Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn Visits Ukrainian Defenders and Chaplains on the Occasion of Easter
During the Easter holidays, Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn, head of the Department of Military Chaplaincy of the Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, paid a pastoral visit to military personnel and chaplains serving along the front line. His visit was part of an Easter mission aimed at supporting the spirit of Ukrainian defenders amid the harsh realities of war.
This was reported by the press center of the Military Chaplaincy Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
In cooperation with the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, seven interfaith mobile chaplain groups were organized. Throughout the Easter period, chaplains were present on the front lines, reinforcing the ministry of regular military chaplains. Volunteer chaplains also joined the mission, becoming a vital part of the soldiers’ spiritual support.
Chaplains of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church delivered Easter gifts to the front lines and hospitals, blessed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, on Palm Sunday. During their visits with defenders, the chaplains greeted them with the radiant joy of Christ’s Resurrection, administered the Holy Sacraments of Confession and Communion, celebrated the Divine Liturgy, and shared the joy of Pascha through blessed gifts.
Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn emphasized that the purpose of the Easter mission was to proclaim the message of the Holy Scriptures—that the Lord is risen—and to affirm the call to choose life:
“We want every soldier, every defender, despite all the hardships and turmoil of war, to experience and understand that the Risen Lord is coming to them.”
According to Father Yevhen Flysta, chaplain of the 105th Separate Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and coordinator of the mobile group led by Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn, the group’s itinerary included areas bordering Russia. The mobile groups worked intensively—celebrating the Divine Liturgy and Holy Week prayers in some of the most remote and dangerous locations, and blessing Easter baskets. In some cases, unique relics were brought, including the oldest shroud from Zarvanytsia, which was handed over by Bishops Teodor Martynyuk and Volodymyr Firman for the spiritual support of the military.
“We tried to visit as many priests as possible who serve in the most difficult places,” said Fr. Yevhen. “The bishop came not just as a visitor, but as one who strengthens the chaplain during the most challenging moments of his ministry. He participated in divine services, spoke with commanders about chaplains’ needs, and emphasized the importance of their mission and priestly dignity.”
The UGCC Department for Information
