EDITORIAL: The "chief shepherd" (03/11/01)

EDITORIAL

The "chief shepherd"

On February 27 Bishop Stefan Soroka was enthroned as the sixth metropolitan-archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, thus becoming the seventh spiritual leader of Ukrainian Catholics in this country. He has chosen as his motto "One who serves," and in his first homily pledged to be a "good shepherd."

[For the record, Soter Ortynsky was the first bishop for Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, named in 1907 by Pope Pius X on the recommendation of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky of Lviv. Initially, Bishop Ortynsky served under the authority of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, but later, in 1913, he was named exarch for Ukrainian Catholics. The first metropolitan was Constantine Bohachevsky, enthroned in 1958. He was followed by Ambrose Senyshyn, Joseph Schmondiuk (the first and only U.S.-born metropolitan), Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky and Stephen M. Sulyk.]

It is significant that the new metropolitan-archbishop's motto contains the same guiding words he chose five years ago when he was elevated to bishop in Winnipeg - because, as he explained, "a bishop should stand in the midst of his people as one who serves." In his first address to the faithful he promised to be a shepherd who has a "developed relationship of deep love and trust" with this flock, his faithful. He also noted: "I want us to come to know one another with much familiarity, with much mutual love and respect. I beg your patience and understanding of my limitations, and your kind assistance so that I may become who our Lord Jesus calls me to be for you."

At age 49, this Ukrainian Canadian born in Winnipeg is the youngest metropolitan in the history of the U.S. Ukrainian Catholic Church. Archbishop Soroka is also the first Canadian-born U.S. metropolitan, and only the second spiritual leader of this country's Ukrainian Catholics who was born in North America.

Ordained a priest in 1982, he was elevated to bishop only four years ago, serving as auxiliary to Winnipeg's Metropolitan-Archbishop Michael Bzdel, spiritual leader of Ukrainian Catholics in Canada. He is unique also because his educational background is in social work: he holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Manitoba, as well as a doctorate from The Catholic University of America.

Thus, Metropolitan-Archbishop Soroka is a hierarch who was born, reared and educated in the New World. His young age leads one to believe that he will succeed in reaching out to younger generations of Ukrainian Americans - something that is key to the survival of the Ukrainian Catholic Church as a particular Church.

The new metropolitan's predecessor, Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, had said in a message to the faithful announcing Bishop Soroka's appointment to lead U.S. Catholics: "His youth, his enthusiasm and his dedication will enable him to bring a new vitality to our Church as we journey into the 21st century."

We welcome Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka and pray for God's blessings so that he will be a good, wise and successful "chief shepherd" to his faithful in the Philadelphia Archeparchy and the Philadelphia Metropolia, which unites Ukrainian Catholics throughout the United States.

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