UGCC Prepares to Mark Three Anniversaries in Rome

From November 23 to 27, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) will celebrate several anniversaries: the 80th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine 1932 1933, the 50th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of Josaphat Kuntsevych to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and the 50th anniversary of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Along with these events, the Year of Faith in the Catholic Church will come to an end and the third annual presentation of the Omelyan Kovch Award will be held. All the events will take place in Rome with the participation of the Synod of Bishops. 

On November 23 at 4:00 p.m., the day commemorating the victims of the 1932-1933 Holodomor, a Pontifical Mass and Requiem, which will be served by Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Rome, will be held. After the liturgy, candles will be lit in memory of Holodomor victims in Ukraine. The Ukrainian community in Italy and representatives of the diplomatic corps and various NGOs are expected to participate.

The next day, bishops and pilgrims will take part in the closing of the Year of Faith, which was proclaimed in the Catholic Church in October last year. At 10:30 on St. Peter's Square the Holy Mass will be celebrated, headed by Pope Francis, followed by a joint prayer of “The Angel of the Lord.”

The highlight of UGCC hierarchy’s visit to Rome will be the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of Josaphat Kuntsevych to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. On November 25 at 9:00, the Hierarchical Liturgy will be celebrated, after which the faithful will visit the tomb of Saint Josaphat, located in the altar of St. Basil the Great, to venerate the relics of the martyr for the unity of the Ukrainian Church.

On November 26, the third annual Blessed Martyr Omelyan Kovch Award ceremony will be held. The celebration will include a joint prayer and the transfer of his relics to St. Bartholomew 's Basilica in Rome. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew.

The Omelyan Kovch Award is awarded annually to people who have made significant contribution to the ecumenical dialogue, the dialogue of cultures and peoples, interreligious and interethnic understanding, charity work, or for his or her personal life example of sacrifice.

The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) will begin at 4:00 p.m. on November 27 at the St. Pope Clement Institute. The head of the UGCC will say a welcoming word. There will also be an awards ceremony of honorary doctorates of UCU. The UCU Senate, friends and benefactors of the university, papal rectors of universities, and representatives of various Vatican dicasteries will attend the event, the Information Department of the UGCC reports.