East and West united in Madrid
Trying to organize a group of 45 can be a challenge. Trying to organize that group for an overseas trip when they are spread across a country that covers over nine million kilometers squared is a feat. That is exactly what the National Planning Team for the Canadian Ukrainian Catholic Pilgrims (CUCP) has done.
Although it is small, especially in comparison to the Western or Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Catholic Church is a vibrant and vital contributor to Catholic Christianity in Canada and in the world. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is but one of 21 of the Eastern Catholic Churches that since the 16th century have been in full communion with the Holy See in Rome.
Of the approximately 12.7 million Canadian Catholics, representing just over 43% of Canada’s population, only about 150 000 Ukrainian Catholics (1.2% of Canadian Catholics) live in Canada. 300 parishes of what is officially called the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, because they follow the Greek or Byzantine liturgical tradition, exist in Canada. The country has 5 Ukrainian Catholic dioceses, more correctly called Eparchies: Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon, New Westminster, and Toronto and Eastern Canada.
The value of the Eastern Churches has long been recognized by Rome; in its Decree on the Eastern Churches, Vatican II held in “high esteem the institutions, liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and the established standards of the Christian life of the Eastern Churches” and promoted their “protection and advancement.” Moreover, Vatican II recommended that laity and clergy alike develop a greater understanding through catechetical programs of these Eastern Churches’ spiritual richness. Nearly a half-century after Vatican II, most Western Catholics would probably admit to knowing little about the faith traditions of our Eastern sisters and brothers.
Having even a small group of Eastern Catholic Youth such as the CUCP participate in World Youth Day will go a long way toward bridging the East-West gap.
Almost all of the CUCP group have opted for an extended pilgrimage that will take them through Madrid, on to nearby Ávila, and then to sites in Morocco (Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, and Marrakech) before they return to Spain for World Youth Day. While in Fez, according to their online itinerary Canada’s Ukrainian Catholic youth will join in celebration of a “Catholic Mass, in French, with Canadian Ukrainian Catholics.”
As Eastern Catholics have a highly-developed theology of Mary as “God-Bearer,” derived from a Greek term (Western Catholics use the equivalent title “Mother of God”), the CUCP will engage in a catechesis session named God Bearers as one of their three main Catechesis Sessions during their extended pilgrimage. Such a title is meant to remind all Catholics that all are commissioned through Baptism to bear God to the world. 
While most Canadian pilgrims will be in Málaga for the Days in the Dioceses (DiD) from August 11-15, once they return to Spain from Morocco, CUCP pilgrims will stay in Barcelona during the DiD. They will join approximately 500 other Ukrainian Catholics from around the world.
During WYD, the group will participate in English-language catechesis sessions specifically for Eastern Catholics held at San Aurelio Parish. At the end of their sessions, they will join the Ukrainian speaking group just blocks away at Buen Suceso parish where they will celebrate Divine Liturgy together. Divine Liturgy is the Byzantine rite celebration of the Eucharist. It is not quite the same as the Western Catholic Mass in its externals and ritual, but it is a celebration of the same Eucharist, the same true presence of Christ.
For the first time at any World Youth Day, there will be a Divine Liturgy for all World Youth Day pilgrims who wish to attend on Saturday, August 20 at 9:30 am at Buen Suceso. This Divine Liturgy will be celebrated primarily in Ukrainian and Spanish.
