Thought I would post the first segment of the Paschal Divine Liturgy from Muchachevo, Ukraine from the Greek Catholic Eparchial website there. The broadcast must have been on television as there is a narrative voice-over on some of it, but what is amazing to me is how, in spite of over one hundred years of separation, two world wars, a revolution, schisms in the United States and in Europe that the Ruthenian/Rusyns maintained their customs and - you have to admit - their eastern orientation. Watching similar videos from ACROD and the BCC in the states, one would see that in spite of the odds, these 'old ways' managed to survive. The Latinizations often complained of here (and which crept into practice in the US and Canada in the early 20th century) are not readily apparent on the surface of this Liturgy. When I relate how to my grandparents' generation they did not think in terms of being Catholic or Orthodox but rather they spoke in simple terms of 'our church' or 'nase cerkov' they were sincere. While the 20th century changed that perception so that the Orthodox and the Greek Catholics today understand that they are different, at least through the mass immigration of the early 20th century that was not the case. I can close my eyes and sing along in Church Slavonic from memory in the chant of my ancestors like it was yesterday, even though I haven't done so in more than ten years as we just don't use Church Slavonic anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu5Hq6kcFdk&feature=g-all-u
