New Semester Begins at the St. Gabriel Institute in Washington, D.C.
On January 7, a new semester of the St. Gabriel Institute’s academic program began in Washington, D.C. Twelve students arrived in the U.S. capital after successfully completing the first, online semester of the program and have now entered its second, in-person phase, focused on practical training and formation.
This semester’s participants include clergy and laypeople representing various eparchies and institutions of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, including the Lviv, Odesa, Stryi, Kyiv, Munich and Paris Eparchies, the Ukrainian Catholic University, as well as other ecclesial and educational communities. They were selected as the most active and dedicated participants of the program, based on academic performance and demonstrated motivation for service.
The in-person phase takes place in Washington, D.C. Students reside at St. Josaphat Seminary, where a shared spiritual and communal rhythm of life is formed. Academic courses and lectures are held at The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University, along with specialized seminars and meetings with practitioners.
The semester, which runs from January through June 2026, began with an orientation week dedicated to introducing students to the structure of the program and supporting their adaptation to communal living and study. January 16, students also took part in a meeting with Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.
The daily rhythm of the program integrates academic study, spiritual formation, and communal life. Each day begins with the Divine Liturgy and concludes with Vespers. Students pray, study, and share responsibility for daily life together, forming a living community grounded in mutual support and trust.
The Archangel Gabriel Institute was founded at the initiative of Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak in response to the urgent need of the Ukrainian Catholic Church for professionals in the fields of communications, diplomacy, and international relations. The in-person phase in Washington is designed not only to deepen students’ professional competencies, but also to foster holistic formation - spiritual, intellectual, and communal - aimed at the dignified and responsible representation of the Church and of Ukraine on the international stage, particularly in the context of the ongoing war.
