His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the Bishops of the Permanent Synod Arrive in Canada
On February 21, 2025, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, commenced a visit to Canada. At the Toronto airport, the Head of the UGCC and Bishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia, were warmly welcomed by Most Rev. Bryan Bayda, Eparch of Toronto, along with clergy, youth, and faithful. They greeted the guests with flowers and sang the traditional “Many and Blessed Years.”
The main purpose of the visit is to conduct meetings of the UGCC Permanent Synod, which began on February 22 with a Liturgy at the St. Elias Church in Brampton. Among the participants in the communal prayer were the bishops of the Permanent Synod and those of the UGCC serving in Canada. The Synod’s work will continue until March 2, 2025.
During their stay in Canada, the Synod will celebrate services and meet with clergy, laity, youth, and representatives of the local Ukrainian community. Additionally, official meetings with political, religious, and public figures are planned, as well as a lecture by His Beatitude Sviatoslav on evangelization in the modern world, which will be moderated by Timothy Snyder.
This visit presents a unique opportunity for spiritual renewal and the unity of the Ukrainian community in Canada with the leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Reference:
The Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a panel of bishops acting on behalf of the Patriarchal Synod and serves as an advisory board to the Head of the Church. The Permanent Synod consists of the Father and Head of the UGCC, who chairs it, and four bishops appointed for a five-year term. One bishop is nominated by the Father and Head of the UGCC, while the other three—at least two of whom must be eparchial bishops—are elected by secret ballot by the Synod of Bishops.
Currently, the members of the Permanent Synod are Bishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia; Bishop Volodymyr Yushchak, Bishop of the Wroclaw-Koszalin Eparchy; Bishop Josaphat Moshchych, Bishop of the Chernivtsi Eparchy; and Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia. The Synod is headed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy of the UGCC, serving as the Secretary of the Synod.
The UGCC Department for Information
