The official visit of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the U.S. is finished.

During his stay in the U.S. the Head of the UGCC had several meetings with government officials and politicians of this country, and met with numerous faithful of the UGCC.

On the first day of his visit, February 4, the Head of the Church in Washington at the invitation of the United States Congress commission, participated in a Prayer Breakfast with members of Congress and the President of the United States. Such prayer event is held annually since 1953, every first Thursday of February. This event is organized to provide a unique opportunity for political, civic and business leaders to gather together and make contacts. National Prayer Breakfast takes place in one of the luxury hotels in Washington. Since its foundation all the U.S. presidents took part in the breakfast.

Then Archbishop of the UGCC in Washington, near the monument to Taras Shevchenko served the prayer to the Blessed Virgin for the peaceful settling of the situation in Ukraine. To the prayer of Ukrainian clergy and numerous faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for peace in Ukraine joined the Patriarch Filaret, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, who is also staying in Washington these days.

On 5 February in the U.S. Congress, he was a participant in the annual Day of Ukraine, during which the Ukrainians of the United States met with representatives of the U.S. government: congressmen, senators, and representatives of the State Department to defend the interests of Ukraine.

The UGCC Primate said that the protests in Ukraine are not political, but due to the choice of a future state and urged the U.S. authorities to mediate in resolving the current situation in Ukraine.

The next day, February 6, His Beatitude Svyatoslav met with high-ranking officials of the U.S.: Vice- president Joseph Biden, Congressman Marcy Kaptur, Senator Chris Smith, Senator Michael Murphy and the representatives of the U.S. State Department.

During these meetings, the Head of the Church told about the protests taking place in the Ukrainian state, caused by people’s distrust of the valid government and the country's economic problems. The Head of the UGCC informed the officials about human rights violations in Ukraine in view of recent political events. He offered the U.S. to help Ukraine and to mediate between the government and the people.

At the end of his visit on Sunday, February 9, His Beatitude Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) served a Pontifical Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic boundary Cathedral of the Holy Family in Washington.

UGCC Department of Information