Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Will Attend December 7-8 Philadelphia Archieparchial Sobor

Members of the Permanent Synod are: His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Metropolitan Yevhen Popowicz,  Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Przemyśl–Warsaw;  Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia; Bishop Bohdan Danylo  Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio and  Auxiliary Bishop Teodor Martyniuk, Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv.  The secretary is  Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh, C.SS.R.

On Saturday, December 7, at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jenkintown, Pa., they will celebrate the Divine Liturgy which will open the Archieparchial Sobor and then they will attend the sessions of the Sobor throughout the day.

In the afternoon, after the formal sessions have ended, they will engage in informal discussions with the clergy, religious and laity and dialogue with them in a question and answer session.

At 6 pm, the hierarchs will celebrate Vespers with Litiya in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia.

Sunday morning at 8 am, Matins will be sung at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will follow at 10 am with His Beatitude Sviatoslav as main celebrant and the hierarchs as concelebrants.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, in a solemn ceremony there will be the awarding of the Medal of Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky.

A luncheon reception in the Cathedral social hall will follow at 12:30 pm.

At 2 pm in the Cathedral, the parents of Kendrick Castillo, John and Maria, will give testimony about the life of their son.  Kendrick, who has been praised for his heroic bravery, was martyred days before graduation this past May at his high school in Colorado, when he lunged at a school gunman and saved the lives of many of his fellow students.

The bishops will then participate in a healing service and anointing for the clergy, religious and laity.

On Monday, December 9, the members of the Permanent Synod will have their regular meeting in Washington, DC.

The permanent synod, established by the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, is comprised of the patriarch and four bishops designated for a five-year term.  It must be convoked by the patriarch at determined times, at least twice a year, and whenever the patriarch considers it opportune.