Thank you for not leaving your city but keeping your checkpoint of the struggle for Ukraine here, — the Head of the UGCC in Yuzhnoukrainsk
On October 17–18, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, came to Yuzhnoukrainsk as part of his pastoral visit to the South of Ukraine, where he visited Holy Intercession Monastery of Sisters of St. Joseph the Betrothed and a parish of All Saints of Ukrainian People, prayed at the memorial for the victims of the war and visited the hospital of wounded defenders of Ukraine. He also met with the employees of the Southern Ukrainian NPP and local authorities.
The Head of the Church thanked Fr. Ihor Voron, the dean of the church, for not leaving his checkpoint — his church, and his people. “You, father set an example of a good shepherd”, said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that in these difficult times, he pondered many times over the words of Christ’s Gospel about the hired man and the good shepherd. The hireling, he says, cares only for himself, for his wages and profit, and when there is danger, abandons his sheep, does not care for them, sees a wolf coming, leaves them, and runs away. And then the wolf, the enemy, scares them. And the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
In this context, the Primate also recalled the priests and monks of the UGCC in the occupied territories — Kherson, the south of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Crimea, and the Donbas. They stand before God’s throne together with their people.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the parish of All Saints of the Ukrainian People in Yuzhnoukrainsk is on the front line of the humanitarian front.
After visiting in the hospital wounded defenders of Ukraine, the Head of the UGCC met with Director General of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP and local authorities.
“I came to express gratitude and respect for the titanic work of all those who provide us in Ukraine with the opportunity to live in safety, even more so, nuclear safety,” said the Head of the Church.
We remind you that His Beatitude Svyatoslav is making a pastoral visit to the South of Ukraine. On October 15–16 in Odesa, His Beatitude Svyatoslav met with representatives of local authorities and volunteers of the Odesa region, as well as with the faithful and clergy of the Odesa Exarchate.
The UGCC Department for Information
