“I ask for prayer that I may be a good minister to all of you”: Bishop Volodymyr Firman
“Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). Bishop Volodymyr Firman, Auxiliary Bishop of the Ternopil-Zboriv Archeparchy of the UGCC, began his thank-you speech from the Holy Scriptures on the day of his episcopal ordination at the Marian Spiritual Center “Zarvanytsia” on August 27, 2023.
At the outset, the newly ordained bishop noted that this historically significant day of episcopal ordination divided his life and ministry into “before” and “after.” At the same time, he said, it is a moment of “experiencing a great responsibility for my Church, in which the loving Lord has stamped me with the ‘seal of the apostleship’ (cf. I Cor. 9:2)”.
The bishop appealed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, glorified in the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia, expressing gratitude for her love and care “I felt in a special way because I was born and raised in Zarvanytsia, a place where the presence and feeling of the Mother of God is so obviously recognized by the miracles that have happened and are happening near Her miraculous icon!”
Addressing the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, with gratitude, the speaker noted his devoted service to his faithful during the war. “Your fatherly word, with which you address millions of Ukrainians to support them in spirit and strengthen them in faith, is a testimony to how you care for your flock and cherish it. Your presence among us is like the light that dispels the darkness. Your word is like healing water that quenches thirst in war. You are a living role model of what a servant of Christ should be to successfully preach the Good News to people, revealing the true face of Christ to the world through your life,” he said.
He extended his gratitude to all the bishops of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC for “expressing such great trust by electing me as a bishop and for embracing me with paternal love, bringing this love with their prayer and blessing,” as well as to Pope Francis for blessing this choice and to his brother bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine.
“Everyone has people who have made a lasting impression on us, poured their souls into us, invested their knowledge and experience, and sacrificed prayer and fasting for us. Metropolitan Vasyl Semeniuk is this person for me,” said Bishop Volodymyr Firman. He also expressed his gratitude to the second co-consecrator, Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Josaphat in Parma, who traveled thousands of kilometers from the United States of America to participate in this event.
Bishop Volodymyr Firman also thanked representatives of charitable foundations from abroad, notably the Hilferkeis fur Ternopil Foundation, the Society of St. Sophia in Rome, the Renovabis organization, and all those present and those who are no longer with us.
In this turbulent time of war, Bishop Volodymyr could not ignore the Ukrainian defenders: “I empathize, pray and bless all our soldiers, whom I have known since the beginning of the war in 2014, whom I had the opportunity to serve and will continue to serve together with my fellow chaplains. They also deserve my gratitude and recognition. Our soldiers are, for all of us, an example of the greatest Christian love and service: ‘No one has greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends’ (cf. John 15:13), and you, dear soldiers, who are here today, are a living testimony to this.”
We remind that on August 27, 2023, the new Auxiliary Bishop of the Ternopil-Zboriv Archeparchy of the UGCC, Bishop Volodymyr Firman, who had been the rector of this pilgrimage site until now, was ordained as a bishop auxiliary at the Marian Spiritual Center “Zarvanytsia.” The main consecrator was the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and the co-consecrators were Bishop Vasyl Semeniuk, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv, and Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat with its seat in Parma, Ohio, USA. The Divine Liturgy was also attended by numerous bishops, clergy, and faithful of the UGCC.
The UGCC Department for Information
