Metropolitan’s Lifetime Service Award Presented in Philadelphia: Helen Chaykowsky and Andrew Fylypovych Recognized for Decades of Service

Helen Chaykowsky, who served in the U.S. Catholic school system for 48 years — including 26 years as principal of several Catholic high schools — received the award for her half-century commitment to Catholic education, her lifelong accompaniment of young people, and her leadership in ensuring the protection of children. For several years, she has served as the Chair of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia Review Board. Accepting the award, she emphasized that she does so on behalf of the entire board: “It is a wonderful group of men and women who work tirelessly to ensure that our children are safe and protected.”

Introducing the honoree, Metropolitan Borys joked, “She is a true Ukrainian Philadelphian.”
He also described the challenges facing Catholic schools: in the 1970s, there were 11,000 Catholic schools in the United States — now the number has been cut in half. In the Philadelphia region, 18 Catholic high schools once served students; today, only three remain. Mrs. Chaykowsky served in six Catholic schools — part of the oldest Catholic school network in the country. The Metropolitan highlighted that she became the first laywoman appointed principal of an archdiocesan high school at Bishop Conwell.“Imagine American teenagers of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. What a responsibility! It is an even greater responsibility than being a bishop,” he remarked.

Helen Chaykowsky was born in Ukraine and came to the United States in 1949 at age six. Her family settled in Philadelphia. She graduated from St. Basil Academy (1961) and Chestnut Hill College (1965), earning a degree in English. She received a master’s degree in counseling from Villanova University and a secondary education administration certificate from Temple University. She remains a dedicated member of the Annunciation B.V.M. Parish in Melrose Park and continues to serve actively within the Church.

Andrew Fylypovych was honored for engagement in and service to Church and community, his expert legal counsel and conflict resolution, and for his moral and material generosity. Born in Germany, he came to the United States as a two-year-old and grew up in Chicago’s active Ukrainian community.

During a 1970 trip to Ukraine, he was arrested by the KGB for “anti-Soviet activities” — his membership in Plast, of which he remains a lifelong member. Metropolitan Borys added with a smile: “It is nice to say that he has been engaged in anti-Soviet activity for 55 years.”

Fylypovych studied at Duke University and Georgetown University. In 1977, he became one of the co-founders of the Ukrainian American Bar Association, later serving as its president.
In 1985, he led the legal defense of Myroslav Medvid, a Ukrainian sailor who attempted to seek political asylum in the United States. Medvid was ultimately returned to the Soviet Union, where he later became a Greek-Catholic priest.

He has served the community in a number of roles:
– Director of External Relations of the local branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA);
– Former member of the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center;
– Member of the Board of Ascension Manor, a residence for low-income seniors;

He regularly participates in advocacy events for Ukraine in Washington, D.C. and the Philadelphia region and serve as volunteer assisting wounded Ukrainian soldiers receiving medical treatment in Philadelphia.

Accepting the award, Fylypovych said jokingly, “I am not worthy of this award… but if any of you take a wounded Ukrainian soldier to Alaska, you can earn it too.” He thanked his late parents for instilling in him a love of the Church and Ukraine, recalling how, without a car, they traveled an hour by public transportation every Sunday to reach their parish.

"This is not a single moment or a reflex; it is half a century of engagement and attention to others in the Christian spirit, without too many words or publicity. Andriy Fylypovych is present both in the Church and in the community. Together with his wife Khrystyna, they take an active interest in what is happening in Ukraine, recently visited the country, and are generous donors to various public causes, including the Ukrainian Catholic University," said the Archbishop.

Metropolitan Borys noted: “Both of our honorees were refugees who arrived in America in their parents’ arms. Their parents had nothing except faith, heart, and education.”

Background

The Metropolitan’s Lifetime Service Award was established by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak in 2022. It is presented annually to clergy, religious, and laity for distinguished and selfless service.

The first recipient was Msgr. Ronald Popivchak, longtime pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bridgeport, PA. In 2023, the award was presented to the three women’s religious communities of the Philadelphia Archeparchy for their life-giving contribution to Catholic education. The 2024 honorees were editor of Patriarchate magazine Mykola Haliv; academics Drs. Leonid and Iryna Rudnytzky; scholar and publicist Andrew Sorokowskyi; and longtime lay leader Roma Haida.