UGCC Head arrived in Australia for a pastoral visit

On the continent, the Prelate will visit several cities were, in particular, there were large Ukrainian communities exist: Perth, Mellbourne, Adelaide, Canberry, Sidney, Brizben. The city of Perth became the first city to be receiving His Beatitude.  Representatives of the Ukrainian community and parishioners of the Ukrainian Church of St. John the Baptist greeted UGCC Head  with bread and salt at the airport.

Also at the airport His Beatitude Sviatoslav was greeted by the elderly of the Perth Aborigian community, a representative of the Noongar tribe.  This is a traditional greeting of one of the  native people of Australia for important guests of the world who arrive for the first time in Australia.  

Ms. Marusia Yarotska, head of UGCC Eparchial Pastoral Council  in Australia, noted that the arrival of UGCC Head in Australia is a historic event.  “Today Australia is celebrating, it is greeting its Patriarch,”emphasized Ms. Marusia.  “As I was told by Bishop Petro,  my predcessors always visited   Perth last, and we wanted to visit you first in order to show that the Ukrainain Church is a  united one.  All are important.  Each one occuppies her or his own special place.  And today, as never before, we need to be all together,” stated  the Main Archbishop to the Ukrainian Australians.

“It is noteworthy that the faithful of the Church in Perth really  eagerly awaited the arrival of their Patriarch, because it is almost 30 years since the last time that the Head iof the Church visited them. 

It was in  1986 that Metropolitan Myroslav Ivan (Lubachivskyj) visited Perth.

“For us this is a spiritual event.  We have waited for this a very long time.  This is something very bright,” said Ms. Myroslava Stasiv who emigrated to Australia in 1950.  

His Beatitude Sviatoslav will celebrate Divine Liturgies in bioth Ukrinian and English, will meet with representatives of the Ukrainian community, students and lecturers of educational institutions , and UGCC clergy, and representatives of  Australian government.

His patoral visit to Australia will last until September 30^th.

Photo: Bohdan Varkhomiy

UGCC Department of Information