Drohobych Gymnasium No. 14 Named After Bishop Julian Voronovsky
On May 14, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, visited Drohobych on a pastoral visit marking the 90th anniversary of the birth of Bishop Julian Voronovsky. The Primate of the UGCC participated in the ceremony naming Drohobych Gymnasium No. 14 after the late first eparch of the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy.
The official opening and consecration began with a prayer and a moment of silence.
Petro Shevyak, head of the Education Department of the executive bodies of the Drohobych City Council, then read out the decision regarding the naming of the gymnasium and the approval of the institution’s new charter. Together with the mayor of Drohobych, Taras Kuchma, he unveiled a commemorative plaque on the gymnasium building.
The consecration ceremony was performed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav together with Bishop Yaroslav Pryriz of Sambir-Drohobych and Metropolitan Ihor Voznyak of Lviv.
The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church described this historic event as a sign of God’s providence, noting that it coincided with the end of one of the largest attacks on western Ukraine, which had lasted nearly a full day. He also shared that the night had been especially difficult for the capital.
“Our capital bore the brunt of the attack last night. The Left Bank suffered the most. The enemy struck a high-rise residential building, and an entire stairwell collapsed. Rescue and search operations are currently underway. Two people were successfully pulled from the rubble. But after every stormy night comes a wave of peace. And we believe that after this turbulent and brutal war, moments of peace will come for all of us,” said the Primate.
He also expressed special gratitude to the initiators of the idea that made the naming possible: “My predecessor, Lubomyr Husar, used to say that every good thought comes from God.”
According to the Head of the UGCC, a Ukrainian school is not merely an institution that provides educational services, but a place of formation where young people receive values and principles that will guide them throughout their lives. In this regard, Bishop Julian Voronovsky can serve as an example and role model.
“I encourage all of you to learn more about who Bishop Julian was. I would only add that he was a bishop of the persecuted underground Greek Catholic Church, which represented the largest public opposition to the communist regime. Its emergence from the underground marked the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which the enemy is now trying to rebuild.
Bishop Julian was a highly educated man. Yet in order not to betray the principles of Christian piety and his faith, he endured profound humiliation and suffering. Until the fall of the Soviet Union, he worked as an ordinary laborer in a boiler room. And after the collapse of that prison of nations, the Lord called him to become the first bishop of the newly established Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy,” said the Head of the UGCC.
He also noted that he had known Bishop Julian personally as a rector and teacher during his studies at the Lviv Theological Seminary. The Primate particularly emphasized the bishop’s unique pastoral approach to people.
“Once, when I was going through a very difficult situation, he came up to me and said, ‘Son, don’t worry, everything will turn out fine.’ How often we—especially children—lack such parental warmth and words of hope.”
In conclusion, the Primate urged the students to make the most of their time at the gymnasium, noting that not all children in Ukraine today have the privilege of attending school every day. He explained that in many cities across the country, mayors are now overseeing the construction of underground schools, while in some places educational institutions are even being opened in subway stations.
“Remember that the time God has given you is steeped in the blood of our defenders. For every day you have the opportunity to sit at a desk, someone has paid with their life. Do not waste this time,” the Head of the Church urged.
Addressing parents, His Beatitude emphasized that they are the primary teachers and educators of their children, while the Church and the school are merely helpers along this path: “Do not neglect your calling—to raise good Christians and patriots of Ukraine. Be assured: when you do good, you are very strong. If you feel weakness in your life, seek out goodness and do good. Then you will see how much strength there is in your heart.”
Bishop Yaroslav Pryriz thanked His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the clergy, and all those present, and presented the school administration with a portrait of its current patron and intercessor: “May this school, through his prayers, become a place where the future of Ukraine is shaped.”
The bishop also recalled the words of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who said that educators and teachers are like sculptors who, through their creative work, shape the human person, reflect the inner world, and thereby shape the future.
The director of the gymnasium, Lyudmyla Konyk-Osadcha, also expressed gratitude to the Head of the UGCC, the clergy, and government officials.
The mayor of Drohobych, Taras Kuchma, noted that this is the first municipal institution in Ukraine to be named after Bishop Julian, who served both God and the people, and whose memory still lives on in the hearts of his now-grown students: “I am confident that everyone who graduates from this school will carry with them a part of Bishop Julian’s great and boundless heart into the world.”
