73rd Commemoration of the 1932-33 Holodomor, Perth, WA

In the hottest day of the year, Perth parishes remember the 32-33 Holdomor.

Black Candles and Rye Bread were blessed in both churches and then brought together at the Memorial Cross outside of the Ukrainian Catholic Church for a joint Panahyda.

Following the Panahyda everyone escaped the heat to the U.C.C. Hall where Chairman Mr Mykola Mowczan opened proceedings.

  Left: Fr W Kalinecki and Fr V Mowtschan   at the Panahyda       

“The 32-33 Holodomor started in April 1932 and finished in November 1933 (a period approximately 500 days). It peaked in April 1933 where in the worst areas 17 people were dying every minute, 1000 every hour, almost 25,000 every day” Mykola Mowczan said, “the genocide has been acknowledged as a crime against humanity”.

Right and below:  Chairman of UAWA,
Mr. Mykola Mowczan opening the Holodomor Exhibition

He also gave hope to the people in the assembly by saying that Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and 10 countries have now condemned the Holodomor as a crime of the Soviet System and 26 members of U.N. have prepared statements that the Holdomor was a direct result of policies of the totalitarian regime. We now wait for Ukraine to pass the Holodomor act in Verhovna Rada during the coming week.

He thanked Mrs Lesia Morgan  for making available from her personal library a vast array of posters, placards and books.

Mrs Morgan is currently completing her Ph.D at the Notre Dame University (her thesis is on the Ukrainian 32-33 Holodomor).

Right: Mrs Lesia Morgan addresses the people

Mykola Mowczan