Our Defense Is in God’s Hands: Sculpture Consecrated at UCU’s Sophia-Holy Wisdom of God Square
On June 22, during UCU’s graduation ceremonies, a solemn Liturgy was celebrated in the Sophia-Holy Wisdom of God Church. Following the Liturgy, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of Philadelphia and president of UCU, presided over the consecration of a sculptural composition in the square in front of the church.
The press center of the Ukrainian Catholic University reported on this event.
The six sculptures symbolize the six gestures a priest makes when saying a prayer for the consecration of the Holy Gifts during the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Jesus “took bread into His holy, most pure and immaculate hands, gave thanks, blessed, sanctified and broke it; He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying…”.
“The six words—took, gave thanks, blessed, sanctified, broke, gave—and the six gestures are the six stages of our life. In the Eucharist, the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ so that each of us may live in Christ. The Eucharist is not about a miracle occurring, but about changing you and me. By receiving God’s Body and Blood, we may be solidified in our identity. These six sculptures represent the six gestures of Jesus. May they help us affirm that Christ transforms us,” said Most Rev. Borys Gudziak, the project’s inspirer.
The monumental composition of stones was created by sculptor Volodymyr Semkiv, who worked on the project for nearly nine years. During the festivities, Bishop Borys presented the artist with an honorary certificate of appreciation for his work on this idea.
The group of sculptures forms a symbolic spatial circle. As individuals pass through the hands and read the meanings, they return to the point where they started—the temple door.
“My principal idea was to create a contemporary composition as a counter to post-Soviet monumental sculpture. Despite the large size of the stones, I sought to make them intimate and personal. I aimed to make them mysterious, so that in private, a person could reflect and listen to themselves. For a sculptor, the greatest reward is when his work makes a person pause and think. Seeing the trampled grass and how many children are running around the stones, I realize that the concept is working,” said sculptor Volodymyr Semkiv.
The president of UCU urged everyone to visit the stones more often to realize their transformation and seek answers to difficult questions: “When we doubt who we are, our temptations grow more complicated, and our stability shows fractures. But when we realize that we are accepted and sanctified by God, we can testify, stand, and overcome everything. God wants us to stand upright and look forward without fear.”
The UGCC Department for Information
