Summary of the Visitation of His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada

All ten days of the visitation were filled with meetings with youth and children, community organizations and their members, full-day Ukrainian Catholic schools, concerts, banquets, and most of all liturgical celebrations, to which the faithful under the leadership of His Beatitude Sviatoslav were able to pray most of all for unity in the mother Church in Ukraine.

The first six days of his visitation were spent by Patriarch Sviatoslav in the City of Toronto.

On Friday, the 2^nd of May, His Beatitude visited St Demetrius Parish, served a moleben, visited St Demetrius Catholic School, the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre, and St Demetrius Senior’s Residence. He also met with deacons from the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. At the end of the day His Beatitude had a dinner with guests of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at the University of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.

On Saturday, May 3^rd, His Beatitude celebrated a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Parish, after which there was a banquet and a visit with members of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada. Afterwards His Beatitude also met with youth and children of the Eparchy of Toronto. During this encounter His Beatitude was able to answer their questions as well as impart his archpastoral blessing. Children and youth were able to greet His Beatitude Sviatoslav on the occasion of his birthday. On the occasion of his official pastoral visitation, that evening a concert Tribute to Ukraine was held with numerous Ukrainian groups participating.

On Sunday, May 4^th, His Beatitude Sviatoslav continued his pastoral visitation and visited the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate at their provincial house in Toronto; the sisters hosted His Beatitude for a delicious breakfast. After lunch His Beatitude served a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Dormition of the Mother of God Church in Mississauga. Present at this liturgy were members of the clergy, His Excellency Bishop Stephen Chmilar, and His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto.  After the Divine Liturgy there was a banquet in honour of His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, at which His Beatitude addressed those gathered in both Ukrainian and English, speaking about the situation in Ukraine and the role of the Church in these difficult times for Ukraine. In order to better explain the situation in Ukraine, His Beatitude recited a portion of the poem Son by Shevchenko (“У всякoгo свoя дoля...”). All attentively listened to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, admiring His Beatitude’s wisdom, fortitude, piety, and they even compared him to the servant of God Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who diligently served God, the Church, and the Ukrainian Nation.

On Monday, May 5^th, in the morning His Beatitude served the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St Josaphat; this liturgy was attended by members of St Josaphat’s Catholic School.   After lunch, His Beatitude visited St Sophia Catholic School, in Mississauga, which is attached to the parishes of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St Elias. After this visit His Beatitude went to the site of St Elias parish, in Brampton and celebrated a Moleben with the gathered community. This parish burnt down two weeks before Pascha. After a short snack Patriarch Sviatoslav met with catechists and priest’s wives. This was all on His Beatitude’s birthday.

Tuesday, May 6^th, in the morning His Beatitude celebrated Divine Liturgy at Sts Peter and Paul Parish, in Scarborough. After the Liturgy there was a lunch attended by all priests of the Eparchy along with His Excellency Bishop Stephen. The rest of the day was free so that His Beatitude was able to rest before the remainder of the visitation.

On Wednesday, May 7^th, Patriarch Sviatoslav visited the largest Ukrainian Catholic school, Joseph Cardinal Slipyj in Toronto, served by St Nicholas Parish. The children organized a concert in honour of His Beatitude’s visit. The Patriarch had the opportunity to speak to all children and answer their questions, which they themselves posed to His Beatitude. At the end of the visit was a formal lunch attended by school teachers and administrators, as well as priests from St Nicholas Parish, members of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, His Excellency Bishop Stephen, and His Eminence Cardinal Collins. After this lunch His Beatitude conducted his canonical visitation of the chancery of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. In the evening his day continued with a visitation to the newly-constructed parish of St Joseph in Oakville. Here His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the evening. After supper His Beatitude had an opportunity to meet first with the Knights of Columbus, followed by a gathering with members of Ukrainian community organizations.

On Thursday, May 8^th, after the morning celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav travelled to the capital of Canada  - Ottawa. Here His Beatitude met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird, Minister of Employment and Social Development as well as Minister of Multiculturalism Jason Kenney. He also met with Dr Andrew Bennett, Ambassador for Religious Freedom, as well as the Polish Ambassador to Canada and the Parliamentary Canada-Ukraine friendship group. He also attended Question Period in the Parliament where he was publically recognized. That evening he also met with parish youth at St John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Shrine in Ottawa.

On Friday May 9^th, His Beatitude had breakfast at Holy Spirit Seminary, followed by a visit to the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa. Here he celebrated a moleben for the glorification of Metropolitan Andrey before having an encounter with university students. After this he visited the Apostolic Nunciature where he had lunch with the Nuncio, the Archbishop of Ottawa, and the president of the CCCB. That evening, at the conclusion of his visit to Ottawa, His Beatitude celebrated a hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St John the Baptist Shrine which was followed by a banquet in the parish hall in honour of the Patriarch.

On Saturday, May 10^th, after a morning Divine Liturgy at Holy Spirit Seminary, Patriarch Sviatoslav travelled to Montreal. On this day he visited St Michael’s Parish (Iberville) and met with the president of the Ukrainian World Congress (СКУ), Mr Eugene Czolij. Mr Czolij informed His Beatitude about current initiatives and projects of the Ukrainian World Congress to help Ukraine, as well as the important of elections, for which the Congress is organizing a mission of foreign observers.  

On Sunday, May 11^th, Patriarch Sviatoslav celebrated a hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Dormition of the Mother of God parish, which was followed by a banquet in honour of the Patriarch. During the banquet Mr Czolij greeted His Beatitude Sviatoslav in the name of the Ukrainian World Congress and stressed the importance of His Beatitude’s consecration of the Ukrainian nation to the Protection (Pokrov) of the Theotokos on 2 February 2014.

On Monday, May 12^th, His Beatitude Sviatoslav visited Holy Spirit Parish as well as St Basil the Great (Lachine), before returning to Ukraine.

While in Montreal, Patriarch Sviatoslav had the opportunity to visit St Joseph’s Oratory as well as Notre-Dame Basilica.

During the visitation to the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada, His Beatitude met with both Canadian and Ukrainian press, and gave individual interviews to the Globe and Mail and the Catholic Register. Toronto-based Ukrainian television programs Kontakt and Forum TV, as well as W4Y Productions, covered the Patriarch’s visit.

Fr. Oleg Kachur and Fr. Alexander Laschuk