Anniversary of the Death of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky

Metropolitan Andrey was the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Galician Society for 44 years through two world wars and seven different regimes: Austrian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Soviet, Nazi, and Soviet again.

Born July 22, 1865, in the village Prylbychi in Lviv region, Andrey came from an ancient aristocratic Ukrainian family that was Polonized in the 19th century; consequently, his family members became Roman Catholics. Despite the strong opposition of his father, he returned to his roots and become a monk of the Basilian Order, to serve as a "peasant" as it was then called by the Greek Catholic Church.

In the age of 36 Sheptytsky, who was gifted with extraordinary spiritual charisma, became the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He worked tirelessly for reconciliation between ethnic groups and left a rich legacy of writings on social issues and spirituality. The metropolitan developed new methods of pastoral work and established the Ukrainian rite Redemptorist Monastery and Studite order in Ukraine and other religious communities. He was the founder of a hospital, the National Museum, and the Theological Academy, and provided financial assistance to religious, cultural, and educational institutions.

Metropolitan Andrey was the patron of artists, students, including many Orthodox Christians, and a pioneer of ecumenism. During the years of Nazi occupation, he hid hundreds of Jews. During this period Metropolitan wrote the pastoral letter "Thou Shall Not Kill," a bold protest against Nazi atrocities.