“Every Day, As Long as You Have the Opportunity to Learn, Keep Learning,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav Advises Young People in Chortkiv
To value the opportunity to learn, strive for excellence, and remain true to their Ukrainian identity—this is what His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, urged Ukrainian youth to do during a meeting on September 30 in Chortkiv. The Primate emphasized that this call applies to young Ukrainians both at home and abroad.
The meeting took place at the Kateryna Rubchakova Cultural Service Center. Among those attending were schoolchildren, college students, teachers, and local government officials.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about the upcoming episcopal consecration of Bishop-elect Terentiy Tsapchuk, who has been elected Auxiliary Bishop of the Buchach Eparchy.
“Chortkiv will receive a new bishop from the Church. He will be an auxiliary bishop to our Bishop Dmytro—Bishop Terentiy,” said the Head of the UGCC.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav congratulated the young people on the start of the new school year, thanked them for the opportunity to meet and talk, and urged them to pray for one another once they returned home.
“Looking at all of you gathered here today, I feel that you are truly special and privileged students. Because you have the opportunity to study in person, to sit side by side with your teachers and professors,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Primate spoke about remote learning in Kyiv and the underground school in Zaporizhzhia, built to enable children to attend classes in person. These examples, he said, demonstrate what a special privilege it is during wartime to be able to study together, see one’s teachers, and interact with one another.
The Head of the UGCC called on young people to make full use of the gift of education—which the Ukrainian military is fighting to secure for them—and not to squander it. “Every day, when you have the opportunity to learn, keep learning,” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He also specifically mentioned the situation of Ukrainian youth who, due to the war, have moved abroad. According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, young Ukrainians in other countries are making significant efforts to pursue their education and adapt to their new surroundings.
“Indeed, they understand that today, in the world, being Ukrainian means being the best,” the Primate noted.
He explained that to win the war, Ukrainians must not only be stronger than the aggressor on the battlefield but also wiser and mentally stronger.
“We must be morally superior to that enemy who has come to destroy, steal, kill, and exterminate. God, protect us from becoming similar to the enemy who seeks to annihilate us today,” emphasized the Head of the UGCC.
According to him, this call applies to both Ukrainians abroad and young people in Ukraine. His Beatitude Sviatoslav is convinced that the young men and women in Chortkiv have every opportunity to become the best.
The Primate also commended the openness of Chortkiv’s youth and student community, where young men and women from various regions of Ukraine study. In particular, he mentioned his nephew, who is from the Dnipropetrovsk region and is studying at a local medical college.
Addressing the youth, the Head of the UGCC thanked them for understanding their responsibility before God and their homeland and blessed them for the new academic year.
Explaining the meaning of the blessing, he referred to the Gospel account of the Risen Jesus Christ’s encounter with the apostles (John 20:19–23). The Primate recalled that Christ came to the disciples when the doors were locked, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you!” and then breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit!”
“A blessing is a wondrous spark… A blessing is nothing other than the breath of the Risen One, passed down from generation to generation by those very apostles and their successors who received that breath. He who conquered death, who rose from the dead, breathes upon you and inspires you with His Spirit of holiness, wisdom, and victory over death,” explained the Head of the UGCC.
In conclusion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav called on young people to be the best they can be while remaining faithful to their Ukrainian identity.
“You will achieve this, because God will bless you for it,” emphasized the Primate.
The UGCC Department for Information
