Over 10,000 faithful are expected for the blessing of the UGCC Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv

On August 17-18, 2013 during the celebration of the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Ukraine-Rus, the UGCC Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv will be blessed.

At a press conference on June 4 devoted to the topic of the blessing of the Cathedral, Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) emphasized that this event is very significant for the whole Church since the Patriarchal Cathedral is the main cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, which exists on all continents of the world.

“The Patriarchal Cathedral marks the unity of our Church,” said UGCC Primate, “a Church which truly gathers the widespread Greek-Catholic faithful in various continents and those who live in Ukraine.  By the day of the blessing of the Cathedral, all the basic parts of the interior of the church that according to liturgical requirements are necessary for the blessing, will be completed.  December 1 is the deadline for submissions of designs for the whole interior of the Cathedral.  However, after the blessing of the Cathedral it will be alive and will grow in its internal beauty.”

To bless the Cathedral during the 1025^th jubilee of Baptism was proposed by Archbishop-Emeritus Lubomyr (Husar) at the Permanent Synod during its February meeting.  He motivated his proposal in relating that when they blessed the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Rome, “there were only the walls, a ceiling, a floor and the altar.”  The Synod bishops supported His Beatitude Lubomyr’s proposal.

For this occasion it is expected that to Kyiv more than 10,000 Greek-Catholics will arrive from the whole world:  Canada, USA, South America, Australia, European countries as well as officials from various countries.

“We expect many lay people who for the first time will be able to see the Cathedral which they collectively built -- with ‘a brick’ from all around the world,” noted the Church Head.

The head of the Overseers Board of the Construction of the Patriarchal Cathedral and director   of Organizing Committee for the Pilgrimage to celebrate the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Ukraine-Rus, Bishop Joseph Milan also took part in the press conference and thanked all the faithful for their donations for the Cathedral.

“I am touched by my people who live on the cusp of poverty, yet donate funds for a beneficial cause,” he particularly noted.  There are people abroad who in their testament state that part of their savings should be given to the Cathedral.  There were even sums reaching beyond $100,000.  Patriots (of Ukraine and the Church) care about the Church even after they die.  From the beginning of the building of the Cathedral there was a main and very clear message which spread itself in our churches: The Cathedral unites us all.   People started gathering around the Cathedral -- not only Greek-Catholics but people who have a broader vision of the Church as such.  Ukraine did not often work on efforts that, let us say, an Orthodox singer, Dvorsky, collects money for a Greek-Catholic Cathedral.   I believe that it is a big step towards the unity of the church through a layman.  The Cathedral Fund received donations not only from Greek-Catholics but also from good willed people of different faiths and various confessions.”

A week before the celebration of the Baptism anniversary, on August 11, 2013, in Kyiv the next session of the Holy Synod will be held.  It will be attended by Ukrainian-Catholic bishops from the whole world.  The Synod will end on August 18.  His Beatitude Sviatoslav appealed to the whole Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and all people of goodwill to pray: “We beseech for effective work by our Synod, for bright beautiful days of celebrating the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism and the blessing of the Cathedral.

Note: In  2002 the Synod of Bishops ratified the decision that the Seat of the Head of UGCC Church should  move to Kyiv and that the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ should be built on the Left Bank of Dnipro River.

It is seen that through this act the Church consolidated itself as a general Ukrainian one as well as a world entity, since its eparchies are found throughout the world.

The building of the complex began on September 9, 2002.  On October 27^th of that year the Cathedral cornerstone was blessed by UGCC Head at that time, His Beatitude Lubomyr (Husar).

Although the building of the Patriarchal Cathedral is still not completed but already from 2002, Divine Liturgies were held in a temporary chapel on its grounds.  When in 2007 the chapel was burned down, the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin was built.

On January 19, 2006, in the underground part of the church the first Liturgy was celebrated.   On August 21, 2005, a celebration was held on the square by the church to mark the transfer of the Church Head from Lviv to Kyiv.

On March 27, 2011, in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, the enthronization of the newly-elected UGCC Primate His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) took place.

UGCC Department of Information