’You Are a Source of Inspiration for Me’: Archbishop Borys Gudziak Meets with UCU Students
“Putin wants to destroy Ukraine, to deny everything that is dear to us. The fact that you live, study, and do not give up in spirit or in act is an important form of resistance — especially in recent weeks, when there has been a brutal attempt to freeze Ukrainians into submission. Many people express admiration for you,” said Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Philadelphia Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and President of Ukrainian Catholic University, during his meeting with students on January 20.
At the beginning of the new academic semester, UCU students met with Metropolitan Borys Gudziak. Their conversation focused on the theme of solidarity. Young people shared with the archbishop how they support one another during the war.
Metropolitan Borys greeted the students on behalf of the global community of friends of Ukraine and the university.
“There are many people who remember you and follow what is happening in Ukraine. They care deeply about you, and many of them not only feel emotions and sympathy but also try to act — they pray for a just peace in Ukraine. Some engage in advocacy: They write, speak, and travel to Washington to persuade members of Congress and the Senate how important it is to support Ukraine,” the archbishop emphasized.
Here are some key points from the archbishop’s remarks:
- Solidarity requires trust and faith that others know about us. Very many good people are with you — Ukrainians — in thought and action. I am not speaking only about donors who sponsor our university. There are thousands of them. They simply believe in you.
- The war has become harsher, and its victims more numerous since the beginning of the Trump administration. I think Putin feels safer now. If someone wants to support Ukraine, now is the time to show it.
- Sometimes we allow negativity to fill our thoughts and emotions. The Apostle Paul encourages us to pray always. When God is before us, when we speak with Him, when He is with us, enemies have no power over us. The space of our free action grows.
- Begin and end your day with prayer! I grew up with this practice. Certain rhythms, unbreakable moments in life, give stability and help us understand values — when you know what is important and what is not, what gives life and what drains your energy.
- There are things to which it is worth dedicating your life. If you see that something is good, go toward it. It may not happen in a day or in a year. But when you have a clear goal in life, it becomes easier to let go of what is unnecessary and keep moving forward.
- The best advice I ever received in my life is to always have a spiritual director. At Ukrainian Catholic University, there are many people worth listening to, people with whom you can share. These include clergy, faculty, and administrators. At different moments, they have acted as guides.
- To avoid disappointment, one must not idealize or have excessively high expectations of people. People are people. We are all limited; we all make mistakes. We will never fulfill all expectations placed upon us. If you look at a person and see that they are a mystery, see their dignity — even if somewhat tarnished — then you can understand: “If the Lord has patience with me, then I can have patience too.”
- Humor is a powerful remedy for almost every problem. It may not change everything, but it changes how you experience it.
- Over time, this war changes us: People become more vulnerable, more impatient, quicker to flare up. This affects relationships. But we must cultivate gratitude on the one hand, and the ability to reconcile on the other. We must learn to say “thank you” and “I’m sorry.”
- Mental health is better preserved when we are not alone. Putin’s actions and all attacks on the energy infrastructure aim to divide Ukrainians, to show that the authorities cannot cope, to create unrest in society, and to bring stress into every household — stress that sharpens existing tensions within families. Russians act very deliberately and patiently: They press and undermine until cracks appear. This diabolical work is done systematically and gradually. But I believe that good is never wasted: A good gesture is the drop from which an ocean is formed.
- At the end, Archbishop Gudziak offered advice to UCU students, emphasizing in particular the importance of learning English:
- “This language is a tool for communicating with billions of people. If you can communicate not only orally but also in writing, you have an instrument to step onto a broader stage.”
The Metropolitan also encouraged students to create short English-language videos about their experiences of living and studying during wartime, so that more people around the world can understand what Ukrainians experience every day. Equally important, he said, is building connections with various student organizations worldwide, particularly in Asia and Africa.
“For me, you are a source of inspiration. Each of you must perform feats every day: studying, maintaining relationships, worrying about friends at the front, mourning the fallen. May the Lord bless you,” Archbishop Gudziak concluded.
