praise have all the confidence in the and Holy Communion mostly in world in these people. They're Ukrainian, but also some English. wonderful. I trust them. I i.ust After services, there is talk of hope they pay us soon." • the problems that have barred the When a loan is negotiated and congregation from the new facili- builder paid, church members will ty. "It's so sad and painful. The open the facility for banquets and church is there and we can't come wedding feasts to pay off the loan. in," said parishioner Vera Tanasi- "I think everything will be fine, chuk, who gave mightily to make but this canyon we must jump," the small congregation's dream Podhurec said, sitting down to a possible. traditional Christmas dinner of She and others want to preserva borscht, turkey, pickled herring the Ukrainian language and reli- and fruit soup. gion. They hoped the new church would lead to a merger of the three Ukrainian Orthodox church- es in the Twin Cities, but it hasn't. The merger would have brought more money. Besides that, some monetary pledges weren't paid. The problem is, said Oksana Bryn, who comes to worship from Minneapolis, "The heart is there, but the pocket is not," at least yet. But there is faith. "The good •