"The Lord again sends two shepherds for his flock ... It is a great sign of assurance of His presence among us" - the Head of the UGCC in Stryi

Saturday, 24 May 2014, 22:20

There is an image that, in my opinion, represents best that God is, in whom we believe. The Scripture says that God is the Shepherd. He is like a shepherd cares for us, feels our pain and stays with us. As a Shepherd, he has three important features: a divine pastoral care that is the welfare of his sheep; Shepherd, who gathers the lambs into the flock of salvation; Shepherd who feeds the sheep, nourishing them at the best pastures. Having such God- Pastor, we are full of joy and hope.

See also:

It was said by Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav during a sermon at a Pontifical Divine Liturgy, May 24, 2014 at the Cathedral of the Virgin’s Assumption in Stryi. His Beaitude Sviatoslav visited his native town on the occasion of the enthronement of Bishop Taras (Sen’kiv) and the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Bogdan (Manyshyn).

In addition, as noted the Head of the Church at His preaching, this day is celebrated even in the memory of two equiapostolic Enlighteners of the Slavs - Cyril and Methodius. "God chose these two brothers, bishops and sent them to preach the Word of God, understandable to the Slavic language. They began their missionary activities in the south of Ukraine - in Crimea", - remarked the Preacher.

Addressing to Stryi bishops of the UGCC the Primate said that the Lord again sent two shepherds for their flocks, particularly in Stryi diocese: "We officially introduced to the throne Stryi Bishops - a new ruling Bishop Taras (Senkiv) and ordained a new Bishop Bogdan (Manyshyn). This is a great sign of reassurance of the Good Shepherd’s presence among us"- he said. According to the Head of the Church, the Bishops have become two hands of Christ, who is going to look for his lost sheep, please, dry their tears, and to gather into one flock.

Finally, the His Beatitude called on all to pray for fair elections. At the end of the Divine Service the rite of coronation of crowns, blessed by Pope Francis, of Lis'ko miraculous icon of the Virgin took place.

We have to add that participants in the Divine Liturgy were: Archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson, Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Bishop Igor (Voznyak), Archbishop of Lviv, Bishop Vasyl’ (Semenyuk), Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ternopil, Bishop Volodymyr (Viytyshyn), Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ivano -Frankivsk, Bishop Bogdan (Dzyurakh), Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Bishop Kenneth (Novakivs’kyi) , New Westminster Eparch, Bishop Yaroslav (Pryriz) , Sambir- Drogobych Eparch, Bishop Dmytro (Grygorak), Buchach Eparch, Bishop Stefan (Menyok), Donetsk Exarch, Bishop Josaphat (Govera), Exarch of Lutsk, Bishop Josyph ( Milian), Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv archdiocese, Bishop Venedyct (Aleksiychuk), auxiliary bishop of Lviv archdiocese, Bishop Yevgen (Popovych), Auxiliary Bishop of Przemysl and Warsaw archdiocese, Bishop Mykhaylo (Bubniy), Exarch of Odessa, Bishop Vasyl’ (Tuchapets), Exarch of Kharkiv, Bishop Nil (Lushchak), Auxiliary Bishop of Mukachevo GCC Diocese, Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovskyi, ordinary of Lutsk Diocese of the RCC, Bishop Leon Malyi, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Lviv RCC.

UGCC Department of Information