Metropolitan Borys Gudziak Leads Liturgy at St. Joseph’s Church in Oakville near Toronto on February 23
On February 23, as part of their visit to Canada, the bishops of the Permanent Synod presided over Divine Liturgies in various communities across Toronto and its surrounding areas.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Bishop Bryan Bayda prayed together with the parish community at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Metropolitan Borys Gudziak visited St. Joseph’s Church in Oakville, west of Toronto, while Bishop Josaphat Moshchych led the service at the Cathedral of St. Josaphat of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada.
Bishop Volodymyr Yushchak prayed with the faithful of the Protection of the Mother of God Parish in the Etobicoke district of western Toronto, Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh at St. Nicholas Church in Bellwoods (Toronto), and Bishop Andriy Khimyak at St. Demetrius Church.
Metropolitan Borys presided over the first Liturgy and delivered a homily at both services.
During his homily, Metropolitan Borys reflected on the remarkable growth and resilience of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, despite a history of persecution.
“Our Church has fifty-five bishops and thirty-six dioceses: sixteen in Ukraine and twenty outside of Ukraine. In 1900, we had only three eparchies—Lviv, Peremysl, and what is now Ivano-Frankivsk. And now there are thirty-six. In between, we endured a century of persecution. A totalitarian power, armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons, was crushing our people and our Church. From 1946 to 1989, our Church was the largest illegal Church in the world. And yet, we have witnessed the miracle of its revival.”
Metropolitan Borys emphasized the social responsibility of Christians, which corresponded with the Gospel reading for that Sunday, focusing on the Last Judgment:
“The followers of Jesus have a duty to care for the hungry, the poor, the refugees, the sick, and those in prison. We are called to reach out to them, to show charity to those who are truly marginalized.”
He also spoke about his personal connection to the Oakville parish:
“I've seen a miracle in your parish. I’ve been coming here for almost a quarter of a century, a few times a year, and I have watched your community develop.” At the end of the homily, he posed a challenge for them: to foster vocations to the priesthood.
As the day marked the commemoration of the third anniversary of the war against Ukraine, he reassured the faithful of the power of divine justice:
“It’s good to remember that God’s truth will prevail. It’s going to prevail in Canada and the U.S., it’s going to prevail in Ukraine. And ultimately, it will prevail for everyone at the end of time.”
