Bishop Wlodzimierz (Juszczak) addressed the faithful of his eparchy to explain the conduct of the collection “Andrew’s pence”

On Sunday December 14, 2008, after the Divine Liturgy in all parishes of the Wroclaw-Gdansk Eparchy (Poland), the monetary collection "Andrew’s pence" will be conducted for the needs of our Church in those countries where there are not yet established church structures. Traditionally in the Wroclaw-Gdansk Eparchy this collection is united with the collection for the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, the press-service of the Wroclaw-Gdansk Eparchy reports. On this occasion, on Sunday December 7, the address of Bishop Wlodzimierz (Juszczak), Eparch of Wroclaw-Gdansk, to the clergy and faithful on the matter of the collection of "Andrew’s pence” was read. "In the past twenty years, as a result of the large emigration of Greek-Catholics from Ukraine, very many such new places [where structures of the UGCC do not exist-  editor] have appeared on the map of the world. Today, in addition to countries where our bishops have already been for decades, numerous Church communities have risen up in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Israel, and also in Kazakhstan and Russia. It is possible to find the faithful of our Church even in the Republic of South Africa. Our Church has no structures in the mentioned countries," Bishop Wlodzimierz noted. In his words, the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is making a serious effort where it is possible and needed "to establish our full Church structures: whether in the form of eparchies or even exarchates." "At least in a modest measure the collection of ‘Andrews pence,’ conducted in our Church for the entire world, should help work out these problems and provide proper ministry for our modern diaspora," in particular we read in the address of Bishop Wlodzimierz. The Ukrainian-language text of the address on the web page of Wroclaw-Gdansk Eparchy can be read at: http://www.cerkiew.net.pl/Wiadomosci/wiadomoscjedna.php?polaczenie=wiad_1228553036.

Information Department of the UGCC