Teams from UGCC eparchies of Sokal-Zhovkva and Sambir-Drohobych are the winners of the All-Ukrainian Brain-Ring Game

Before the start of the game all participants prayed at the Pontifical Divine Liturgy headed by Bishop Venedykt, Auxiliary Bishop of UGCC Lviv Archeparchy, together with co-celebrants Rev. Mykola Fredyna, rector of Lviv Spiritual Seminary of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Mykhailo Harvat, head of the Catechetical Commission, UGCC Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric, and other heads of UGCC Eparchy Catechetical Commissions.  In blessing the children for the game, Bishop Venedykt said “Every day we repeat the prayer to the Holy Spirit Tsariu Nebesnyi [Heavenly Tsar] in particular, ‘You who are everywhere and fill everything.’ The question posed to us is whether we believe that God is omnipresent and fills everything.  I wish all Brain-Ring participants to feel the presence of God.  It is not pointless that He said that where two gather in my name, I am present.”

Participants were divided into two age categories: 10-13 and 14-17.  There were teams from eleven UGCC entities: Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil-Zboriv archeparchies; Lutsk and Donetsk-Kharkiv exarchates; Sambir-Drohobych, Buchach, Stryj, Sokal-Zhovkva, Kolomyia-Chernivtsi eparchies.  Jury included Sr. Luiza Ciupa, vice-president of UGCC Commission on Catechism, director of Catechetical Pedagogical Institute at UCU, Sr.Yuliana Dziubata, head of the UGCC Commission on Catechism of Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy, Rev. Roman Hrydzhuk, dean of UGCC Ternopil Deaconate.  The children underwent a difficult course of preparation and contests in their parishes, deaconates, and finally eparchies.  Helpful in this preparation was the methodological guide “Holy Sacraments in the Life of the Church” developed by the representatives of the Commission of UGCC Kyiv-Halych Archbishopric and the organizing committee of the Year of the Holy Sacraments in UGCC.

We add that all interested could watch the game on-line transmission on the official site of UGCC. The moderator of the game was Br. Yuriy Tsehelsky, LSSHS student.

The winner of the Brain –Ring “Holy Sacraments in the Life of the Church” in the 10-13 age category was the team from Sokal-Zhovkva Eparchy, and in  the 14-17 category, the team from the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy,  The winners received  competition cups, medals, certificates and memento gifts;  other participants received  insignias from Sr. Luiza and Rev. Mykhailo.  In awarding the winners, Sr. Luiza emphasized that such a game is an important event for UGCC, since children are competing for a better knowledge of catechetical truths.  “I want to wish you that you will find the answers to those questions that in spite of the nerves and perturbation you could not find during the game.  In fact, I am convinced that you already know them.  I want to encourage you not to stop at learning only certain questions from UGCC Catechism, but to also live according to it.  I am grateful to you for your attempts and your emotions.  Believe me, your nervousness is for the sake of Jesus Christ, in order to get to know Him better,” said Sr. Luiza to the children.

At the end Rev. Mykhailo Harvat thanked the game participants and all who assisted in organizing this effort.

A reminder that UGCC Synod of Bishops declared 2012 as the “Year of the Holy Sacraments.”  According to the resolution of the Synod of Bishops of UGCC Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric, the Catechetical Commission of the Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric was assigned the organization and actualization of events marking the theme of the year.  A program was developed on an all-Church and eparchial basis, in particular, recollections, catechetical lessons, conferences, Eucharistic weeks, pilgrimages, seminars and Christian camps.  One of such events was the intellectual Christian Brain-Game “Holy Sacraments in the Life of the Church.”

UGCC Department of Information