His Beatitude Sviatoslav Consecrates Alley of Heroes in Sheptytsky
On August 6, during his pastoral visit to Sheptytsky, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, consecrated the Alley of Heroes in the city center—a memorial bearing portraits of 276 defenders of Ukraine who perished in the war.
The Head of the UGCC, together with clergy of other denominations, celebrated a Panakhyda. The service was accompanied by a mixed choir of parishioners conducted by Lyubov Lopatyuk, the mother of a fallen hero.
Addressing the relatives of the deceased and the city community, His Beatitude Sviatoslav urged them to remember those who loved them so deeply that they gave their lives for them:
“I ask you, when you are struggling, when you do not know what decision to make in life, come here. Look into the eyes of these young men. Let them look into your souls from eternity, and you will understand everything. They will teach you how to truly love your homeland.”
The Head of the Church noted that “the alley of memory is a special spiritual thread.”
“In prayer, we sing ‘Eternal Memory’ to honor all those who gave their lives for Ukraine—the most precious gift God gave them,” he added.
“Singing ‘Eternal Memory’ is a confession of the Christian faith in the Resurrection. It is faith that God remembers each one of us and that His memory leads us through death to the Resurrection. God remembers everyone: all those whose names are inscribed on the Alley of Memory, and those whose names we may not yet know,” said the Patriarch.
Prayers were also offered for those missing in action.
“We will ask God, if they are alive, that they may be saved and return to their families and loved ones. If they are no longer with us, may God receive them into His eternal embrace in heaven,” the Head of the UGCC said.
The commemoration concluded with the sprinkling of the stands bearing the photographs of the fallen soldiers.
photo by the press service of the Sokal-Zhovka Eparchy and Dmytro Voitovych
