On August 16, 2026, a festive Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Plast camp “Sokil” in the Gorgany Mountains to mark its 100th anniversary. “Sokil” is one of the historic centers of Ukrainian Plast.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak. Concelebrating with him were Archbishop Emeritus Ihor Isichenko, Bishop Emeritus Hlib Lonchyna, as well as Plast chaplains Fr. Orest Demko, Fr. Luka Buniak, OSBM, and Fr. Serhiy Prudko.
In his homily, Metropolitan Borys connected the celebration of Sokil’s centennial with remembrance of Ukraine’s defenders and reflections on gratitude, eternal life, the image of God, and forgiveness. He emphasized that the joy of the day is inseparable from the pain of war and the sacrifice of those defending Ukraine, “Today, I feel in my heart how joy embraces tears, and the whole mystery of our existence comes before our eyes. We are camping under the warm, gentle sun, while our brothers and sisters far away are standing under bullets and drones.”
The Metropolitan made special mention of Plast member Ivan Kunevskyi, who, he said, crafted a candleholder for the chapel at Sokil with great love and skill and later gave his life for the freedom of Ukraine.
Metropolitan Borys highlighted four spiritual themes that he wanted those present to take home with them: gratitude, the Dormition, the image of God, and forgiveness. “Four shoots, four branches, four flowers that I would like you to take home with you.”
Speaking about gratitude, the Metropolitan drew attention to the meaning of the word “Eucharist.” “There is no more noble movement of the human heart than gratitude. Eucharist means thanksgiving,” he emphasized, calling on those present to thank God for salvation, for life, for Sokil, for Ukraine, and for its defenders.
Reflecting on the human person as the image of God, Metropolitan Borys emphasized that through the created world, nature, and other people, God reveals His goodness to us. “All of this is a way through which God wants to show us His goodness. He gives us life and calls us to eternity. God loves you.”
In the context of the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Borys spoke about the Christian faith in eternal life. He remembered the fallen defenders and innocent victims, generations of Plast members who had camped at Sokil since the time of Ivan Chmola, as well as Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.
“We do this with hope and with spiritual peace, even when our emotions are tense, difficult, or even dramatic. Because we know about eternity; we believe in eternity.”
The Metropolitan devoted a separate part of his homily to forgiveness. He emphasized that one of the greatest sins is separation from God and from one another. Resentment and hurt can deepen divisions among individuals, families, communities, and nations.
“One of the greatest sins is our division, our separation from God and from our neighbor.” Metropolitan Borys invited those present to think about people with whom they have difficult relationships, to let go of resentment, and, if they themselves have hurt someone, to ask for forgiveness.
“And if you know that you have hurt someone, go and ask for forgiveness. You will see what it feels like to take that burden off yourself and strengthen those relationships. The whole mission of Christ is to restore our relationship with God.”
At the conclusion of his homily, the Metropolitan encouraged Plast members to preserve unity and carry these spiritual principles into the next century of Sokil’s history. Returning to the image of the four flowers with which he had framed the central themes of his homily, Metropolitan Borys said: “Let us forgive one another, let us remain united, and let us carry into the next century of Plast this little bouquet, these flowers, these branches from this camp.”
100 Years of the Plast Camp “Sokil”
The history of the Plast camp “Sokil” dates back to the 1920s. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky supported Plast in establishing a permanent camp on Mount Sokil in the Gorgany Mountains and made the land available for its use. Plast members began developing the site, where camp buildings, a dining hall, a medical station, and a common room were established.
The plan for the camp was designed by Plast member and engineer Yurii Piasetskyi, while construction was overseen by Ivan Chmola, one of the founders of Plast and one of the pioneers of its camping movement.
On August 8, 1926, during the Third Plast Gathering, the camp was solemnly blessed. Sokil became one of the key centers of Plast life and camping. By 1930, 11 youth camps had been held there, where young Plast members learned independence, cooperation, responsibility, and life in nature.
In 1930, the Polish authorities banned Plast. Later, under the Soviet regime, the historic camp was destroyed.
Following the restoration of Ukraine’s independence, Plast members returned to Sokil. Only fragments of the foundations of the original camp remained, so it had to be rebuilt almost entirely from the ground up.
Restoration efforts were particularly active in preparation for the 100th anniversary of Plast in 2012.
Following the festive Divine Liturgy, a discussion on the history and significance of the Plast camp “Sokil” was held in the Svitlytsia, featuring Archbishop and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, historian and researcher Mykhailo Perun, and Andrii Rebryk.
The celebration of Sokil’s 100th anniversary offered an opportunity to give thanks for the generations of Plast members who shaped its history, to honor the memory of those who gave their lives for Ukraine, and to pass on to future generations the tradition of serving God and Ukraine.
