A festive banquet celebrating the 80th anniversary of CYM in the Diaspora was held on Saturday evening, May 2, in the hall of St. John the Theologian Church in St. Catharines, with over 200 guests in attendance. The program began with a performance and the ceremonial entrance of the youth from the Ivan Mazepa CYM Branch to the march “Wherever We Go.” Following a brief montage of the 80-year history of CYM in the Diaspora, the evening’s host and chairman of the St. Catharine’s Branch, Ivan Schudlo, opened the celebration by greeting all those present, including the heads of all the CYM branches in Canada, the clergy, representatives and heads of Ukrainian organizations, and delegates and participants of the Leadership Seminar, who had gathered from all corners of Canada.

Certificates were then presented to long-standing, dedicated members of the Branch in recognition of their “loyalty, dedication, and exemplary conduct” on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of CYM, after which Father Roman Dusanowskyj led a prayer before a delicious dinner. During dinner, the ‘Dunai’ dance ensemble performed several dances.

The final item on the program was a keynote address by the President of the National Executive, Danylo Musienko, who highlighted the importance of the work that CYM members carry out daily in their local Branches to raise the younger generation as Ukrainian patriots, ready to do everything in their power to help Ukraine in its struggle, particularly during these difficult times of war, as well as to foster active Canadian citizens.

At the conclusion of the formal program, the evening’s emcee, Ivan Schudlo, thanked all those present for their participation and the numerous sponsors for their financial support, and asked Fr. Bohdan Choly to close the banquet with a prayer. The evening ended with lively entertainment to the music of the CYM orchestra “Zryv.”

You can find additional photos and videos here: Plenum 2026.

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