Lviv Theological Academy in 1999: making strides toward becoming a full-fledged university (02/20/00)

Lviv Theological Academy in 1999: making strides toward becoming a full-fledged university

by Iko Labunka

LVIV - The year 1999 at the Lviv Theological Academy was notable for several historical achievements that merit the attention of Ukrainians around the world as this institution evolves into a full-fledged university.

Founded in 1928 by Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky as the initial phase of his plan to establish a Ukrainian Catholic University, the academy in a short span of time became an important center of university-level education in western Ukraine. Under the able leadership of its visionary rector, the Rev. Dr. Josyf Slipyj, the academy attracted highly qualified instructors and developed a select library, museum and publishing house - all of which supported the superior training and academic research of students preparing for priestly duties.

The arrival of Soviet occupying forces in western Ukraine in 1939 forced a temporary shutdown of the academy. Then, in 1944 the academy in Lviv was closed for half a century.

In 1963, following 18 years of imprisonment and hard labor in Siberia, the former rector and then Metropolitan Slipyj arrived in Rome and revitalized the tradition of the Lviv Theological Academy in the form of Pope St. Clement Ukrainian Catholic University, with the intention of transferring the seat of this institution to Ukraine when possible. Shortly after Ukraine's declaration of independence, the Lviv Theological Academy renewed its activities in Ukraine under the direction of former students of Patriarch Slipyj.

Currently in its sixth year of activity, the academy today is the leading center of intellectual and spiritual life of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine. Approximately 400 regular full-time students study at two campuses, the main Lviv campus: which includes members of monastic orders and laymen and laywomen, and the campus in Rudno, which serves as the Seminary of the Holy Spirit and trains candidates for the priesthood.

The Eastern Christian tradition, the study of the Scriptures, the writings of the Church fathers, the liturgy and foreign languages are at the core of the academy's curriculum. This curriculum focuses on philosophy and theology - from the ancient to the post-modern periods - at the same time seeking to foster students' capacity for critical reflection.

This year the academy also plans to implement a humanities program, encompassing studies in philology, history and art history, as well as a program in social and political sciences, to include psychology, sociology and political science. Furthermore, the academy's recognition and emphasis on the ever-increasing need for English language proficiency has fostered the implementation of an intensive English program, which provides its students with the skills required in today's highly specialized environment.

In terms of historical and educational significance, one of the most important events in the history of the Ukrainian Church in Ukraine took place in Lviv in November 1998 when the Lviv Theological Academy was granted official academic international accreditation from the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. As a result, the academy became the first religious educational institution in Ukraine now authorized to grant the academic title bachelor in theology, which is recognized at every Catholic institution of higher learning throughout the world.

Considering that Ukrainian Church authorities in Ukraine had been attempting to achieve such recognition intermittently at least since 1908, the academy's accreditation is truly a groundbreaking achievement of extraordinary proportion.

Reflecting on the steady growth and development of the academy, the Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, vice-rector of the LTA, commented: "At present Ukraine is experiencing epochal changes. The entire post-Communist world is becoming used to great geo-political changes. Modern cultural processes and the numerous, often disorienting changes in society, economic crises - all these problems require spiritual reflection. And the goal of the theological academy is to educate a new generation of priests, laity, theologians, intellectuals, social and political leaders who are well-rooted in their own Ukrainian tradition, and, in general, in the 2,000-year-old Christian tradition, and will be able to propose creative, effective solutions to these problems in the third millennium. The students themselves are called to respond to this challenge. The academy provides the devices, spiritual strength and love to our Church and the people, in order for the students to carry their experiences into the world."

First graduation since world war

In July 1999 the academy convened its first graduation ceremony since World War II. Officiating at the landmark event, along with the rector and vice-rector, Auxiliary Bishop Lubomyr Husar of Lviv conferred the baccalaureate degree in theology to 30 graduates, including women - an unprecedented achievement as, for the first time in the 1,000-year history of the Ukrainian Church in Ukraine, nuns and young women were granted degrees in theology.

Commenting on this historical and personally memorable moment, Sister Augustina of the first graduating class said: "When you pose the question, 'Is Ukraine ready to accept theologians today?' I would put it another way: Are theologians ready to accept Ukraine? People are ready to accept the Lord, but the important thing, for those who are called to bear His name, is to be ready for this. I'm convinced that all of us [graduates] will go out into the world, sharing not only the knowledge which we've acquired, but also that special spirit which we are taking with us from the academy. We are all very different, but the Lord has united us in such a way that we all just complement one another. Possessing a solid foundation consisting of academic training and spirituality, the graduates will be capable of overcoming life's difficulties."

In recognition of their scholastic excellence and as a testament to the academy's international reputation, 18 of the graduates were awarded full academic scholarships to continue their theological studies by pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at leading Catholic universities in Europe and North America, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy and Poland.

A truly inspirational moment for both faculty and students was the recent arrival at the academy of the Rev. Petro Galadza of Ottawa. The Rev. Galadza relocated to Lviv with his wife and children for the 1999-2000 academic year in order to assume the duties of acting dean of the faculty of theology and philosophy, as well as those of director of the Institute of Liturgical Studies.

The Rev. Galadza holds a master's degree in liturgical studies from Notre Dame University in Indiana and a doctorate in theology from the University of Toronto. Beginning in 1992 the Rev. Galadza has been lecturer, instructor and, since 1995, assistant professor of theology at the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies of St. Paul University in Ottawa.

In 1996 the Rev. Galadza was appointed to the Kule Family Chair of Eastern Christian Liturgy at St. Paul University. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is editor of LOGOS: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies. Upon accepting his administrative and teaching duties at the Lviv Theological Academy, the Rev. Galadza was granted an unsalaried leave of absence from the Sheptytsky Institute at St. Paul University.

The Rev. Galadza, who had been invited to Lviv over three years ago, said he considers his arrival a sign of divine providence, based on determining where and when the needs were more pressing. According to the Rev. Galadza, the three-year wait was a good preparatory period, both spiritually and psychologically.

Reflecting on his initial observations about the academy, the Rev. Galadza praised the visionary leadership of the LTA by stating: "Rectors Dymyd and Gudziak have worked a miracle here. It is their willingness to take risks and their relentless work, coupled with the crying need for theology in Ukraine, which is a winning combination. Furthermore, it is gratifying to work in Ukraine in this field, because even when one makes a minimal effort, it's analogous to a cup of water in the desert. In the West it takes 10 times longer to produce the same effect."

The Rev. Galadza prepared five courses for the academic year at the LTA, including a seminar in liturgical theology. However, the Rev. Dr. Galadza's teaching expertise is not new to Ukraine - in June 1990, he taught a three-week course on the introduction to liturgy at the Church of the Transfiguration in Lviv. "What brought me great satisfaction," said the Rev. Galadza, "was the fact that I came back two years later, and saw that a number of the students were now priests or students of theology."

Reflections on work in Ukraine

Commenting on contemporary Ukraine, the Rev. Galadza noted that, "quite naturally there has been a lot of disappointment with Ukraine. However, for anyone looking to continue helping Ukraine, they should seek out institutions that, for the time being, are administered by Westerners. What I am specifically referring to is accountability. This is not to disparage the population here, so I hope the support continues."

The Rev. Galadza said he continues to remain optimistic about Ukraine's socio-economic and spiritual future. "There is a slow, trickle-down effect in the area of economic development at the moment, but in 15 to 20 years cities such as Lviv will be inundated with tourists, and even something like the gradual implementation of courses in ethics in Ukraine is bound to have an impact," he added.

Continuing his assessment of Ukraine's progress, the Rev. Galadza remarked that, "western Ukraine has gradually developed the kinds of living conditions that make it so much easier for Western contact." According to the Rev. Galadza, "The point is to get reintegrated into Europe."

"The other reason it's so gratifying to work in Ukraine," according to the Rev. Galadza, "is because our Church here has accepted the task of renewing a whole society. In the diaspora our Church sometimes behaves like an appendage to the ethnic groups and consequently is anemic."

When asked what he would like to accomplish as dean of the academy, the Rev. Galadza responded: "I hope to be able to strengthen a trend that is already well-established here, and that is the combination of rigorous academic standards with a holistic spiritual approach to theology that thrives on the best that the Christian tradition has to offer."

The reason the Lviv Theological Academy and the future Ukrainian Catholic University are so crucial to the revitalization of Ukrainian society, according to the Rev. Galadza, "is because there is absolutely no corruption in this educational institution. The impulse of a Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv becomes even more important because there is a need to restore integrity to Ukrainian diplomas."

Through the prayers and support of Ukrainians everywhere, Metropolitan Sheptytsky's dream and Patriarch Slipyj's legacy will continue to flourish and offer inspiration to all those who seek wisdom, in the form of a full-fledged university into which the Lviv Theological Academy is currently evolving.

For more information,or to make a donation, contact: Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation, 2247 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622; telephone, (773) 235-8462; fax, (773) 235-8464; e-mail: [email protected].

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