The consecration of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Rome, September 27-28, 1969

The consecration of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Rome was a moment that united 17 of our bishops from around the world, as well as many faithful, monks, and priests. At that time, our Church in Ukraine was under persecution, and eparchies, exarchates, and metropolias scattered across the globe lacked a common center of unity. Therefore, Patriarch Josyf Slipyj decided to build a church that would serve as a new center of unity, akin to Saint Sophia in Kyiv, which symbolizes the unity of Kyivan Christianity. 

To mark this event, the Archeparchy of Philadelphia organized a pilgrimage to Rome. Fr. Basil Losten coordinated the effort, with Frs. Myroslav Kharyna and Mykhailo Fedorovych serving as the spiritual directors. There were three travel options for attending the celebrations in Rome. The first was a short trip solely for the celebrations, while the other two included both the celebrations and one or two weeks of travel throughout Europe. 

The consecration of the Saint Sophia Cathedral took place on Saturday, September 27. Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, together with all the bishops of our Church, including Metropolitan Ambrose Senyshyn and Bishops Joseph Schmondiuk and Jaroslav Gabro from the United States, consecrated the sanctuary and anointed the four walls of the church with holy oil. Following this, all gathered to celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. 

The next day, Pope Paul VI visited the cathedral, bringing with him the relics of St. Pope Clement, who had been martyred on Ukrainian soil in Crimea. These relics were placed in the altar of the cathedral, which was also consecrated. The Pope's gift became a special symbol of the connection between the Saint Sophia in Rome and the Saint Sophia in Kyiv. In the afternoon, the celebrations continued with a Ukrainian cultural festival, where the choir from St. John the Baptist Parish in Newark, NJ, performed.