The pastoral visit of His Beatitude Sviatoslav to Lutsk Exarchate has ended

On the final day of his canonical visit to Lutsk Exarchate (March 31, 2013), His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), UGCC Head, blessed the iconostasis in Saint Basil the Great Church in Lutsk.  The he led the Pontifical Liturgy with concelebrant  Bishop Josaphat (Hovera), Lutsk Exarch, in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Blessed Mother.

At the beginning of the sermon (audio) UGCC Primate welcomed Rev. Volodymyr Podoltso and thanked him  for heading the UOC-KP delegation; he also greeted all brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic Church with the Feast of the Resurrection which they celebrate on this day.  “May the Risen Christ generously bless you so that all the wounds which we carry in our hearts, especially the well-known wound of the Volyn tragedy be healed and cured through the power of forgiveness and the grace of the Risen Christ.  Christ is Risen! – and may he resurrect you,” wished he.  The Major Archbishop also welcomed the representatives of the local Lutsk administration, emphasizing that it is only those officials who are with the people that have a future.

“Five years of the  existence of  the Lutsk Exarchate  is a new period in the history of the Uniate Church – ancient and historic in Volyn soil, which was destroyed and then resurrected with Christ,” said the preacher in turning to the clergy, monastics, and faithful.  He also greeted Bishop Josaphat with the fifth anniversary of his  consecration as a bishop:  “I wish you that with God’s blessing, the support of the Church and good people may churches grow every day on this holy Volyn land.”

In returning to the words of the Sunday Gospel, UGCC Primate noted that Christ came to earth in order to return to each one the reality of being God’s child, so that “each one becomes the son and daughter of the Heavenly Father through forgiveness which He (the Son of God) brought us.”  “Due to Christ’s Resurrection we can get rid of our inner turmoil and  begin a new fully-valued life that is only possible through faith.  It is only faith which unites a person with God,” he convincingly stated.  UGCC Head believes that the one who receives forgiveness for and cleansing of one’s own sins, can be free and capable of building a free, independent, well-to-do and flowering nation.

At the end of the Liturgy, Rev. Roman Behey, pastor of St. Basil the Great Church, expressed gratitude to UGCC Head and Father and greeted Bishop Josaphat with his jubilee of service as a bishop.

After the Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared with those present his impressions of the canonical visitation of the Lutsk Exarchate.  First of all, he thanked the Lutsk Exarch for his zealous archpastoral service: “So quietly, with great humility you give this land and its people the strength of Christ’s Resurrection, with which our Church is resurrecting on this land.”

He also thanked the clergy and the monastics of the exarchate, specifying that in the monastic abodes he saw “really those people who sacrifice their life for their  herd and for their Church.”  “Often the clergy here do not only sacrifice their personal lives, but also the life of their families and children in forsaking earthly goods and well-being.  By this life, they  create the foundation for our Church on this land, reviving it and saving peoples’ souls,” added the Major Archbishop. 

UGCC Primate also noted the hospitality of representatives of other confessions here. “I was pleased that in the UOC-MP  church in Volodymyr-Volynskyi, where three of our Metropolitans-Bishops are buried and where the Cross stands at which

St. Josaphat (Kuntsevych) prayed , we could pray together and were warmly received.  We felt the fellowship and Christian welcome from the clergy of UOC KP.  I thank you for the fact that Ukrainian Churches know how to be friends, especially on this land,” he noted.

As was reported, His Beatitude Sviatoslav throughout all his days of visiting, also met with representatives of  the   administrations of Rivne and Lutsk regions.  Thus, he paid his respects to them and thanked them for the understanding and cooperation, because it is important that the officials be one and the same to everyone.  “I hope that you can serve people in the same way as Jesus Christ served people.  And may He bless you and your families,”   addressed the speaker the representatives of  administration.  UGCC Head also  demonstrated his respect and love to the faithful of the Lutsk Exarchate.  “You live here as real “live” Christians who feel their Christina mission in their lives.”

In summary, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that the  exarchate is similar to a mustard seed which is the smallest of all seeds, yet has in itself such strong life energy that “from it will grow the  highest tree, in whose crown the heavenly birds will find a place to rest.”

At the end bishop Josaphat  thanked UGCC Head and Father: “We are grateful to you for this opportunity to pray together with you, for as you know, children always yearn for the presence of their father.  We  express to you our love and dedication and we are ready to continue developing our communities here – on this earth.”

UGCC Department of Information