Sheptytsky Street for Lviv

In the view of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, this year is special for every Ukrainian, being saturated with various anniversaries connected with the life and death of the two pillars of Ukrainian Church, Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky and Patriarch Yosyf Slipyi. On January 17, on the day of Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky’s installation in the Metropolitan Throne in Lviv (January 17, 1901), a continuous prayer to glorification of Metropolitan Andriy and Patriarch Yosyf began. It will last for the whole year in all eparchies and exarchates of the Kyiv Halych Metropolia. A candle was lighted in the Svyatoyurska [St. George’s] crypt near Servant of God Andriy and Patriarch Yosyf’s coffins to pass this holy light first to Stryi and further on to Kyiv- Vyshhorod Eparchy.

Thematic academies, conferences, and commemorating soirees will also be held in the eparchies. Donetsk will host the Youth for God in Ukraine conference to discuss Metropolitan Andriy’s address “How We Should Build Our Home.” A youth contest of artistic, musical, and poetic works dedicated to Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky and Patriarch Yosyf Slipyi will be also held along with the Basics of the Christian Faith contest and festival of contemporary spiritual music.

Head of the UGCC Most Blessed Cardinal Liubomyr Huzar turned to the Lviv Oblast State Administration director with a request to name one of the city’s streets after Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky.

Incidentally, another interesting fact has recently become public knowledge. In the words of director of the UGCC’s Sobor [Cathedral] Television studio Father Yosyf Milian, recently Studite monks found a letter from Patriarch Yosyf Slipyi during repair works at the Assumption Uniate Lavra. It was written by the Patriarch in 1947 in exile and addressed to Archimandrite Klymenty Sheptytsky. In this letter the Patriarch called upon Greek Catholics to preserve their faith and loyalty to their Church. This document is of great historical and spiritual value for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The address requires detailed historical research, thus it is planned to publish it in May 2004 together with the Church History Institute of the Ukrainian Catholic University.