His Beatitude Sviatoslav Appoints Bishops Andriy Khimyak and Stepan Sus as UCU Senators
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Grand Chancellor of the Ukrainian Catholic University, appointed Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy and Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as a senator of UCU, and Bishop Stepan Sus, Head of the Pastoral and Migration Department of the UGCC. The bishops received the respective decrees appointing them to four-year terms during a Senate meeting on September 5.
The decrees state that the decision was made “taking into account the importance of the UCU’s mission.” The bishops will serve as senators “with all the duties, rights, and prerogatives of this body, in accordance with the Statutes of the Ukrainian Catholic University.”
“We pray to the Lord for all the divine graces you need to properly fulfill the duties entrusted to you. May the all-merciful Lord generously bestow His grace upon you and bless your ministry, which you carry out for the glory of God and the good of the Church,” the Patriarch wished.
Throughout their terms of office, members of the Senate participate in making important decisions regarding the university’s operations, monitor the implementation of its strategy, and approve new directions for the institution’s development.
Bishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and President of the Ukrainian Catholic University, emphasized that both new senators are graduates of the university.
“Even as students, Bishop Stepan and Bishop Andriy stood out for their nobility and dedication,” he noted.
Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia, and Bishop Volodymyr Hrutsa, Auxiliary Bishop of the Lviv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, concluded their terms on the UCU Senate after serving two consecutive terms.
Bishop Borys thanked them for their many years of service and their closeness to the university community.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also joined the meeting online. He spoke about the challenges facing Kyiv and its residents today amid the full-scale war.
“We are working, praying, and doing everything possible to heal the wounds of war. We preach the Word of God, the word of Christ’s hope. I feel that everyone is flocking to the Church,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Head of the Church also emphasized the importance of national unity and called on the community to pay special attention to this issue.
At UCU, the cross-cutting theme for this academic year was formulated as the question, “What is our unifying force?” In this context, the meeting participants discussed, in particular, the role of the university and the Church in fostering a responsible attitude toward information.
During the meeting, the Senate also heard a report from UCU Rector Taras Dobko on the university’s activities over the past academic year and discussed the implementation of the UCU Development Strategy.
“Over the past year, our university has achieved successes that strengthen the Christian identity of the academic community, the university’s financial stability, and UCU’s communications. I am grateful to the university community for their solidarity in overcoming challenges and their shared responsibility in implementing the university’s development plans,” said Rector Taras Dobko.
The UGCC Department for Information
