risu.org.ua - The next Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is to be held in Canada on occasion of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Greek Catholic bishop in that country. The bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church issued a special Address to the faithful of Canada stressing that the bishops seek to get to know better the life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in that country. “We look forward to the meeting, prayer and communication with the faithful of UGCC living in Canada in order to assure them of our prayer for them, our respect and love,” reads the document.
“When blessed Mykyta came to Canada in 1912, he saw the efforts of our people to get established in the land where they went through many difficulties and obstacles. These people knew well the traditions and customs of their native land but here they found themselves as if in another world,” reads the address.
According to the hierarchs of UGCC, Bishop Mylyta (Budka) in cooperation with the clergy, monastics and active lay people set about the work of strengthening and development of the Ukrainian Church and community life in Canada with a great evangelic commitment. Thanks to his efforts and the efforts of his followers, UGCC in Canada achieved a lot during the last century.
“Our Church has developed into the first metropolitanate outside Ukraine. It brought up many bishops, priests, monks and nuns for our Church not only in Canada all over the world. A large number of lay people achieved success in the Canadian society as teachers and lawyers, doctors and engineers, political figures and military officers,” reads the document.
The bishops also expressed gratitude to the faithful of UGCC for “their commitment and faithfulness to the work of God which was felt by our Church especially strongly in the end of 80-s - beginning of 90-s of the last century when the Lord granted its nation freedom after the long centuries of persecutions.”
“We pray that this Synod should be used as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to fill our Church afresh and lead us into the future,” reads the address published by the Information Department of UGCC.