From newly ordained bishop Maksym Ryabukha: “I am grateful to Church for teaching me the love for God”
Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, who was elected by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC as a bishop-auxiliary of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC, and the Holy Father Francis blessed this decision during the Episcopal ordination, thanked everyone for their support on the path of his priestly vocation and ministering.
The new bishop especially thanked his new family in Eastern Ukraine.
“Donetsk region and Luhansk region, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, which are suffering from the horrors of war… I want to stand by your side in everything, being aware that Good Friday is not the end of God’s plan of salvation,” said Bishop Maxim.
“I am with you,” he remarked, “gazing into the quiet dawn of the Resurrection. We will find support for our life’s journey in the Holy Mysteries. In the communal experience, we will feel the power of the Christian family. We will see the enormous fruits of God’s grace in prayer and work.”
The bishop thanked his family, especially his beloved mother, for their constant support with tireless prayer, wise advice, and assistance in the Salesian ministry.
He also conveyed his gratitude to all his mentors, teachers, and friends during his school years, university studies, the period of Salesian formation, and the time of his priestly ministry.
“What I am today happened couldn’t have been done without you. With you, God shaped my heart, built my worldview, and confirmed my beliefs. With you, I experienced God’s presence and discovered the breadth of God’s view. So, thank you very much for that!” the bishop noted.
The newly ordained Bishop Maksym thanked the Church for bringing him to God and taught him to love, serve, and worship Him.
“I am grateful to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Bishop Stepan, Bishop Josyf, and all the bishops for their trust. Thank you to all my fellow priests for your sincere friendship, inspiring example, and constant support. I thank the entire Salesian family for the most precious gift for me, the gift of the charism of St. John Bosco. No matter where I am, I will forever remain a Salesian,” said the second Salesian bishop in the history of the UGCC.
The UGCC Department for Information
