Metropolitan Borys Gudziak Participates in a Series of Events at the Ukrainian Catholic University

December 19, 2024

In December, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, President of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), participated in several significant events at the university during his visit to Ukraine.

On December 15, a charity evening took place in Kyiv, gathering leading businesspeople, politicians, public and religious figures, scholars, and diplomats with a shared goal: supporting quality education and talented UCU students. The event began with a prayer led by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who is also the Grand Chancellor of UCU.

Metropolitan Borys addressed the attendees with his traditional end-of-year message, expressing gratitude to Ukrainian soldiers for their bravery and calling for a moment of silent prayer to honor all the fallen, including 33 members of the UCU community. In his speech, he emphasized the spiritual resilience of Ukrainians, the importance of maintaining hope and faith in the resurrection, and noted that Ukraine stands at the epicenter of global change and the creation of a new humanity.

On December 17, the UCU hosted the “Light of Justice” Award ceremony, which recognizes individuals for their moral, spiritual, and ethical leadership. This year’s laureates were entrepreneurs Hryhoriy Tkachenko and Nika Lozovska, who continue to work in frontline areas, exemplifying resilience and creativity.

As a co-founder of the award, Metropolitan Borys presented the honors, underscoring that their efforts symbolize the strength of communities that, even in the most challenging times, remind us that light always triumphs over darkness.

On December 18, the University hosted a Q&A session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and students. Approximately 200 students attended the event. Metropolitan Borys opened the session by stressing the importance of prayerful support for soldiers and national leaders. He also led a moment of silence in memory of the fallen heroes.

Later that day, Metropolitan Borys attended the presentation of a book authored by Father Yuriy Shchurko, a Doctor of Biblical Theology and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology at UCU.