On September 18, the priests of the New Westminster Eparchy have begun training in the "Divine Renovation" program. A new training course for priests has recently begun, focusing on the critical topic of vision formation โ a God-inspired picture of the future that drives and motivates. Throughout the course, priests are reminded that genuine vision comes from the heart, from inner passion that moves a person to action and inspires change.
What is Vision?
Vision is described as "a God-inspired picture of the future that produces passion." It is an internal drive, born from deep emotions, that defines what the Church should become. Priests are encouraged not to approach this mechanically โ itโs not just about crafting strategies, but rather a spiritual experience that involves deep reflection and prayer.
The Vision Formation Process
The process begins with an internal reflection on what inspires and disturbs you. These emotions help priests determine the path their community should follow. Vision is about where we are taking people and why it matters, rather than what we simply do as a Church. The course teaches priests to focus not on what they want from people, but what they want for them, emphasizing their spiritual growth and well-being.
The Importance of Vision for the Community
Vision formation is a team effort, but it begins with the leader โ the priest. A crucial part of the process is communicating this vision to the community. However, this does not mean a priest should immediately announce the vision to everyone. Instead, they should first start integrating it into homilies, discussing it with leaders, and gradually introducing the community to it. The vision becomes a shared goal that unites the community and helps everyone move forward in faith.
Spiritual Leadership and Mission
The course also stresses the difference between vision and mission. The Churchโs mission is about what we do, while vision explains why we do it and where we are leading the community. The combination of love for people and healthy discontent about what needs improvement is what fuels action. Both are necessary for growth.
Priests undergoing this training have a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of their role, shape a clear vision, and guide their communities toward spiritual growth and closer communion with God.
This summer, we were thrilled to bring back our Eparchial Summer Camp after a hiatus caused by COVID-19 and wildfires. With 48 enthusiastic campers from various parishes across the Eparchy, we gathered for a week of fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth at the beautiful Camp St. Volodymyr in Princeton.
Our campers dove into a wide range of activities, from swimming and canoeing to engaging in arts and crafts. The laughter and joy were palpable as they enjoyed waterfront activities and field games, fostering friendships that we hope will last a lifetime.
The spiritual component of the camp was just as enriching. The week commenced with a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski, setting a beautiful tone for our days together. Following the theme of Pope Francis's Year of Prayer - Teach us to Pray, campers delved into the four types of prayer (praise, thanksgiving, repentance, petition) and the Lordโs Prayer, deepening their understanding of faith and prayer.
We were honored to have Fr. Mykhailo Ozorovych and Fr. Yuriy Sakvukย lead our liturgical services. Each day campers had a chance to learn something new at the Catechism lessons led by our priests and Alina Novytska. Singing and prayer around the camp's fire was a beautiful addition to each of the days of ourย camp. At the end of the week the clergy of the camp were joined by Frs. Andrzej Wasylinko and Pavlo Myts enabling campers and staff to have a chance to receive a Sacrament of Reconciliation.
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our incredible counsellers and volunteers, whose time and energy made the week unforgettable. Under the thoughtful direction of Jennifer Calwell, the assistance of Iryna Dzobko and Christina Roth, and the attentive care of the Dr. Vitaliy Kubatskyy the camp ran smoothly and created a nurturing environment for all involved. Their commitment to serving our campers was truly inspiring and greatly appreciated.
As we look back on this wonderful week, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to reconnect and grow together in faith, and we canโt wait for next yearโs camp!
On the evening of 15 September 2024, the traditional annual formation course for new bishops began in Rome. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is represented by seven bishops at once.
The annual formation courses are organized by the Dicastery for Bishops in cooperation with the Dicastery for Eastern Churches for new Catholic bishops appointed during the previous year. Such meetings were initiated by the then Pope John Paul II back in 2000. So every year in September, the new bishops come to Rome. This yearโs meeting is taking place at the College of the Holy Apostle Paul.
According to the organizers of the event, these days of formation are intended to help the new bishops experience a powerful moment of communion, to share the experience of the gift of the fullness of the Sacrament of Priesthood.
At the heart of this experience of communion is the prayer at the tomb of the Apostle Peter and the encounter with his Successor, with whom the bishops create a bond of communion, thus witnessing to the unity of the entire Catholic Church, scattered throughout the earth. In a context filled with prayer and community life, the new pastors of the Church listen to various presentations together, work in groups and actively participate in discussions.
This yearโs meeting of bishops takes place on 15-21 September. The main topic of reports and discussions is: โShepherds Rooted in Christ. At the service of the Church, called to live in the present and preserve the seeds of the future.โ
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is represented by seven bishops: Bishop Maksym Ryabukh, Auxiliary Bishop of the Donetsk Exarchate, Bishop Mykola Semenyshyn, Auxiliary Bishop of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy, Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy, Bishop Petro Holiney, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kolomyia Eparchy, and Bishop Volodymyr Firman, Auxiliary Bishop of the Ternopil-Zboriv Archeparchy, with Bishops Michael Kwiatkowski, Bishop of the New Westminster Eparchy, and Bishop Michael Smolinski, CSsR, Bishop of the Saskatoon Eparchy, coming to Rome from Canada. Also participating in the formation courses are Bishop Theodore Matsapula, Bishop of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy, in Zakarpattia, Ukraine, and Archbishop Jonas Maksim, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Presov, Slovakia.
โThis meeting brought together more than 150 bishops from around the world. Although we are very different, from the first minutes of meeting we feel a common strong spirit that unites us through service to God and the Church. We speak different languages, but we understand each other very well because we share common values based on our faith. This meeting allows us, the bishops from Ukraine, to witness the truth about the war against our people, to thank you for your prayers and to ask for further support for our suffering Ukraine,โ said Bishop Andriy Khimyak at the beginning of the meeting.
In turn, Bishop Theodore Matsapula added: โThis event is a unique opportunity for spiritual enrichment and sharing, however small, of experience between the new pastors of our Church. The meeting contributes to the deepening of faith, strengthening of unity and discussion of the challenges faced by modern society. We ask for your prayers for all the participants, so that their mission may be fruitful and inspired by Godโs grace!โ
During the six days of joint meetings this year, the new Catholic bishops will have the opportunity to reflect on the bishopโs ministry of preserving and transmitting the treasure of faith and his concern for the integral development of man, on the identity and mission of the Church in the modern world, and on its present reality, which requires it to be in true dialogue with the world. This will be possible thanks to the reports of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernรกndez, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Josรฉ Talentino de Mendoza, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Cardinal Mario Greck, Secretary General of the Synod for Synodality, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, Cardinal Michael Cerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Ministry and Integral Human Development, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, and others.
A separate item of the formation programme will be the traditional meeting with the Holy Father Pope Francis, which will take place on Thursday, 19 September. During the audience, the Pope will address the bishops with relevant instructions and advice on the episcopal ministry in the Church today. On Friday, 20 September, all the new bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches will also meet with Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.
Press service of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC
We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster. This milestone event promises a day of reflection, joy, and community spirit as we give thanks for five decades of blessings and spiritual growth. This celebration is a chance to honour our past, rejoice in the present, and look forward with hope and faith into our future.
6:30 PM: Moleben of Thanksgiving / ะะพะปะตะฑะตะฝั ะะพะดัะบะธ
7:00 PM: Returning Elegance: Romantic Europe Voyage/ ะะพะฒะตัะฝะตะฝะฝั ะตะปะตะณะฐะฝัะฝะพััั: ัะพะผะฐะฝัะธัะฝะฐ ัะฒัะพะฟะตะนััะบะฐ ะฟะพะดะพัะพะถ Join us for a special evening with Ukrainian pianist Anna Sagalova and a surprise guest flutist, celebrating 50 years of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster with beautiful music from Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Skoryk.
Explore Pavilions for an immersive journey through Ukraine's diverse regions, featuring engaging descriptive panels, authentic crafts, and interactive workshops that celebrate the unique cultural heritages and artistic expressions of each area./ ะัะดะฒัะดะฐะนัะต ะฟะฐะฒัะปัะนะพะฝะธ ะดะปั ะทะฐั ะพะฟะปัััะพั ะฟะพะดะพัะพะถั ััะทะฝะพะผะฐะฝััะฝะธะผะธ ัะตะณัะพะฝะฐะผะธ ะฃะบัะฐัะฝะธ, ะดะต ะฟัะตะดััะฐะฒะปะตะฝัั ะพะฟะธัะพะฒั ะฟะฐะฝะตะปั, ะฐะฒัะตะฝัะธัะฝั ัะตะผะตัะปะฐ ัะฐ ัะฝัะตัะฐะบัะธะฒะฝั ะผะฐะนััะตั-ะบะปะฐัะธ, ัะบั ะฒัะดะทะฝะฐัะฐััั ัะฝัะบะฐะปัะฝั ะบัะปััััะฝั ัะฟะฐะดัะธะฝั ัะฐ ะผะธััะตััะบั ะฟัะพัะฒะธ ะบะพะถะฝะพั ะพะฑะปะฐััั.
3-9 pm. Lyceum Pavilion / ะะตะบัะพััะน
Experience the richness of Ukraine's diverse heritage at the Lyceum Pavilion through educational films and presentations, and capture this spirit in our themed photobooth dressed in traditional Ukrainian costumes.
Step into the Beer Garden to enjoy a curated selection of local craft beers in a vibrant setting, pairing perfectly with the hearty traditional Ukrainian grilled delights served at the "Kozatskyi Pavilion."
Experience a day of musical enchantment starting with the Children's Festival, featuring performances by talented young artists and culminating in a vibrant adult concert complemented by an exhilarating integrated flash mob that brings together performers and audience members in a spirited celebration of Ukrainian culture.
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