Bishop Lubomyr Husar meets with professors and staff at Sheptytsky Institute (04/18/99)

Bishop Lubomyr Husar meets with professors and staff at Sheptytsky Institute

OTTAWA - Bishop Lubomyr Husar, special auxiliary to the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, recently met with professors and staff of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies. He also met with St. Paul University officials and was the guest of honor at a banquet marking the university's 150th anniversary.

While at the institute, Bishop Husar discussed the new graduate studies program starting in September 1999, scholarships for licentiate and doctoral students from Ukraine, further assistance to and cooperation with the Lviv Theological Academy, as well as other issues relating to theological formation in the Church.

The Sheptytsky Institute meeting was held following a week of consultations on liturgical renewal in the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Under the chairmanship of Bishop Husar, a working group of bishops and scholars studied such issues as: the preparation of a liturgical directory; the establishment of a permanent liturgical office; the question of liturgical identity for the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine and abroad; as well as other related matters and challenges facing the Church in the 21st century.

In particular, the study group elaborated a liturgical mission statement focusing on four aspects of liturgical life: the divine gift of revelation; the human response of rendering glory to God; the effect of liturgy on individuals and their salvation; and the creation of Christian community through participation in liturgical prayer.

Participants in the liturgical consultation included: Bishop Lawrence Huculak (Eparchy of Edmonton), Bishop Robert Moskal (Eparchy of Parma), Bishop Severian Yakymyshyn (Eparchy of New Westminster), the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Boniface Luykx (Holy Transfiguration Monastery, California), the Rev. Dr. Bernard Dribnenky, OSBM (Mundare, Alberta), the Rev. Dr. Peter Galadza (Sheptytsky Institute, Ottawa), the Rev. Mark Morozovych (Eparchy of Parma) and the Rev. Dr. Andrew T. Onuferko (Sheptytsky Institute, Ottawa).

The facilities of Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa were made available for the consultation and the seminary's rector, the Rev. Dr. David Motiuk, was also invited to participate and share his expertise in canon law. The study group visited Ottawa's Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Gervais, who is chancellor of St. Paul University, as well as the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Curis.

Accompanied by the Sheptytsky Institute's director, the Rev. Prof. Andriy Chirovsky, Bishop Husar also paid a visit to the Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa. Ambassador Volodymyr Khandogiy and Bishop Husar expressed their shared hopes and concerns for the spiritual and intellectual development of Ukraine. The Rev. Chirovsky informed the ambassador of the Sheptytsky Institute's ongoing efforts and commitment to supporting the development of theological studies in Ukraine. Bishop Husar described the meeting as very frank and productive.

Commenting on the significance of Bishop Husar's January 22 visit, the Rev. Chirovsky remarked, "The bishops are the prime teachers in the Church and it is especially important to have the bishop, who is effectively leading our Church, visit the institute, because we see ourselves as the bishops' helpers in forging a vision for our Church in the 21st century."

Bishop Husar concluded his visit to the Sheptytsky Institute, remarking: "As I see your work here in Ottawa, I realize how fortunate we are at this moment. ... Without theological scholarship we are somehow condemned to a very superficial spiritual life. It is only when we really seriously approach the sources, study Divine Revelation, study the witnesses throughout history, study our own history, our expressions of this evangelical and patristic tradition, that we can hope for a renewal, solid renewal, fruitful renewal, spiritual renewal in our Church."

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