[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 48 (Monday, March 18, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE MEMORY OF REVEREND DOCTOR MYRON PANCHUK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 18, 2019

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a Co-Chair of the 
Congressional Ukraine Caucus, and as a Chicagoan, to honor the memory 
of Reverend Doctor Myron Panchuk, a widely respected religious leader 
and community activist whose sudden passing on March 9th brought 
tremendous sadness and reflection to the Ukrainian-American community 
in Chicago and beyond.
  A pillar of Chicago's Ukrainian-American community, Father Myron 
served countless parishioners throughout his 37 years of Priesthood for 
the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Diocese of Chicago. In addition to 
assisting thousands of Chicagoans from all faiths and backgrounds, Fr. 
Myron was actively involved in more than half a dozen community 
organizations, including during his tenure as Vice President of the 
Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation.
  After decades of community service, Fr. Myron turned to academia and 
activism. In 2017, he earned a Ph.D. researching the effects of 
intergenerational trauma on ethnic Ukrainians. He was committed to 
building coalitions to fight for ethnic and racial justice, especially 
in the area of genocide prevention.
  In recent years, as Ukraine's sovereignty has been challenged and 
outside interference appears unrelenting, Fr. Myron, as an example to 
us all, continued to pray, and to work, to end the violence and 
corruption that has marred his ancestral homeland.
  He will be especially remembered for his optimism and courage, and 
for his faith in a young, new wave of Ukrainian-Americans who face the 
challenge, and opportunity, of healing the scars of the past and 
building the future of the Ukrainian-American community. While the City 
of Chicago and Ukrainian-Americans everywhere mourn his loss, Fr. 
Myron's legacy is sure to live on in the hearts of all those who knew 
him.

                          ____________________