President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has honored Metropolitan of Philadelphia and President of Ukrainian Catholic University Borys Gudziak with the Order of Merit, First Class.
Photo from Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv. Site of the President of Ukraine
On 23 August 2025 the president of Ukraine signed Decree № 617/2025 “Designation of awards from the government of Ukraine.” In the document, Volodymyr Zelenskyy awards high state honors to two metropolitans of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church: Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak, the Order of Merit, First Class; and Metropolitan Archbishop of Curitiba, Brazil, Volodymyr Kovbych, the Order of Merit, Third Class.
According to the decree, the two metropolitans are being honored for their significant personal contributions to strengthening cooperation between countries, the support of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, charitable activities, and promoting the Ukrainian state in the world.
We warmly congratulate Archbishop Borys and Archbishop Volodymyr on this high state honor and thank them for their devoted service!
