Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Together with the Bishops of the Permanent Synod, Begins a Pastoral Visit to Brazil
On February 14, 2026, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, together with the bishops of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC, arrived in Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil, where he began his pastoral visit. During the week, they will visit the Archeparchy of St. John the Baptist in Curitiba and the Eparchy of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Mother of God in Prudentópolis. They will also hold the 15th (86th) session of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC.
At Curitiba Airport, the Head of the Church and the members of the Synod were warmly welcomed by Archbishop and Metropolitan Volodymyr Kovbych of Curitiba; Bishop Myron Mazur of the Eparchy of Prudentópolis; and Bishop Daniel Kozelinski of the Eparchy of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God in Argentina, along with priests and lay faithful.
In addition to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, those who arrived in Brazil for the Synod meeting included Bishop Volodymyr Yushchak of the Eparchy of Wrocław-Koszalin; Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch in Germany and Scandinavia; Bishop Bryan Bayda of the Eparchy of Toronto; Bishop Josafat Moschych of the Eparchy of Chernivtsi; Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; and Father Oleh Oleksa, personal secretary to the Head of the Church.
The program of the visit includes both intensive work by the Permanent Synod and active pastoral ministry. The members of the Synod will celebrate the Divine Liturgy daily in the archeparchial and cathedral churches and will meet with clergy, consecrated persons, catechists, children from Saturday and catechetical schools, and representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in the region. Special attention will also be given to meetings with civil authorities in Curitiba and in the State of Paraná. During the visit, the bishops will engage more closely with the life of the Ukrainian diaspora in Brazil, strengthening internal church unity within the UGCC.
The visit of the members of the Permanent Synod to Brazil will continue until February 22, 2026.
The UGCC Department for Information
