Head of the UGCC Appoints New Head of the Department for Pastoral Care in the Penitentiary System
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has appointed Fr. Oleh Nestor of the Lviv Archeparchy as the new head of the Department for Pastoral Care in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine of the Department of Military Chaplaincy of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC. The previous head of the Department, Fr. Kostyantyn Panteley, will continue his ministry as a military chaplain in the Ukrainian army.
Father Kostyantyn Panteley, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Father Oleh Nestor
His Beatitude Sviatoslav handed the decrees of renunciation and naming to the priests on August 28, 2024, during a personal meeting at the patriarchal residence in Kyiv.
During the meeting, the Head of the Church thanked Fr. Kostyantyn Panteley for 18 years of continuous service as head of the Department. His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized the significant contribution of Father Kostyantyn to the transformation of the penitentiary system of Ukraine from a punitive to a “more humane” one (from the Latin “poenitentia” — repentance). In particular, he recognized numerous pastoral initiatives, such as personal visits to prisoners, the involvement of seminarians and volunteers, the organization of pilgrimages of Ukrainian penitentiary system officers to Zarvanytsia, and especially art exhibitions of prisoners’ works.
Father Konstantyn expressed his gratitude to the Church for the opportunity to serve and noted: “At the beginning of this ministry, I had a sense of fear and uncertainty, but the Church gave me the privilege of working in the heart of its mission—penitentiary ministry, because repentance is the source of sanctification and salvation for a person, regardless of where they are. This experience was invaluable and helped me to serve better in many other pastoral areas.”
The newly appointed head, Fr. Oleh Nestor, and his predecessor discussed with the Head of the Church the main challenges and prospects of pastoral ministry in the penitentiary system of Ukraine. His Beatitude Sviatoslav encouraged Father Oleh to work hard in close cooperation with the head of the Department of Military Chaplaincy, Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn, and assured him of his full support. The Primate asked Father Kostyantyn Panteley to remain in the team and help with sound advice.
We would like to add that Fr. Oleh Nestor has considerable experience in the field of prison ministry. While studying at the Lviv Theological Seminary, he developed the Department of Prison Ministry at the seminary, and as a priest, he has 4 years of experience serving in Lviv prisons.
The UGCC Department for Information
