Pastor of the Ukrainian Cathedral in Paris: “The bishop Borys always calls on us for more”

“Our expectations are high – parishioners react to the living word of our bishop, who always calls on us to do something bigger, so that, despite all the problems of this world, we were children of God and good Christians.”

According to Father Romaniuk, when in 1998 he went to France immediately after graduating from a university the Czech Republic, he knew all the people in the parish by name: about 60 people attended the Divine Liturgy. “Then the parish was very small, mostly people from the diaspora. Some of the Ukrainians even thought that the parish would have to be closed because people were dying.”

The parish, however, was resurrected – in 2000 many people came to Paris: “Now every Sunday about 400 people come to the main Liturgy. In addition, we have two Sunday liturgies. Even neighboring parishes are amazed: they say that our parish is alive and young.” The Liturgy is held in Ukrainian, on Sunday the Gospel is also French.

Most of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic parishioners in Paris are from the Ukrainian diaspora; there are also a few mixed marriages. “There is interest in our church, especially in our singing. For more than 50 years the church has had a cathedral choir – the members may not be professionals, but they sing wonderfully.”


Meeting of His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Bishop Borys with faithful of the exarchate in St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Paris

A Ukrainian Saturday School for children, which was first organized by Sister Servants, has been operating at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral since 1958. Today, it is attended by close to a hundred children, who were either born in France or came from Ukraine. “Here they are taught what they can’t learn in French schools – Ukrainian language, literature, geography, history. We also prepare the children for the first confession and communion, and of course, we celebrate all religious holidays with them,” said the pastor.

According to Father Romaniuk, the attendance of Ukrainians at the enthronement of the Apostolic Exarch Borys Gudziak is very important for France: “We in France have everything, but we lack the Ukrainian spirit. Your arrival is a revelation for anyone who does not know us, and enrichment for those who know us.”

When asked how such a large exarchate, which includes five countries, functions, Father Romaniuk replied, “The exarch mostly stays in Paris and makes visits to parishes in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland. We have 19 priests so the bishop at least once a year tries to visit every parish and Greek Catholic community.”

UCU Press Service