Catherine Moisiuk

Catherine Moisiuk (1916-2005)

Catherine may be spelt Katherine, or shortened to Kay.

Yaworsky may be spelt Yaworski, Yavorsky, Yavorski, Iavorsky, Jaworski.

— Edited from the article written by Matushka Eva Balevich, of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Early life of Catherine Yaworsky, in difficult circumstances

Kay’s life has all the characteristics of a best-selling historical novel.

On 19 August, 1916, Catherine Yaworsky was born in Montréal, Québec, to Peter Yaworski and Elena Yaworski. Peter had been born in what is now Western Ukraine. Elena had been born in Culouti, Bukovina, Romania, on 18 April, 1894, and she had emigrated to Canada in 1909, at the age of 14. In 1913, she was married to Peter Yaworsky. They received from the Lord 3 daughters : Anne, Catherine and Mary.

In 1918, the family moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where they operated "Prairie Heights" grocery store. This was 5 years after the founding of the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in Moose Jaw (1913).

Kay’s earliest memories of Sundays during Saskatchewan’s winters included bundling up in warm clothing for the half-hour walk to church. On a sled, they pulled the baby and wood for the fire south across the frozen CPR tracks, as was the case in winter. First to arrive in the Temple, her father, Peter Yaworski, started the fire in the basement coal-and-wood-burning heater, while the children warmed themselves on the grating above as the worshippers assembled. These, too, were eastern European immigrants who worked long and hard in the flour mills, meat-packing plants, railways, and farms, as they raised their families and maintained contact with the Orthodox Christian Faith of their ancestors.

Holy Trinity Church, Moose Jaw

Kay’s mother Elena, like others of her generation, developed “cottage industries”. She did this by doing laundry for others, providing room-and-board to single male labourers, and other such activities. Some women did dressmaking and other handiwork projects, and there were many more ways in which work was done. It was all necessary in order to supplement the meagre "bread-winner’s" wages (the husband), and to provide full support when illness or injury would eliminate him from the work-force. Entrepreneurs before the word itself was known to them, Kay’s family acquired and operated a grocery store. They devised a way to keep supplies of eggs and dairy products chilled before refrigerators were invented and even before electricity became available. Because of the difficulty and inconvenience of using blocks of ice, her father built a wooden structure which he inserted inside the deep, cold well ; only he and his wife were allowed access.

The Great Depression, 1929-1939

The Great Depression with the prolonged drought in the 1930s was a difficult time. There were green crawling insects eating all the vegetation and entering windows and cracks in buildings. Social services were in embryonic states. Kay’s father was amongst many hired by the city quarry, where he earned $9 a month. Mothers lined up each week for 2 pounds of beans and 5 pounds of potatoes, and occasionally carrots and beets, if farmers donated them. In every neighbourhood, individual families owned a cow and a few chickens so as to supply dairy products and eggs. It was necessary to purchase (or barter for) flour, salt, sugar, and meat. However, mothers made their own yeast from a previous batch of sourdough bread (the usual historical method).

Children contributed by finding briquettes or lumps of coal that fell from passing trains, and by collecting wheat left in the edges and corners of railway cars. With earnings from shovelling snow or helping with house or yard work, they were sometimes able to buy a few candies. A special delight was to trade one jawbreaker for one bag of sunflower seeds with farm kids in school. Kay’s father bought old railway ties from the CPR, and he made sawhorses for sale ; but he had to give the owner of the saw two ties for the saw’s use. Old railway ties were also used as fuel in winter. The parents must have absorbed the stress, because Kay’s perception was revealed in her exclamation : “Everyone was happy !”

Kay's characteristic care for others began early

In 1930, when a flu-like epidemic necessitated a quarantine of the Moose Jaw hospital and forced her sister and her premature son out of the maternity ward and nursery, Kay, then 14, became a nurturer. She incubated her nephew in a box on the open oven door, and she treated his eyes and fed him with a medicine-dropper. She quietly rejoiced at the miracle of God’s mercy in allowing him to survive, and to become a 6-foot-2-inch father of 2 and grandfather of 5 before he succumbed to lung cancer in 1986.

Recollections of visiting bishops

Kay commented about the visits of bishops to Moose Jaw and to Holy Trinity Parish, and about their visits to the homes of parishioners.

Particular memories of Archbishop Arseny (Chahovtsov)

Kay had memories in particular about a time when Archbishop (Saint) Arseny (Chahovtsov) was visiting her family when she was a child. Suddenly at the table, Vladyka Arseny became silent. Then he said that someone in the family had just died.

Almost immediately, the news came that a relative had been killed in a coal-mine accident. Vladyka's heart could know this only because of his deep love for Christ and for the flock he tended. The Lord revealed this so that he would be ready and able to comfort the family. On her part, she rightly understood that because of the Lord’s love, Vladyka had been able to be physically present with them at the right time.

Fire ; loss ; marriage ; work

Kay’s formal education ended abruptly one night while she was in grade 11, when a fire destroyed their living quarters and the grocery store. They escaped to their uncle’s home, wearing only their nightgowns. At that time, there were no charitable or disaster-relief agencies ; the girls stayed indoors and wore their nightgowns until their mother obtained fabric and sewed dresses for them. Without clothing or money for books, pencils and paper, they could not return to school. Instead of defeating Kay, these trying circumstances of life filled her with energy and determination.

Marriage, 1938

On 12 June, 1938, Catherine Yaworsky was united in marriage with William (Vasile) Moisiuk of Regina. The marriage was blessed in Holy Trinity Temple, Moose Jaw, by the Dean, Priest Konstantin Zeliskewich and the Priest Efimy Moseychuk. The witnesses were Mrs P Bararuk of Moose Jaw, and Mr. W Babchuk of Wilcox.

Kay learned everything she needed to know in the world of work as she assisted her husband in the operation of their grocery business in Regina for 25 years. After the store closed each day, she worked on the financial records, which included preparing the payroll for 19 employees.

On weekends, Kay commuted to Moose Jaw to church, and to supervise the care of her mother. She was active in the building of the church hall in the 1950s, in the founding of the Ladies’ Aid of the parish in the 1960s, and in the expansion and bricking of the exterior of the church buildings.

Later, Kay took part in the church choir. At the same time, she was providing care for her husband in his declining years, and later for her mother.

Parish treasurer, 1968 ; personal philanthropy

Upon Kay’s return to Moose Jaw in 1968, she inherited the office of parish treasurer from her brother-in-law. An active sales representative for a variety of quality products, she provided not only the necessities, but also the pleasantries of life for herself and her family. From her home, for many years, Kay ordered and sold decorated Pascha eggs as a fund-raiser for the parish. She did phoning for the perogy-making ladies even until after 2002. She contributed generously to local, national, and worldwide charities and relief organisations, never forgetting what it feels like to be in need.

Kay taught Church-school for a long time, and she treated the children as her own. Vera Daniels, a parishioner, reported that “Kay's children were everything to her – that is, the children that she taught in the Sunday School. She taught all different ages”.

When one would visit Kay, he or she would be aware of the many responses from the Lord that she experienced as she laboured in prayer. The "gramota" (special certificate of blessing from a bishop) which she received in 1995 was, in the words of one of the parish members, “long overdue”. The parishioners at the time very heartily sang for her the "Many Years".

During her later years, Kay was no longer able to get to church services, although she frequently expressed the desire to do so.

On 22 May, 2001, Kay Moisiuk was interviewed about her experience and memory about Archbishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) for the "Canadian Orthodox Messenger".

Archbishop Arseny was a fine man and a good bishop. When my father would hear he was coming, he would say he
would roll up his sleeves and do anything to help get everything ready for him.

I remember this incident really well. I was about 10 years old in 1927. We were all sitting around the table
with the archbishop, talking with Father Verbovy, whose wife had died, and he wanted to bring his children
from Ukraine. We had just finished eating and there was a bang on the table. We were amazed, and I looked
around, but there was nothing. The archbishop asked if there was a boarder in the house. My mother said,
'Yes, he works at Swift's Packing Plant'. He said 'I think that there has been an accident'. Very soon
afterwards, there was a call. She had to go to the hospital to identify him. 'Yes', said the archbishop, 'he
has died'. So the bishop went with my dad by cab to the hospital, and His Grace stayed on with us for the
funeral and took nothing for it. I asked my dad how he lived. 'How did he get money ?' He said, 'Only when
people give it to him'. Later, there was a collection to help him.

Archbishop Arseny would go to a home and introduce himself, even if the person didn't go to church. He was so
easy to talk to, and so loved, that he got lots of people to go to church just by going to visit and talk.
Some priests were even afraid to go some places, but he was not.

One man said to Archbishop Arseny, 'Don't come our way, because we are very poor'. He replied that if he
came, he would be richer. So he said, 'Next time you come around, come to us, too'.

Archbishop Arseny really loved the Sifton Monastery, and he really attracted people to support it. We often
visited, too.

This happened in Moose Jaw. My sister and I were always really curious. My mother would see us listening to
conversations and she would pinch our arms and tell us to look after that instead. The archbishop would say,
'I didn't hear or say anything, but why do the girls have tears on their faces?' My mother would make
excuses. The archbishop never hurt anyone, but he was no fool.

Archbishop Arseny, it seems to me, visited more frequently than bishops do now. A bishop might visit once a
year, but he came a little oftener. I was really glad to see him every time he came. I don't know if he
spoke Greek, but after his visit, on Holy Friday all the Greek ladies began to come to prepare the
'plashchanitsa' with flowers.

I remember how much my dad loved the Church. In winter, we would go with him across the railway yards,
crawling under the box-cars, carrying coal, and he would go first thing down to the basement to start the
fire.

I remember going to Sifton, riding on my dad's lap. We were on benches in the back of a truck which had a
canvas cover. We all really wanted to go. It was cold, so I was glad my father kept me warm. It was raining
in Manitoba, and we were hoping to get there early, and that there was food. This was for the Ascension.
There was blessing of water and blessing of graves. I used to wish my dad was a priest so I could go with him
all the time.

Bereavement, 1988

On 8 February, 1988, Kay Mosiuk's mother, Elena Yaworsky, fell asleep in the Lord in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, at the age of 93.

On Thursday, 11 February, 1988, at 7:00 p.m., a Panikhida was served at Holy Trinity Church by the Archpriest Svetislav Balevich.

On Friday, 12 February, 1988, at 10:00 a.m., the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person were served at Holy Trinity Church by the Archpriest Svetislav Balevich.

After the funeral services, the body of Elena Yaworsky was interred at the Rosedale Cemetery in Moose Jaw.

Kay, who had been an active participant in the care of her ageing mother, now continued to do as she had done before. Her life was focussed on the parish Temple, its worship and its activities, as well as on her family and friends. In her Christian warmth and kindness, she continued to serve as the parish treasurer and to work with the other women in the Ladies Aid of the parish. Even when it became very difficult to manage walking because of arthritis, she continued to be present in the Temple until it became impossible. Even then, she maintained her service to the parish from home, and she received frequent visits from Father Svetislav and Matushka Eva Balevich, who brought her regularly the Holy Mysteries and prayed with her.

This rhythm did not change after the 2002 retirement of Father Svetislav until his own repose in 2003 ; and it was continued by the new, young priest who succeeded him, Father Stacey Richter.

Repose, 2005

Catherine Moisiuk fell asleep in the Lord on 1 December, 2005.

Soon afterwards, there was served a Panikhida on the evening before the funeral. It was led by the Priest Stacey (Anastasy) Richter, the rector.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Lay-person were served by the Priest Stacey Richter for the newly-departed Catherine (Kay) Moisiuk at Holy Trinity Church in Moose Jaw.

After the funeral services, her body was interred at the Rosedale Cemetery in Moose Jaw.

Reflections

On 1 April, 2001, the congregation of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, honoured Catherine Moisiuk for her lifelong commitment to the Church. The Divine Liturgy included prayers for Kay (as she was affectionately known), and the singing of the "Many Years". A potluck dinner followed in the church hall. Fifteen of Kay’s nieces, grand-nieces, and nephews who lived nearby attended as guests.

The parish president, Mike Daniels, spoke briefly. He acknowledged Kay’s years of service, for she had held nearly every possible position in the Ladies’ Aid and, most recently, the extremely demanding treasurership of the parish. It was from the latter position that she “retired” after discharging these responsibilities of 33 years.

For the last few years of her life, she juggled maintaining the parish financial records and battling with serious medical and visual problems. Many of them were stress-related, involved emergency-ward stays, and kept her confined to her home. However, God in His Providence brought into the parish one who is willing and able to assume the duties of treasurer, thus clearing the way for Kay to step aside when it was truly necessary.

The president presented her a free-standing plaque inscribed with the words : “In appreciation for your many years of dedicated service as treasurer. May God bless you. From the parish of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church”. Parish members presented Kay with a vase of cut flowers and a basket of assorted organically-grown food items, all wheat- and sugar-free, for her nourishment and enjoyment.