Sister Servant Daria Hradiuk Celebrates Her 100th Birthday
On October 21, the Convent of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate celebrated the 100th birthday of Sister Daria Hradiuk, a nun who has devoted more than eight decades of her life to God, the Church, and people. On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was led by Bishop Petro Loza, bishop of the Sokal-Zhovkva Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Sisters from the congregation, relatives, friends, and local government officials came to give thanks for the gift of Sister Daria’s life and to congratulate her, the Sheptytsky City Council reports.
“Today, we give thanks to God with deep gratitude for the gift of life of our dear sister Daria Hradiuk, who is celebrating her 100th birthday. Her life is a living testimony of faith, courage, and endurance. Having survived the turmoil of World War II, the persecution of the Church during the communist regime, and the joy of its rebirth, Sister Daria remained faithful to God, her calling, and her service to people,” reads the greeting from the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.
Sister Daria felt called to consecrated life at the age of 16, when she decided to enter the convent. Her path was marked by many trials: the shelling of the convent, years spent in hiding, and the martyrdom of Sister Tarsykia Matskiv (now declared blessed), which she witnessed.
Despite years of persecution, Sister Daria remained faithful to her ministry. After graduating from nursing school, she worked as a nurse in the ENT department of the Lviv Medical Institute for 33 years. Even when the Church was forced to operate underground, Sister Daria continued to serve others spiritually: risking arrest by the KGB, she sought out priests and brought them to families who wished to marry, baptize their children, or bury their loved ones.
“May the Lord continue to bless Sister Daria with peace of heart, health, and spiritual joy, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary keep her under her protection,” the sisters of the congregation wished to the jubilarian.
