“Thank you for continuing to serve and witness amid war, seeking the will of the One who sends you”: Head of the UGCC to the Sisters of St. Joseph on the occasion of the 125th anniversary
Our prayer today is a moment of our gratitude to God. We are grateful for all the saints, great people whom the Lord God has sent to our sisters, and for those sisters whom he has gathered in the congregation. Thank you, sisters, for being here today in your missionary village in Kharkiv. Amid our people’s tremendous pain and suffering, when the enemy sows death, there is a lack of someone to spread the life and shine God’s light among the weeping, wounded, and suffering people.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, said during a sermon in the chapel of the Blessed Martyrs Olympia and Laurentia in Lviv on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the UGCC. Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv Bishop Ihor Vozniak and Auxiliary Bishop of the Lviv Archeparchy Bishop Volodymyr Hrutsa were concelebrating with the Head of the Church.
Commenting on the passage of today’s Gospel, His Beatitude Sviatoslav invited us to reflect on three words: ‘will,’ ‘witness,’ and ‘glory,’ revealing their more profound meaning in the light of Christ’s resurrection.
The preacher explained that when Christ speaks of will, he speaks of the intention of the Heavenly Father. “The Father’s will is to make everything come to life. Therefore, anyone who wants to fulfill the Father’s will must take care of their development and that everything around them develops, acquiring a new meaning of life,” he emphasized.
The word ‘testify,’ according to the Archbishop, has two meanings: to deliver the message and to shine. Moreover, it means to perform works of mercy and to be an accomplice in God’s act. And the ‘glory’ of which the Savior speaks means not to take but to give.
“By listening to this word of God, we want to solemnly celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in our Church,” said the Father and Head of the UGCC.
He believes an anniversary is a pause in life when we should do three things: look at the path we have traveled, see where we are, and see the future where we need to head.
The Head of the church recalled the congregation’s history from its origins, noting the role of Fr. Cyril Seletsky as their founder, who, according to the patriarch, sought God’s will and was aware of his missionary work.
The Patriarch also mentioned the fruits of the congregation: two blessed martyrs, Lavrentiya and Olimpiya, who laid the foundations of the Catholic Church in Russia in faraway Siberia. And the Church in Prokopivsk miraculously has endured to this day.
Inviting the sisters to look at where they are now, the Primate emphasized that even today, they continue to seek the will of the One who sends them — they serve and testify during the war.
The Head of the Church also addressed Sr. Daria Panast, who came under Russian fire in the village of Lyptsi, Kharkiv region, and was wounded.
“I thank you for this ministry! Thank you for being here today, where it is most difficult. Thank you, sister, for not being afraid to go even to the Russian border and give people the necessary elements for survival. Because you came so that they could have a life there, today, Christ hands this mission to revive everything around you into your hands,” he added.
“Therefore, today, in this prayer for you, sisters, I want to wish you: first of all, that in every historical moment of the life of our people and the Church, you truly understand the will of the One who sends you. Today we will especially ask for the development of your congregation. May the Lord God listen to all your prayers and give you everything you pray to Him for,” whished His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
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