In a live greeting from Kyiv, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, thanked listeners for their support, of UCU which, among other things, educates future priests, nuns, and lay people who will be involved in many fields.

Bishop Shevchuk’s remarks were part of the November 1 East Coast Virtual Fundraiser to support the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). The event included an interview with Pulitzer-prize winning historian and staff writer for The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum.

“It is a great pleasure for me to be with you this afternoon, to join in your annual benefit event for the Ukrainian Catholic University.”

“Today, I would like to thank you for supporting UCU, and I would like to ask you to continue your support for this very important institution. Ukrainian Catholic University is the jewel of our Church but it is not a pretty thing to see or to touch. UCU helping our Church in many concrete and significant ways: it is helping educate our priests and religious, it is producing values-oriented individuals who will have families that will be the backbone of our parishes and Eparchies, and it is helping with many of our pastoral projects and Church commissions. So, not only as of the Grand Chancellor of UCU but also as head of the Church, I thank you for supporting Ukrainian Catholic University and I ask you to continue this and, if possible, to increase your support for UCU.”

“Second, I want to thank so many of you who gave your support the families and communities in need following the calamitous floods in western Ukraine this year. Many families lost their homes, many people suffered and are still suffering from this terrible event. But your help is making a great difference here too. Thank you for this.”

“Today, in our Church, we remember in prayer the passing to the eternal life of Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. Many people think of Metropolitan Andrey as a prominent church leader, a political leader and even as a father of the Ukrainian nation.”

“But one very interesting fact to know about Metropolitan Andrey is that he never thought of himself as a politician. In fact, his political activity was actually limited to giving just two speeches to the Austrian Parliament, where he presented the request that a Ukrainian University be established. When the Austrian and Polish authorities failed to implement this request, Metropolitan Andrey founded the Lviv Theological Academy as the foundation for a future university. It is this very same University that you are supporting today.”

“Усім Вам сердечно бажаю Божого Благословення, доброго здоров’я, бо усім нам так потрібне добре здоровя під час пандемії. Господь Бог нехай усіх Вас кріпить і благовловить, дає радість та надію! Слава Ісусу Христу!”

“Thank you again. May God bless you! Glory to Jesus Christ!”