“I want to believe that the ecclesiastical and national revival of Ukraine begins here in the seminary” – His Beatitude Sviatoslav

On the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Archbishop of Kyiv and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, paid a visit to the Three Holy Hierarchs Spiritual Seminary in Kyiv on the occasion of the conclusion of the academic year.   The festivity began with Matins service followed by the Rite of the Consecration of Cassocks for the seminarians who have completed their first year of studies.   Afterwards a Pontifical Divine Liturgy began. It was presided by the Primate of the UGCC and concelebrating with him His Excellency Josyf (Milian), Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv Archeparchy. Besides the seminarians, the liturgy service was joined by their parents and guests.   Addressing all the present at the liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked God first of all for the first historical year of the Three Holy Hierarchs Spiritual Seminary in Kyiv. The Head of the UGCC also expressed his gratitude to Bishop Josyf for his very personal “paternal care of the seminary”.   Recalling the Fathers of the First Council in Nicaea, the Major Archbishop noted that “the main purpose of the seminary is to hand over to the seminarians the deposit of faith from the apostles, and enable them to witness to the world that indeed God is One, in Three Persons.”   Rev. Markiyan Shashkevych was presented by His Beatitude to the seminarians as an example of an ideal priest: “He was the first one who started to preach in Ukrainian, despite the fact that Polish, German and Russian were popular at that time. I want to believe that here, in this seminary, begins the ecclesiastical and national revival of Ukraine. I want to believe you will witness in Ukrainian, and in Ukrainian you will witness the absolute truth of our Triune God”. At the end of the liturgy the Head of the UGCC addressed the seminarians’ parents who were not afraid to offer their sons for God’s service.  

UGCC Information Department