The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Presented the Faithful in Australia with the Relics of Blessed Edigna, a Descendant of the Princes of Kyiv
On December 14, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, together with Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok and the clergy of the Melbourne Eparchy, prayed at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne. At the conclusion of his visit to Australia, the Head of the Church presented the faithful with the relics of Blessed Edigna, who belonged to the family of the princes of Kyiv.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav recalled that Blessed Edigna was the daughter of King Henry I of France and Anna Yaroslavna, the granddaughter of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv. Despite her royal origins, she chose the path of a hermit and lived in the small village of Puch near Munich.
“Blessed Edigna is a saint who united three European nations: German, French, and Ukrainian. She is revered in Germany as the patron saint of pilgrims. Every time you set out on a journey or a pilgrimage, even on a trip to Ukraine, I ask you to come beforehand and pray for the blessing of your journey to the patroness of the Ukrainian Church,” urged His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
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Cardinal Mykola Bychok thanked His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the members of the Permanent Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for accepting the invitation and coming to Australia. He also expressed his gratitude to the clergy of the Melbourne Eparchy and to all the faithful for their unwavering support in their ministry.
Cardinal Mykola separately acknowledged the support of the Patriarchal Foundation’s “Wise Cause” initiative, noting that thanks to the charity luncheon held last Sunday, a total of US$70,000 was raised through joint efforts.
“When we come together, we can do a lot of good,” the cardinal emphasized. His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav leaves us a spiritual testament—the words he has already addressed to us: “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. Our future is in God, our future is in unity with our mother Church in Ukraine, and only those who have God in their hearts have a real future.”
“This is a thousand-year-old history. This is the truth that unites us in a special way with the heart of our Ukrainian Metropolitan Church and the Patriarchal Cathedral of Ukraine in Kyiv. Your Beatitude, do not forget about us. And convey to all the faithful in Ukraine: we pray together with you, we suffer together with you, and together with you we do not lose hope.”
