Visit of Bishop Stepan Sus to Kazakhstan Gathers UGCC Faithful for Communal Prayer
The head of the Pastoral Migration Department of the UGCC, Bishop Stepan Sus, visited Kazakhstan, where he led a Liturgy in Karaganda at the parish of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
This was reported by the Pastoral and Migration Department of the UGCC.
He was concelebrated by the Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of the Byzantine rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Metropolitan Archpriest Vasyl Hovera, and priests of the UGCC along with the clergy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Karaganda.
During the sermon, Bishop Stepan expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainians who were present for their witness to faith, noting that “faith and doubt, faith and fear cannot coexist in the same heart. Therefore, we, as Christians, must always choose faith.”
“Faith cannot be taught at a desk, it can only be transmitted by one’s own example with upbringing, love, prayer and memory of those who died but kept their faith,” added the bishop.
Bishop Stepan also celebrated a liturgy in the small basilica of St. Joseph in Karaganda, formerly the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph, which was the first place where UGCC faithful gathered for prayer during Soviet times.
“Our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church here began with barracks, camps, and apartments of people who secretly gathered for common prayer. At a time when we could not build a church out of brick or wood, we built it out of our own souls. And this is the invisible Church that unites hundreds, thousands of Ukrainian Greek Catholics who, in the depths of their hearts, built this non-man-made temple, where God acted in a special way, helped, supported and gave strength,” said the bishop during a sermon in the small basilica.
The UGCC Department for Information
