“Bishop Andriy Sapeliak said that the future of Ukraine 'is being smithed' in the East,” the Head of the UGCC during farewell with the reposed in Lviv

Friday, 10 November 2017, 22:18
Today, November 9, 2017, was celebrated funeral Hierarchical Liturgy, led by the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and after it the rite of burial of the Bishop Andriy Sapeliak took place at the city's cemetery of Vynnyky.

 To bid farewell to the reposed came bishops, priests, relatives, friends, as well as all indifferent residents of Lviv, who wanted to express their gratitude to the Bishop for his ministry and everything he did.

“Eastern wisdom says, that when someone saved one person, he saved the whole world; and when mankind loses one man, then it loses the whole Universe", with such words His Beatitude Sviatoslav began his homily during the funeral Hierarchical  Liturgy and added, “ We feel now in a similar way, because we came to bid farewell the oldest bishop of the UGCC, a devout missionary, a great patriot of Ukraine and a teacher of the Ukrainian youth — bishop Аndriy.”

The Primate stressed that Bishop Andriy is “an open message of God for our UGCC,” and he told about his most important moments of life, e.g. his correspondence with Andriy Sheptytsky.  

Besides, the Head of the UGCC noted that Bishop Andriy played an important role when Argentina was one of the first to recognize independence of Ukraine. Thanks to his personal meeting with the then-President of Argentina, this became possible.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that Bishop Andriy had a unique prophetic gift. “After finishing his ministry in Argentina in 1997, the Bishop wanted to return to Ukraine.  But he said that the future of Ukraine ‘is being smithed’ in the East... So he went to the city of Verkhniodniprovsk (Dnipropetrovska oblast), where he started working with the young people,” said the Head of the UGCC.

The Primate summed up by saying that diligent work gave its fruit because after the Revolution of Dignity one of the streets in Verkhniodniprovsk was called in honor of Bishop Andriy Sapeliak. Also, he took care about the Ukrainian Salesians since he was one of the first who joined this Order.

We would like to remind you that on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 AD, in the cathedral in Buenos Aires (Аrgentina) Bishop Danyil (Kozlinsky), eparch of the Eparchy of the Veil of Our Lady, clergy, monastics and faithful bid farewell to their first bishop in Argentina Rev. Andriy Sapeliak, who passed into eternity.  

Biographic reference

Andriy Sapeliak was born on 13 of December 1919 in the village of Ryshkova Volia, Yaroslavsky povit.  He was the first child in the family of Ukrainian peasants. His father served in the Austrian army. After graduating from Peremyshl gymnasium, Andriy joind the Salesian Order. On June 29, 1949 was ordained a priest. He received higher education at the Salesian University in Italy, faculty of canonical law.

In 1951 he organized the Small Ukrainian Seminary in France and was its first rector.

In 1961 Fr. Andriy was appointed as the first bishop for the Ukrainian faithful in Argentina, where he worked 36 years.

At first, Bishop Andriy was the Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Catholics in Argentina, and after creating an eparchy — Apostolic administrator for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Argentina.

In 1968 together with Bishop Protopresbyter Borys Ariychuk was elected to the governing body of the Ukrainian central representation in Argentina.  

In 1997 he returned to Ukraine. At 80-th year of life, he goes with the pastoral mission to the city of Verkhniodniprovsk (Dnipropetrovska Obl), where he worked till 2014.

In 2014 he moved to Vynnyky (Lviv oblast), where he lived till his last day.

Died on November 6, 2017 AD.

Bishop Andriy Sapeliak is known for his activities as a member of the Catholic Church: was a member of the commission of Eastern Churches at the II Vatican Council (1962—1966).

The UGCC Department of Information

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