“UCU has to discover a treasure of faith of the Church for young people” – His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Lviv

On September 19^th, His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) for the first time as the Head of the UGCC visited the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. The Grand Chancellor presided at the Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the church of the Blessed New Martyrs and met with students and professors in the new buildings of the campus which is being in the process of construction. ”Today it is a special moment for me. After all, I have witnessed the birth of this University, I stood at the beginnings of the UCU as its professor, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology. And now for the first time I am visiting my colleagues as the Head of the UGCC. Being for many years outside of Ukraine, I missed this environment. I feel here at home. This mystery of the birth of a new intellectual center is something interesting and deep, and today I can see the University growing and developing, “- addressed the community His Beatitude Sviatoslav. According to the UGCC Primate, among many modern challenges, institutions like the UCU are called to be the light shining positively into the future. His Beatitude Sviatoslav stressed that the Synod of Bishops held in Brazil for the first time in the history of our Church adopted the Strategy of development for 10 years: “This multifaceted strategy can be summed up by one motto –‘Vibrant parish – a place to encounter the living Christ.’ The key part of this strategy is the upbringing and education of priests, religious and laity. Actually the UCU has to be fully integrated into this strategy, finding its own vocation among the roads which the Lord sends us. The task of bishops and faithful of the UGCC and the UCU in particular is to discover a treasure of faith of the Church for young people “, – said the Head of the UGCC. His Beatitude Sviatoslav wished the UCU community to successfully complete the construction of the new campus: “I wish all the plans were brought to a good end and the construction of the campus were gloriously completed. May the University become an environment of profound human and Christian education. May this community attract not only the best students and faculty, but also generous benefactors”. On behalf of the UCU community, the Rector of the University, Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, presented the Patriarch with a staff of the Great Chancellor of the University: “Following the example of the martyrs, we at the UCU learn to witness, in the service we are filled with ineffable joy of Paschal sacrifice, trying to be a laboratory of communication. Cherishing the spiritual dynamics, we would like to follow your guidance and be of assistance to you. Let this gift be of a support to you. Take this staff with our desire to witness, serve and communicate in love, “- said Fr. Borys Gudziak.

UCU press-office