Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv

About

The Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv is one of the Greek Catholic eparchies in West Ukraine. It embraces part of the Ternopil region namely Berezhany, Zbarazh, Zboriv, Kozova, Kremenets, Lanivtsi, Pidvolochysk, Terebovlya (partly), Ternopil, Shymsk districts. Thus, the total area of the archeparchy is 8 346 km² and covers 662 settlements.

According to the latest statistical data of 2015, the population reaches 634 thousand people of whom about 385, 5 thousand are faithful.

Coat of arms of the archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv

As of March 20, 2016, the Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv of the UGCC numbers 263 parishes that are united into 16 deaneries:

Berezhany
Velyka Berezovytsia
Velykyi Birky
Velykyi Hlibochok
Saliszi
Zarvanytsia
Zbarazh
Zboriv
Kozova
Kozlov
Mykulyntsi
Ozerna
Pidvolochysk
Terebovlia
Ternopil city — Central
Ternopil city — Eastern

296 priests of whom 274 are eparchial and 22 hieromonks and 1 deacon are engaged in pastoral ministry in the archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv. Regarding consecrated to God persons, there are 113 people of whom 45 are monks and 65 are nuns. On the territory of the Archeparchy, there are monasteries of Studite Brethren, the Redemptorists, the order of St Basil the Great, and the Franciscans of Eastern Rite. Also, there are women congregations of Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, Sisters of the Holy Family, Sisters of Mercy of St Vincent, and Sisters of the Order of St Basil the Great.

Besides this, the Metropolis of Ternopil-Zboriv disposes of Ternopil Higher Theological Seminary named after Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, a school named after Patriarch Josyf Slipyi, and college for girls Znamennia.

On the territory of the Archeparchy, there is also a museum and home of Patriarch Josyf Slipyi. Catechetical courses for four years operate at the regional institute of teacher training. Catechization is also held at the schools of the region. An eparchial monthly magazine God’s Sower (Bozhyi Siyach) is published in almost ten thousand copies. There is established cooperation with public and private TV and radio companies.

The organization Caritas also operates in Archeparchy. It pursues to help the starving, alone, children-orphans, and disabled people. The organization does everything to make people feel warm and love.

Also, on the territory of the archeparchy, Maria`s Spiritual Centre in the village of Zarvanytsia is rapidly developing. It has not only ecclesiastical significance for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church but also a global one.

Location

Materials

Bishops

Since December 22, 2011, Bishop Vasyl Semenyuk has been the ruling Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv. As of March 12, 2015, Bishop Teodor Martyniuk has been Auxiliary Bishop.

The cathedral of the Ternopil-Zboriv archeparchy is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin in Ternopil.

History

The eparchy of Ternopil of the UGCC risen with the beginning of the national and spiritual revival on the territory of Galicia and Podolia which were rich in churches, monasteries, and orphans. This area has a long tradition of Christianity and faithful who were raised in loyalty to their Church. During the first forty decades, the Ternopil region was under the spiritual care of the Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky who regularly visited this part of his Lviv Metropolis.

Ternopil region is gifted for our Church His Beatitude Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, Bishop Martyr Hryhoriy Khomyshyn, Bishop Nikita Budka, and many others worthy of the Christ’s Vineyard. There were all reasons for the creation of our eparchy but there were some historical obstacles. This is eloquently confirmed by the words of the Head of our Church, His Beatitude Myroslav Ivan Cardinal Lyubachivsky, on the day of the proclamation of the Ternopil eparchy: “Today, here in Ternopil, another stage on the way to concluding new structures of the UGCC after its exit from the underground is coming to an end.” So, with the exit of the UGCC from the underground, the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC that took place in May 1992 thinking about more fruitful pastoral care over faithful, approved to the creation of four new eparchies.

The eparchy of Zboriv was established on July 13, 1993. It embraced ten deaneries and covered part of the Lviv and Ternopil regions. As of 1996, it was numbered 380 parishes where 374 279 faithful of the UGCC inhabited and 230 catechists and 162 priests worked. Also, 95 students studied in educational spiritual institutions. The publishing department published a two-month magazine, The Source of Life.

The eparchy of Ternopil was established on April 20, 1993, on the territories that belonged to the Archeparchy of Lviv and the eparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk. On October 17, 1993, bishop Mykhailo Sabryha was assigned as an eparchial bishop.

At that time the eparchy of Ternopil included Ternopil, Buchach, Borshchiv, Husyatyn, Zalishchyky, Zbarazh, Monastyrysk, Pidvolochysk, Terebovlia, Chortkiv districts. Thus, they created 16 deaneries, namely deaneries of Ternopil district, Ternopil city, Buchach, Borshchiv, Husyatyn, Zalishchyky, Tovste, Zbarazh, Monastyrysk, Koropets, Pidvolochysk, Terebovlia, Chortkiv, Velyky Birky, Hrymailiv, Melnytsia-Podilska.

According to the decision of the Synod of Bishops that took place on August 2000 in Buchach, it was created two new eparchies of Stryi and Sokal. Besides this, the eparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv was reorganized into the eparchies of Ternopil-Zboriv and Buchach.

On December 22, 2011, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin in Ternopil during the Divine Liturgy, the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk proclaimed the creation of the Ternopil-Zboriv Metropolis of the UGCC. The eparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv got the title of the Archeparchy. Bishop Vasyl Semenyuk became the first metropolitan of the Ternopil-Zboriv Metropolis.

It is not possible to bypass the important role of laymen in the life of the eparchy as it is from their spirituality, way of life, and behavior the vital activity of our Church largely depends. Christian-lay and youth organizations very well collaborate with the Church in our eparchy. In particular, it is a local organization Ukrainian Youth for Christ, which is the most active and large organization and, indeed, the generator of the youth Christian life of our eparchy. Members of the organization are initiators of different events that intend to attract their peers who have taken the wrong path. Such youth organizations as the community of creative youth Vidrodzhennia, scout organization Plast, Vertep, sport, and patriotic organization Tryzub named after Stepan Bandera, closely work with the Church. A club of Greek Catholics operates a significant educational work among intellectuals. It regularly initiates events dedicated to prominent figures and significant occasions of our Church.

Shrines

Among the pilgrimage sites and miraculous icons of the archeparchy, there is Maria’s Spiritual Center in the village of Zarvanytsia (Terebovlia district, Ternopil region) where you can find healing spring, The Way of Christ, Ukrainian Jerusalem, the house of the Mother of God. The miraculous icons of the Mother of God and Crucified Jesus (early XVIII c.) and a reliquary with the relics of the martyrs of early Christianity are exposed in the church of the Holy Trinity and Mother of God. Also, in Zarvanitsia, in the monastery of Stoudios, the relics of Pratulin Martyrs are kept. Among the miraculous icons there are a miraculous copy of the icon of Black Madonna of Częstochowa (17^th c.) that is kept in the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bucniv village (Ternopil region), a copy of the Miraculous Icon of the Crucifixion of Christ in the Church of the Transfiguration (early XVIII century) in Zboriv (Ternopil region), Roman-Berezhany miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin and the relics (part of the bone of the hand) of St. John the Baptist in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Berezhany (Ternopil region), Chernykhiv miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin (second half of the 16^th century) in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Chernykhiv (Zboriv district, Ternopil region), Vicinsky miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin (XVIII century) in the monastery of the Nativity of John the Baptist in the village Krasnopuscha (Berezhany district, Ternopil region), the miraculous icon of the Mother of God (a copy of the Czestochowa Mother of God) is in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Ternopil.

Contacts

Address: St. Sichovykh Strsltsiv, 6 a, Ternopil 46001, Ukraine

Phone: +380 (35) 223-50-09, +380 (35) 252-04-73
Fax: +380 (35) 252-04-73

Email: [email protected]

Website: tze.org.ua