Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio in Buenos Aires
About
The Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio in Buenos Aires (Latin Eparchia Sanctae Mariae a Patrocinio Bonaërensis Ucrainorum, esp. Eparquía de Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires de los ucranios) is the eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church with headquarters in Buenos Aires (Argentina). The jurisdiction of the eparchy extends to all Ukrainian Greek Catholics living in Argentina. Thus, the total territory of the Buenos Aires eparchy reaches 2,766,890 km2, and the population is about 40,117,096 people.
Parishes:
- Leandro N Alem (Province of Misiones);
- Apostoles (Province of Misiones);
- Oberá (province of Misiones);
- San Vicente (province of Misiones);
- Posadas (Province of Misiones);
- Commandante Andresito (Province of Misiones);
- Hardin-America (Misiones province);
- Presidency-Roca-Science-Peña (Chaco Province);
- Bowen (province of Mendoza);
- Buenos Aires — Department;
- Berisso (province of Buenos Aires);
- Haedo (province of Buenos Aires);
- Lavallol (province of Buenos Aires);
- San Miguel (province of Buenos Aires);
- Sarandi (province of Buenos Aires);
- Villa Adelina (province of Buenos Aires);
- Villa Karaca (province of Buenos Aires);
- Pigwe (province of Buenos Aires).
According to the papal statistical yearbook Annuario Pontificio, in 2014 the eparchy has about 167,800 faithful, of whom about 60,000 live in the capital and province of Buenos Aires, 30,000 in the province of Misiones, and 20,000 in the provinces of Chaco and Formos. The eparchy has 18 churches and 36 chapels. In total, the pastoral ministry for the faithful Greek Catholics is carried out by 20 priests, including 13 eparchy and 7 hieromonks. In addition, there are consecrated persons in the eparchy: 9 brothers-monks and 87 sisters-nuns.
Under the jurisdiction of the eparchy is the province of Christ the King of the Order of St. Basil the Great, which is a monastic congregation that arrived in Argentina on August 20, 1939, from Ukraine. Three days later, they opened their first home in Apostoles (Misiones province, Argentina). Today they have nine houses in Argentina: the Monastery of St. Joseph (Buenos Aires, Argentina, General House), the Monastery of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Berisso, Argentina, Novitiate), the Monastery of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Boven, Mengena Province, novitiate for sisters), Convent of the Sacred Heart of Christ (Villa Adelina, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina), Monastery of St. Basil the Great (Posadas, Province of Misiones, Argentina), Monastery of Mother Sophrony (San Vicente, Province of Misiones) Monastery of St. Mokrina (Leandro-N-Alem, Misiones province, Argentina) and two houses in Apostoles: the Monastery of Divine Mercy (home for the elderly) and the Monastery of Christ the King. They also have a nursing home in San Carlos de Bariloche, the Ukrainian Museum in Apostoles, and run schools in Apostoles, Posadas, Berisso, and Bowen.
Social activity
The Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio in Buenos Aires publishes a bilingual newspaper Voice of the Ukrainian Church.
Location
Bishop
Since October 8, 2016, His Eminence Bishop Daniel Kozlinsky, who until then served as Apostolic Administrator for five years, has been the ruling Bishop of the Buenos Aires eparchy.
The Cathedral of the eparchy of Buenos Aires is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
History
The largest groups of Ukrainians settled in the town of Apostoles (Misiones province, Argentina), which was eventually considered a second homeland. The first migrants arrived on August 27, 1897. Their deep faith was manifested in the desire for the presence of their clergy to receive the Holy Sacraments and to participate in the liturgical celebrations of their rite.
Despite repeated appeals to the Catholic bishops of Lviv, Stanislaviv, and others, they failed to obtain their priests. Some of the Latin clergy came, but the Ukrainians asked for the Divine Liturgy in their rite and their native language.
In 1908, the first priest of the Byzantine rite from Brazil, named Clement Bzhuyovsky, a monk of the Order of St. Basil the Great, arrived. He celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine rite on March 21, 1908, in Posadas. From then until 1936, the spiritual faithful of the Ukrainian faithful were accompanied by Basilian fathers and priests. Indeed, more and more Ukrainians continued to come to the Argentine Republic.
Concerned about the spiritual care of Ukrainian Eastern believers in Brazil and Argentina, in 1936 Pope Pius XI appointed Bishop Constantine Bogachevsky, Bishop of Philadelphia (USA), Apostolic Visitor, who produced a complete report on pastoral relevance in the region.
During these years, the number of Basilian priests began to grow, and in 1939 the first Basilian nuns came. Gradually, new parishes were established in Posadas, Ober, Alem, and Berisso.
On August 14, 1961, His Holiness John XXIII, Pope, appointed His Eminence Bishop Andriy Sapelyak the first bishop for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Argentina. At that time, according to 1970 statistics, there were 110,000 faithful in Argentina, 18 priests, including 5 eparchial and 13 hieromonks, 10 parish centers, 18 monk brothers, and 84 nun sisters. Bishop Andriy began to organize pastoral activities, creating new parishes for better spiritual assistance to the faithful scattered throughout the country.
On February 9, 1968, the Holy Father Paul VI established the exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Argentina with the bull Ucrainorum Fidelium and nominated Bishop Andriy as his exarch.
On April 24, 1978, the Holy Father Paul VI raised the exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Argentina to the level of an eparchy with his bull “Cum preterito”, and appointed Bishop Andriy its first eparch. The bull was solemnly announced on October 1, 1978, in the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
In October 1990, Pope John Paul II ordained Priest Mikhail Mykytsei, an Order of the Orion Fathers, as Auxiliary Bishop of the eparchy of Buenos Aires. He later resigned due to old age, which occurred on April 10, 2010.
On the same day, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Sviatoslav Shevchuk as Apostolic Administrator, who accepted the government on May 30, 2010.
In June 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Daniil Kozlinsky, Auxiliary Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic eparchy in Curitiba, Brazil, where he was responsible for pastoral care in the Union da Vitoria region.
On June 22, 2011, when Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic eparchy in Argentina, was elected Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Daniel Apostolic Administrator of this vacant seat in the Buenos Aires eparchy.
In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI also appointed Bishop Daniel Apostolic Visitor for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite living in Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Venezuela.
On October 8, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Daniel Kozlinsky Netto, the current Apostolic Administrator of the vacant seat (sede vacante) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio in Buenos Aires (Argentina), bishop of this eparchy.
Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainian Greek Catholics of Argentina:
- Andriy Sapelyak, SDB (February 9, 1968 — April 24, 1978)
- The ruling bishops of the Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio:
- Andriy Sapelyak SDB (April 24, 1978 — December 12, 1997)
- Mykhailo Mykytsei FDP (April 24, 1999–10 April 2010)
- Sviatoslav Shevchuk (April 10, 2010 — March 25, 2011 as Apostolic Administrator)
- Luis Glinka (March 30 — June 22, 2011, as administrator of the eparchy)
- Daniel Kozlinsky (since June 22, 2011 — as an apostolic administrator)
Contacts
Address: Coronel Ramón Lorenzo Falcón 3960, C1407 GSN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phone: +54 (11) 4674-28-95
Email: [email protected]
Website: eparquiapokrov.org