Paris Eparchy of St. Volodymyr the Great Holds Council in Chevetogne
From February 25 to 27, a council of clergy of the Paris Eparchy of St. Volodymyr the Great of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was held in Chevetogne (Belgium) under the chairmanship of Bishop Ihor Rantsya. Twenty-eight priests from different parts of the eparchy, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, took part in the meeting. The main goal of the gathering was to reflect on and renew the eparchy’s mission.
This was reported by the Paris Eparchy press service.
The participants in the Council reviewed candidates for eparchial offices. Fr. Ivan Danchevsky was appointed Syncellus of Belgium, and Fr. Mykhailo Romaniuk was appointed Syncellus for Clergy and Priestly Families.
Elections to the Presbyteral Council were also held in two rounds, chaired by the judicial vicar with the participation of the two youngest clergymen. Under the new statute, the council consists of 12 clergymen. Six of them serve in France, three in Belgium, and one each in Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
The council concluded on February 27 with a joint prayer in the crypt of the Benedictine monastery. The bishop blessed the liturgical insignia stipulated by the statute for members of the Presbyteral Council. The newly elected members took the oath and received their appointment decrees.
At the end of the meeting, the priests expressed their gratitude to Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, the first eparch (2012–2019), for his pastoral leadership and substantial contribution to the establishment of the Eparchy, as well as to His Eminence Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Apostolic Administrator (2019–2025), for his zealous service. The clergy congratulated Bishop Hlib on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.
The meeting resulted in the decision to organize a future eparchial council with the participation of clergy, monastics, and laity, in keeping with ancient church customs and canonical requirements.
