Head of UGCC thanked Mayor of Vilnus for supporting UGCC and Ukrainian community

In the context of the completion of the visit of Pope Francis to Lithuania on September 24, Patriarch Sviatoslav met with the Mayor of Vilnius, Mr. Remigijus Šimašius.

According to the Department of Information of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the parties discussed the development of the ancient Basilian monastery and the Temple of the Holy Trinity as an important pastoral and pilgrimage center of the UGCC, which is also an integral part of the history and Lithuanian identity of the city of Vilnius.

Mrs. Genute Kirkiene, a doctor of historical sciences, a professor at the University of Vilnius, emphasized that this temple was built by Prince Konstantin Ostrozky as gratitude to God for defeating the Moscow army.

The Vilnius mayor pays a special attention to the education of children of Ukrainian emigrants, the creation of a Ukrainian school, or at least some Ukrainian classes in Lithuanian schools, and proposed a program for the development of education with the preservation of Ukrainian national and spiritual culture.

In conclusion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked Mr. Remigijus for the meeting and support of the UGCC and the Ukrainian community. The parties exchanged memorable gifts.

RISU information. The Temple of the Holy Trinity in Vilnus celebrated its 500th anniversary in June 2017. In 1514, it was built by Prince Konstantin Ostrozkyi in gratitude to Lord God for the victory by the city of Orsha. In the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Holy Martyr Josaphat Kuntsevich performed his spiritual feat in this shrine.

The Basilians are the only Greek Catholic clerics in the Republic of Lithuania. They take care not only of local Ukrainians and Lithuanians, but also of migrant workers, who often come to Vilnius for construction work, and students who study there. They are also serving in Klaipeda, Elktrenai, Jonava and Kaunas. Without them, there wouldn't be any patriotic events associated with Ukraine.

In 2017, the Basilian fathers celebrated the 25th anniversary of their return to Lithuania. On November 10, 2017, Lithuania held ceremonial events to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat with the participation of Patriarch Sviatoslav, Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.