Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in Paraguay Enthroned

Bishop Daniel (Kozlinskyi) was enthronement as Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in Paraguay in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin in the city of Encarnacion. So reported the Information Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC).

The event began with a procession from the local Ukrainian Greek-Catholic parish to the Latin Church where a hierarchical liturgy was celebrated. A decree of the appointment and a greeting address from Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) were read out before the liturgy by Secretary of Apostolic Nunciature of Paraguay Mgr. Mislav Khodzhych and local Greek-Catholic parish priest Volodymyr Fylypiv accordingly.

The liturgy was led by Bishop Daniel in concelebration with the local Roman Catholic Eparch, Mgr. Ignatius Gogorzy, Secretary of Apostolic Nunciature of Paraguay Mgr. Mislav Khodzhych and priests of the two rites.

In his sermon, the newly appointed Apostolic Visitator thanked Mgr. Ignatius and his predecessors for the pastoral care provided for Ukrainian Greek-Catholic in Paraguay and stressed on the necessity to have their own hierarch.

In the end of the liturgy, Mgr. Ignatius expressed a sincere gratitude for the participation in the Lithurgy of the Byzantine Rite celebrated for the first time in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the city and wished Ukrainians to preserve the treasure of the Byzantine service.  

After that, a reception and cultural program were held in the local cultural and educational organization Prosvita.

The first Greek-Catholic priest Ivan Bugera came to Paraguay from Ukraine in 1947 and provided pastoral care for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics until 1968. He was succeeded by Fr. Josef Rizinger who built 7 churches and served until 1992. Their work is continued by the present priest of the Parish of the Presentation of the Holy Virgin, Fr. Volodymyr Fylypiv who built three churches and provides pastoral care in the parish and 9 chapels near the city of Encarnacion.