New Donetsk Exarch of UGCC Installed in Zaporizhzhia
On November 21, 2024, the enthronement of the new ruling bishop of the Donetsk Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, was held in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Zaporizhzhia.
The solemn service on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was led by the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in concelebration with the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Bishop Stepan Meniok, Bishop Maksym Ryabukha and many bishops and priests. Metropolitan Volodymyr Viytyshyn of Ivano-Frankivsk, Greek Catholic Bishop Teodor Matsapula of Mukachevo, UGCC bishops from all over Ukraine, and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine arrived in Zaporizhzhia. Bishops of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine also attended the service.
During the Liturgy, Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, read the Patriarchal Decree on the naming of Bishop Maksym Ryabukha as Exarch of the Supreme Archbishopric of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC.
In the decree, the Head of the Church noted that “in view of reaching the canonical age of 75 years, the resignation of His Eminence Bishop Stepan Meniok from the government of the Exarch of the Donetsk Exarchate was accepted. Our dear brother in Christ, Bishop Stepan, served sacrificially in this exarchate for many years, gaining respect among the clergy, monastics and laity. Half of the years of his ministry were spent during the occupation of the exarchate and his forced expulsion from the cathedral church in Donetsk.”
“Taking into account the spiritual needs and the good of the faithful of our Church along with the vacancy of this throne, the UGCC Synod of Bishops elected You to the office of Exarch of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC, and we, by the power vested in us, for the glory of God and the salvation of the God-loving people, name and appoint You Exarch of the Supreme Archbishopric of Donetsk Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,” the document reads.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that Bishop Maksym accepts this ministry at a time when a violent, invasive war is waged in our homeland. “You are facing a long and difficult period of healing the wounds inflicted by it. Be ready to serve all those who have suffered losses from this atrocious war. Comfort widows with God’s word, wipe away tears of orphans, proclaim hope in the Lord’s mercy,” he called.
Then Bishop Maksym Ryabukha took the oath and recited the Creed. After that, the solemn moment of enthronement took place.
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In his sermon, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the enthronement of the new exarch, which took place in Zaporizhzhia on the day of the Entrance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is “a marvelous act of God.” He called on the new shepherd to be the one who will help find the way to the true temple for millions of Ukrainians who are suffering and losing hope because of the war.
“Your Excellency, help find the way to the true temple for those millions of Ukrainians who are lost today, whose hope the enemy seeks to rob from them. Take them by the hand and lead them,” the Head of the UGCC addressed the bishop, underscoring that the Lord God will then grant the strength to rebuild the destroyed, bring home the scattered, free the captives and find the missing.
After the Liturgy, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, addressed Bishop Maksym Ryabukha with greetings and urged him to ask for forgiveness and to be grateful.
“I have two things to wish the bishop that terrify the devil. He fears when the ruling bishop asks God for forgiveness not only for his sins, but also when you pray for the entire Donetsk Exarchate and the prisoners. This is fundamental—believe in the power of your prayer! The second thing the devil is very frightened of is when we give thanks for the gifts we have received. Believe in the importance of always being grateful!” the Apostolic Nuncio urged.
Addressing the new Donetsk Exarch, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said: “Today we asked the Lord God that your entry into the church as an exarch would open a new page in the history of this exarchate. So that from this moment, from this very minute, Ukraine would begin to win—step by step and irrevocably. Today you have entered the church here in Zaporizhzhia. I wish you to enter your cathedral in Donetsk. Our soldiers are standing to the death, holding off the enemy. And we will reclaim these territories of ours, liberate the people who are waiting there for truth, for freedom, for justice. The Lord God will listen to our prayers,” said the Patriarch.
The Primate thanked the bishops, priests, faithful, as well as representatives of the state authorities and the military for their joint prayer and support of the new Donetsk Exarch, saying that he had spoken with representatives of European countries and “convinced them that Ukraine will win.”
“I thank you for being here today and for continuing to move together step by step, day by day, multiplying good deeds to our common, national, great, human and Christian victory,” the Primate thanked.
Recalling that the enthronement of Bishop Maksym Ryabukha coincided with the Day of Dignity and Freedom, the Patriarch added that “when we stand together, fight together, support each other, no one will seize our dignity and freedom.”
Recalling the beginning of the full-scale war, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the monks present at the prayer, who were making a monastic pilgrimage to Zaporizhzhia on February 22–23, 2022. As His Beatitude testified, then Bishop Stepan Meniok assured that “it covered Zaporizhzhia with a shield, a dome of its prayer.” “Without monasticism, the eparchy has no true deep roots. Where there are monasteries, our Church has roots and can grow and develop,” added the Head of the UGCC.
Afterward, Bishop Stepan Meniok addressed Bishop Maksym with a word of guidance and congratulations, recalling the stages of formation of the Donetsk Exarchate and its development.
“The Word of God penetrates people, they come to us, believe in us, people believe in God,” said the bishop and added that he “loved the people of the East” and would remain to serve in the Donetsk Exarchate.
In his gratitude speech on the occasion of his enthronement, Bishop Maksym thanked the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, his predecessor, Bishop Stepan Meniok, the clergy of the Donetsk Exarchate, the faithful and the military.
In conclusion, everyone sang the spiritual anthem of Ukraine, “God, the Great, the One.”
In January 2002, His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar established the Donetsk and Kharkiv Exarchate. On April 2, 2014, the Kharkiv Exarchate was founded and the name of the Donetsk-Kharkiv Exarchate was changed to the Donetsk Exarchate, which includes Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk regions.
The UGCC Department for Information
