They did not come, but returned!

On Thursday June 18, 2009, in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Joseph (Milyan), auxiliary bishop of Kyivan Archeparchy, took place. This type of Episcopal ordination in Kyiv, a first in the most recent history of the Church, last occurred 400 years ago. The Kyivan Metropolitan Mikhail (Rohoza) initiated the ceremony and, in conjunction with the Synod of Bishops of Kyivan Metropolitanate, made the decision to further along the process of unity between the Ukrainian Church and the Roman Apostolic See. By doing so, eastern Christian traditions as well as the original ethno-cultural elements of the Church can be preserved. The rank of the Hierarchical ordination began the day before, on June 17, with the Episcopal nomination. The next day during the Divine Liturgy, in the presence of His Beatitude Lubomyr along with the participating of Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Archbishop Ivan Yurkovych, 20 hierarchs of the UGCC and RCC in Ukraine, more than 100 priests and many faithful, the ordination took place. Bishop Evstratiy (Zorya) and Bishop Vasyl'kivskyj UOC of KP were present for the prayers. State and local authority participated in the communal prayers. The Liturgy, which was delivered by Highly Reverend Bishop Ivan (Martynyak), Metropolitan, of Peremyshl-Warsaw, began at 9:00 am. Towards the beginning, Bishop-nominate Joseph (Milyan), in accordance with the rite of the Kyivan Church, declared his faith in the Holy Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ and others truths of the Christian faith. After the Small entrance, the ordination began. The main bishop who ordained was Very Reverend Bishop Ivan, co-serving with Bishop Yulian (Voronovs’kyj), Eparch of Sambir-Drohobych, and Bishop Peter (Stasyuk), Eparch for the Ukrainians-Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. The stately hymn “Aksios” (Greek for “worthy”) echoed through the church. In his sermon, the Head of the UGCC talked about the Divine service in all moments of life - of the individual person or the entire Church. “If we have survived the severe hardships of the last few centuries, it is only through the grace of God, who operated through us. Our survival was not achieved through our own merit. It is a gift from the Good Lord. At the appropriate times, He sent war-lords, politicians, artists, church leaders, and through them rescued our nation. The Lord is behind this historical success,” His Beatitude Lubomyr said in the sermon.

At the completion of the Liturgy, a speech was given by Archbishop Ivan Yurkovych to congratulate the newly ordained Bishop. Fr. Yaroslav Karp’yak, a worker from the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, read a letter from the Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation. Archbishop Mechyslav Mokshytskyj, Metropolitan of Lviv RCC in Ukraine and Bishop Evstratiy (Zorya) expressed their best wishes for newly nominated. Bishop Joseph then expressed his gratitude. He explained that the tasks that he will work towards include helping His Beatitude Lubomyr in the administration of Kyivan Archeparchy, assisting in the completion of the building of the Patriarchal center of the UGCC in Kyiv, searching for ways to further unify the Churches.

The participants of joint prayer included the parents, relatives and fellow-villagers of the newly ordained Hierarch. “I was very glad when I found out that my son wanted to become a monk. He always was a good and attentive boy who loved to pray and to go to church. Therefore, today I am very glad that the Lord God called on him to become a bishop. I have prayed and now will pray much more for him, so that he successfully carries out all his tasks,” said the mother of Bishop Joseph to the Information Department of the UGCC.

Information Department of the UGCC

Background information: On April 16, 2009, at 1:00pm, the Vatican informed the press that the Holy Father Benedict XVI blessed the decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to appoint monk-priest Joseph (Milyan), monk of the Monastery of studite regulation, abbot of the church of Annunciation of the Holiest Mother of God at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ, as the auxiliary bishop of Kyivan Archeparchy. The new bishop will be given the title of Druziliane.