John Fisher portrays St. Nicholas during a visit to a Byzantine liturgy at All Saints Catholic Church-Des Moines on Dec. 6, the feast of the saint. Nicholas was a Byzantine bishop from present day Turkey. He is portrayed wearing a crown rather than a mitre, which is a tradition of bishops of the Eastern Rites.
By Dan Russo
The Catholic Messenger
IOWA CITY — Byzantine Catholics begin Advent a couple of weeks earlier than Roman Catholics and enjoy a vegetarian feast as they prepare for Jesus’ birth, according to Adam Kemner. The lay member of the St. Andrew of Crete Byzantine Catholic Outreach of Iowa, recently explained some of the ways his branch of Eastern Rite Catholicism celebrates the Christmas season.
“Our ‘Advent’ begins on Nov. 15 and is one of our four Lenten periods, so we ratchet up the fasting,” said Kemner, who resides near Iowa City. “This fast is called ‘Philipivka’ or ‘St. Phillip’s Fast’ as it begins in the evening of St. Philip’s feast day on Nov. 14. Traditional fasting through the year is Wednesday and Fridays, and entails no meat products, alcohol, or cooking with oil. In our family for St. Phillip’s Fast, we do the traditional fast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and lighten it on Tuesday and Thursday. The two weeks before Christmas, we will go stricter the rest of the week as well.”
The voluntary fast culminates on Christmas Eve. The community will engage in a series of prayers called Royal Hours, which involves singing and reading Scripture.
“Towards evening, we often host other members of our community, either at home, or when we were at Muscatine, at our chapel there,” said Kemner. “After Vespers or the Divine Liturgy, we have what is called the ‘Holy Supper’ (also called Svjatyj Vecer or Vesilija) This a 12 course vegetarian meal that is the family focal point for Ukrainians, Poles, and Rusyns, and we have adopted even though we are not of those ethnicities. There are 12 courses, (one) for each of the apostles, and an open spot at the table for any guest who may just happen by. Many people will put straw under the table to remind us of the conditions that Jesus was born in.”
“For many Byzantine and Ukrainian Catholics, the Holy Supper and singing of parts of Great Compline are the highlights of the feast,” Kemner said. Another popular tradition for Byzantine Catholics is for St. Nicholas to visit children in churches after the liturgy on the saint’s Dec. 6 feast day.
Kemner and his family are regulars at the Byzantine Divine Liturgy led by Father Bruce Riebe every third Sunday of the month at St. Patrick Church in Iowa City. The Byzantine Catholic Outreach of Iowa was established in 2014. There are multiple Eastern Rites of Catholicism, including the Byzantine, which are in communion with the pope. Locally, the outreach began in Muscatine. In August, the headquarters moved to Des Moines, where a Byzantine liturgy is now regularly held at All Saints Church. The decision to move was made due to a larger group of families residing there, but the outreach is continuing efforts around the state.
“We’re still trying to build our community in Iowa City,” said Father Riebe. “We have about six households. In Des Moines, there are about 20.”
For information on Byzantine liturgies and outreach in Iowa City or Des Moines, contact Father Riebe at 440-227-5037.
