Archbishop Borys Gudziak Participates in the Meeting of the Permanent Synod in Canada

The current members of the Permanent Synod include Archbishop and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak (Philadelphia), Bishop Volodymyr Yushchak (Wroclaw-Koszalin Eparchy), Bishop Josaphat Moshchych (Chernivtsi Eparchy), and Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh (Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia). The Synod is led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy, serving as Secretary.

Upon their arrival in Toronto from Washington, D.C., His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Archbishop Borys received a warm welcome at Toronto Pearson International Airport, where they were greeted by Bishop Bryan Bayda, clergy, laity, and representatives of the Ukrainian community. The following day, the bishops celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Elias Church in Brampton, officially launching the Permanent Synod sessions. Over the next ten days, the bishops will address key pastoral, theological, and administrative issues.

As part of their visit, Synod members are meeting with various Ukrainian communities. They visited a senior residence, where His Beatitude Sviatoslav reassured the residents of the Church’s ongoing care. "We want to bless you and show that your Church loves you," he said. The bishops also met with Ukrainian families, emphasizing the importance of the family as the cornerstone of faith and unity.

A significant event during the visit was the bishops’ participation in a Toronto rally marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since February 24, 2022, approximately 300,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada, with most settling within the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. The Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada is actively working to integrate these newcomers into parish life and establish new communities, often utilizing rented Roman Catholic churches. Canadian bishops highlighted the urgent need for more priests with a missionary vocation.

During the Synod sessions, the UGCC’s pastoral plan for Canada was reviewed, alongside discussions on the Catholic Church’s Synodal process and the state of monastic life. Special attention was given to the ministries of the Basilian Fathers, Redemptorists, Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, and the Sisters of St. Joseph, as well as the role of the theological seminary in Edmonton.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak presented a report on the activities of the UGCC’s Department for External Church Relations in 2024.

On February 25, 2025, His Beatitude Sviatoslav delivered a speech at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at St. Michael's College. The renowned historian and publicist Timothy Snyder joined His Beatitude for a discussion, which was attended by the bishops of the Synod.

On February 27, the sessions and meetings of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC took place in Ottawa. The bishops visited the office of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) in Ottawa, Canada. During the event, CNEWA representatives provided the bishops with a detailed overview of the organization's activities and outlined its main priorities. They also met with the Ukrainian community in Ottawa, Canada. The meeting was held at St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Basilian Fathers. On the same day, the members of the Permanent Synod met with the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Greg Fergus.