“Obnova” celebrates 95th and plans for the future
95th anniversary of “Obnova” founding was celebrated with a two-day conference “Following the Paths of Obnova” at UCU in Lviv.
The “Obnova” Federation reports on this event.
Over 140 Obnova members from Lviv, Kyiv, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Krakow, Boston, Vienna, and from the eastern front in Ukraine gathered for the two-day conference “Following the Paths of Obnova: Experience, Wartime Challenges, and Future Prospects” the organization’s 95th anniversary. Guests also arrived from international organizations: Der Europäische Kartellverband, Pax Romana — ICMICA/MIIC, Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej, and Die Katholische Hochschuljugend Österreichs from Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Poland.
The conference took place on March 29–30 at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and featured five discussion panels exploring Obnova’s history and mission, its place in international structures, its contribution to Ukraine’s defense during the major Russian invasion, and its future strategy. The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, and UCU Rector and Obnova member Taras Dobko delivered welcome addresses. Video greetings were recorded by UCU Honorary President Metropolitan Borys Gudziak (Philadelphia, USA) and EKV President Senne Doumen (Belgium). Conference participants included Roma Hayda, who initiated Obnova’s renewalin Lviv; Lesia Krypiakevych, co-founder of the Association “Obnova” in Lviv in 1992; Bishops Hlib Lonchyna and Ihor Isichenko; Piotr Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum; Yuriy Pidlisnyi, Director of UCU’s “Ethics-Politics-Economics” program; military doctor Oleksandr Homeniuk, author of book “Fragments from Avdiivka”; and others.
According to organizing committee representative and “Obnova” Federation President (2003–2007) Yuriy Pidlisnyi, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky established”Obnova” 95 years ago to demonstrate that Catholic student youth understand the processes occurring in society: found the need to confirm the place of educated people in the life of the Church and society to meet the complexities of the day. For many years Obnova in Ukraine was obstructed by forces of war. The post-war period allowed renewal abroad and with the fall of the Soviet Union was consequently reconstituted in 1992 in Ukraine.
“Now there’s a new generation of students, but not only students — also those who started and joined the Association in 1992 and are aware of all the challenges facing Ukraine. The motto ‘Renew All in Christ’ for us is meaningful in our formation, and what is called a ‘new social contract’. A ‘new social contract’ without Christ, without renewing this society, is impossible”, he noted.
Present “Obnova” Federation President Solomiya Kostenko emphasized the importance of international organizations’ participation in the conference.
“Obnova” cooperates with and holds membership in many international organizations, and our representative Tetyanka Shpaykher serves as Vice President for Communications at the EKV. Representatives from various organizations, our friends, came to this conference, and we showed them what is happening in Ukraine during the war. Together we visited the UCU volunteer center, the military cemetery Field of Mars in Lviv, and “Superhumans Center” all-Ukrainian center for war trauma in Vynnyky,” said Solomiya Kostenko. Sofiya Kernychna, the former Federation’s long-term foreign affairs coordinator, and Teyanka Shpaykher, сofounder and first head of the Kyiv Obnova Association and now the EKV Vice President for Communications, jointly coordinated the participation of international organization representatives.
On Saturday, March 29, four discussion panels were held. The panel “History of Obnova — Development of the Association from the 1930s to the Present” was moderated by historian Taras Antoshevskyi, Director of the Religious Information Service of Ukraine and Chairman of the Lviv “Obnova” Association (1996–1997). Ternopil Obnova representative Ruslan Semkiv led the discussion on “Essence and Calling of Obnova”. The afternoon discussion panels covered matters of “Obnova in International Structures,” moderated by Tetyanka Shpaykher, and the session on “War: Personal Experience and Federation Activities” was moderated by “Obnova” Federation President (2013–2015) Lidia Myrosh. Saturday evening featured an Akathist to Archangel Michael, patron saint of “Obnova,” followed by an evening program presenting European Christian Associations with their representatives and enjoying a specially designed cake celebrating the 95th anniversary.
Sunday’s program began with Hierarchical DivineLiturgy led by Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, son of Professor Bohdan Lonchyna, one of the first presidents of “Obnova” (1937). This was followed by a panel discussion “Proposals for Obnova’s Mission,” moderated by Andriy Kostiuk, prominent lawyer and first president of the renewed “Obnova” Asoociation in Lviv in 1992. Marking Onbova’s 95th anniversary included merited recognition of Obnova members. Yuriy Pidlisnyi and Sofiya Kernychna were honored with “First Degree Merit Awards”, and Solomiya Kostenko together with Nadiya Shchurko received “Second Degree Merit Awards”. The conference concluded with working groups’ reports presented plans for moving forward, association’s mission, researching Obnova’s history, and direction for the upcoming centennial and among other matters.
The UGCC Department for Information
