CHICAGO – The Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF) and the Midwest Friends of UCU Committee have announced that Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak will give the keynote address at this year’s charity program benefiting the Ukrainian Catholic University. The event will be held online on Sunday, November 8, and is eхpected to draw hundreds of attendees from across the United States.
This year’s event will include special guest William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador. Ambassador Taylor is currently vice-president for strategic stability and security at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Last year, he served as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. He served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Taras Chubai, a Ukrainian rock star and leader of the rock band Plach Yeremii.
The Ukrainian Catholic University was officially launched in 2002 after the cornerstone of its new campus was blessed by St. John Paul II during his pontifical visit to Ukraine in 2001. Inspired by the vision of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, UCU has been recognized as a leading force for educational reform and civil society, an advocate for integrity in scholarship and journalism, and an innovative promoter of community service and cultural and spiritual ethics. Its students and faculty were among the voices of conscience in the 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity as well as the Orange Revolution of 2004.
In September, the Ukrainian Catholic University resumed in-person classes and welcomed its largest incoming class of 438 women and men. For the third year in a row, UCU has attracted students with the highest average scores on national achievement tests (ZNO, or Zaochni Narodni Opytuvannia), comparable to the American SATs.
To register for the November 8 event or become a sponsor, visit the UCEF website at www.ucef.org, or call the foundation’s Chicago office at 773-235-8462.