His Beatitude Sviatoslav greeted the participants of the Inter-Seminary Conference on the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Josaphat
On September 21, the Inter-Seminary Student Conference “St. Josaphat — the Shepherd Who Gave His Life for the Unity of the Church” dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych began at the Basilian Institute of Philosophical and Theological Studies named after Joseph Veliamin Rutsky in Bryukhovychi. His Beatitude Sviatoslav greeted the conference participants and blessed them with fruitful work.
The Head of the UGCC underscored the significance of the figure of the holy martyr Josaphat and noted that his martyrdom sealed the communion of the Kyivan Church with the successor of the Apostle Peter. His relics, placed on the altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, together with the relics of St. Peter, are evidence of this unity for all of us.
The Primate also addressed the seminary brothers participating in the conference. They are learning more and more about the life and role of the holy martyr for the faith through their reports, giving them his archpastoral blessing.
“I am pleased that these seeds of the example of the life of St. Josaphat will fall into the hearts, preparing to serve God’s people in new circumstances and places where the Lord will call you,” said the Head of the Church. “During this brutal war, where lives, mostly innocent, are lost, we need individuals who can bravely stand on the side of truth, which is the Lord Jesus Christ for all of us, even if it costs them their own lives.”
The inter-seminary student conference “St. Josaphat — the Shepherd Who Gave His Life for the Unity of the Church” is being held from September 21 to 23 at the Joseph Veliamin Rutsky Vasilian Institute of Philosophical and Theological Studies in Bryukhovychi.
The UGCC Department for Information
