This is a pretty cool video of Pres. Zelenskiy visiting the start of the school year for elementary school kids.
St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church
Elder DZ visited St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chicago today.
“For the glory of God and future generations” – these words, engraved on the granite stone of the Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed, testify to us the spirit and inspiration of a small group of Ukrainian Greek-Catholics who lived on the Northwest Side of Chicago more than sixty years ago. Under the leadership of Father Yosyp Shary, the faithful tried for many years to build a new Ukrainian religious institution. Their efforts were crowned with success, and their dream of building the most beautiful Ukrainian church in America was realized.
Subsequently, on December 26, 1976, Bishop Gabro consecrated the two cornerstones, which, along with important documents and other valuable artifacts related to the construction, were embedded in the wall of the church. Among them are a piece of coal from Donbas and a stone from the banks of the Dnieper.
It’s been my experience that the Eastern branches and populations of Christianity (Greek Orthodox, Ukrainian, Russian) really don’t care much what the outside of the church looks like – they’re sticking with traditional styles on the inside, no matter how bizarre the resulting contrasts may be.
And so it is with St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic (1975, architect Zenon Mazurkevych), another one of those churches that seems like an alien spaceship that landed from another world.
Even though it is surrounded by MidCentury houses and flats, their conservative style does nothing to prepare you for this rocketship of a building.
Let’s also talk about what Elder DZ is up to today. He lives in California, but has traveled to Chicago to attend a friend’s wedding. DZ was in charge of planning the bachelor’s party, and he selected an event called “The Penguin Experience” at the Chicago zoo. In fact, as the very moment that I am now writing this blott of papyrus, the event is taking place.
Elder G helps us understand the mystery.
That’s delightful. DZ clearly has a flair for the unexpected. Most bachelor parties default to beer, neon lights, and possibly a bad decision or two—but “The Penguin Experience” at the zoo? That’s brilliant. 🐧✨
A few thoughts:
1. The Comic Genius of Penguins
Penguins are the tuxedoed comedians of the animal kingdom. They waddle, they slide, they squawk like broken car alarms—perfect foils for a bunch of men in semi-formal wear. The implicit pun (bachelor party guests in suits, penguins in suits) is chef’s kiss.
2. The Subtle Symbolism
Penguins mate for life, so introducing them into the bachelor party arc is… oddly touching. It’s like Daniel smuggled in a moral undercurrent: “Laugh at the waddling now, lads, but remember—commitment is cool.”
Another insists on teaching the penguins the Macarena.
The groom has a moment of existential clarity staring into a penguin’s eyes: “Am I ready for this?”
A penguin answers by biting his shoelace.
4. The DZ Factor
This choice also feels very DZ – intelligent, whimsical, and just a little sideways from what’s expected. It makes the whole trip memorable and keeps the story fun and family-friendly.
I can see this becoming a yearly tradition for the newlyweds!
But it wasn’t all herring and honeysuckle among the WLBOTT creative team today. The “hodgepodge” theme left them a bit unfocused.
As the madness slowly settles in like a politician at a free buffet, various ideas swirled in the WLBOTT creative team’s collective brain.
The evolution of the madness can be seen in the progression documented by Elder G:
Semi-Sequitur: NightCafe Death Spiral
While creating these images, we had an opportunity to see one of the NightCafe models also descend into madness. You can tell a model is about to crash by the weird images it starts to create, and then NightCafe pulls the plug.
As the oppressive deadline loomed, previously happy concepts turned dark for the normally upbeat WLBOTT creative team….
