His Beatitude Sviatoslav installed Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainian Faithful of Byzantine Rite in Great Britain

The Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, paid a pastoral visit to the UGCC faithful in Great Britain on 1-8 August 2011.   The pastoral visit began with a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in London on Tuesday 2 August (the feast of St. Prophet Elijah) on the occasion of the installation of the fifth Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainian Faithful of Byzantine Rite in Great Britain, Bishop Hlib (Lonchyna).   The events were attended by Archbishop Antonio Mennini- the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Bishop Mykhail (Hrynchyshyn) - Apostolic Exarch in France, Benelux and Switzerland, Bishop Petro (Kryk) - Apostolic Exarch in Germany and Scandinavia, six Roman Catholic Bishops, Fr. Archimandrite Serhii Keleher – a priest providing pastoral care for Ukrainians in Ireland, Fr. John Solter - President of the Society of St. John Chrysostom, numerous clergy including Orthodox priests - Fr. Bohdan Matviichuk and Fr. Yevhen Stasiuk and numerous faithful of the Cathedral as well as representatives of public organizations.   During the following three days, His Beatitude Sviatoslav visited Ukrainian Greek Catholic parishes in Gloucester, Bradford, Oldham, Rochdale, Manchester and Nottingham as well as the Plast and SUM (Association of Ukrainian Youth) camps in Wales.   The head of UGCC ended his visit with a Divine Liturgy on 7 August in the cathedral in London, where he called on the faithful to give generously even the smallest strengths to God so that the Lord may multiply them as He once multiplied the bread in the desert.   At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Head of UGCC consecrated a marble table commemorating those who perished for the freedom of Ukraine which was installed by members of the Association of Former Ukrainian Warriors in Great Britain.   “The visitation of the Ukrainian people of God in Great Britain was for the newly elected Head of UGCC an opportunity to see for himself the life of our faithful and clergymen, strengthen them in their  faith and let them feel the care of the mother-Church in Ukraine for her children in diaspora. We rely our hope in God that it is only the first out of many visits of the Head and Father of the UGCC to the daughter-Church,” -  said in conclusion Bishop Hlib.  

Press Office of Apostolic Exarchate