Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religion News
A story of perseverance

A story of perseverance

Last updated on: March 25, 2016 at 5:25 pm by Father Pablo Migone

A story of perseverance 2016-03-25T17:25:24-05:00 Father Pablo Migone

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In June 2006, I landed at an airport where arrivals and departures were permanently painted on the wall and where every passenger, regardless of airline, went to the same one check-in counter. After convincing the immigration agent that the picture on my passport was really me, I began one of the most meaningful events of my life, teaching English in Lviv, Ukraine.

Nearly all my students were Greek Catholics, those who preserve the liturgy and traditions of the east while remaining in communion with the Pope in Rome. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is one of the several churches that make up the Catholic Church. Most of my students had participated in the recent 2005 peaceful Orange Revolution which saw the fall of an illegitimate regime and the election of the western leaning president Viktor Yushchenko. Along with a hopeful political situation came a dynamic and growing Ukrainian Church with a full seminary and a growing Catholic university. After decades of worshipping underground, Ukrainian Catholics were grateful to practice their faith openly.

Teaching English at the university’s language immersion camp in a remote village on the Stry River was more than just teaching a foreign language to college sophomores. It was giving them a tool that would help Ukraine integrate better with Europe and assist the seminarians develop a stronger link to Rome. The university’ president, Father Borys Gudziak, a Harvard educated Ukrainian-American, told us that the mission of the university was to help Ukrainian society heal and rise from decades of Soviet control. Besides its strong Christian mission, the university serves as a center of Ukrainian culture and outreach that upholds the dignity of the human person.

When the Soviet Union invaded Lviv in 1945, the Theological Academy of Lviv was closed and its rector, Bishop Josyf Slipyj, was sentenced to a labor camp in Siberia. The following year the Ukrainian Catholic Church was officially dissolved and forcibly joined to the Russian Orthodox Church. Millions of Ukrainian Catholics lost their parishes, schools and other institutions. They continued to worship underground. Soviet policies called for the eradication of the Ukrainian language and culture. Millions died of starvation while Ukraine continued to be the bread basket of the Soviet Union.

Bishop Slipyj was released in 1963 after President Kennedy exchanged him for a Soviet spy. Slipyj promptly founded the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome. Soon after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Lviv Theological Academy began operating again under the guidance of Father Borys Gudziak, one of Slipyj’s students in Rome. In 2002, the Academy officially became the Ukrainian Catholic University. Before Josyf Slipyj died in 1984, he stated that once the Soviet Union fell, he wished for his body to be transferred to Lviv. Soviet authorities scoffed at his words, yet in 1992 his body was transferred from Rome to the Cathedral of Saint George in Lviv. He further stated before dying, that when the Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Ukraine reunited, he wished for his body to be transferred to Kiev. That may still take some time to happen.

Unfortunately the political climate in Ukraine has changed in recent years. The peaceful Orange Revolution of 2005 was replaced by a revolution of death and confrontation in 2014. Though politics may be turbulent, the zeal and mission of Greek Catholic Ukrainians continues. A Church that has known extreme persecution and suffering rallies on, confident and unafraid.

With my students. I’m in the back towards the right. On the left wearing purple is Paul from Alaska, we taught together.

In class with Father Bob (RIP) who had an amazing beard

Our classroom was also the dinning room of the house where six teacher volunteers lived.

After liturgy at the nearby village

Bridge at the village over the Stry River

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 19, 2015

Celibacy, prayer and obedience

Next Post

June 9, 2015 The death of the archbishop

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Article Catholic Lima Christmas Commentary History Homily Immigration martyrs Meditation Pope Reflection Saint Story Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 January 2010 June 2009 September 2008 August 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What tax collector wrote a Gospel and was called by Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mark Barnabas Matthew Luke