Greek Catholics in Romania have to Attend Services in Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches

Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Josef (Milian) visited Romania where he met with the local Greek Catholic priests.

The working trip lasted from 29 October to 2 November and included visiting places along the border between Bukovyna and Maramorshchyna (Zakarpattia).  

The Ukrainian priests of the Greek Catholic Vicariate of Romania informed the bishop that they lack clergymen and many lay people attend services in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. The Ukrainians also talked about the preservation of the identity of UGCC in Romania and showed support for closer connection with the Kyivan Mother Church at the hierarchy and pastoral level.

Bishop Josef (Milian) proposed a number of initiatives in the present situation:

• Implement a project “Visit the Sacral Ukraine” for children and youth;
• Organize seminars for missionaries;
• Introduce permanent meetings of specialists, theologians and person conducting recollections   both from Romania and Ukraine
• Organize pilgrimages to Greek Catholic wonder-working icons;

Bishop Josef invited the faithful of UGCC of Romania to participate in the consecration of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv in 2013, and the Secretary of the Pastoral Missionary Department of UGCC, Fr. Vasyl Potochniak, who accompanied the bishop, invited them to the summer pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia next year.

UGCC of Romania includes 13 parishes and 7 smaller communities.  Some of the priests studied in Ukrainian seminaries and then, studied for degrees in Rome. The communities constitute two Greek Catholic Deaneries: Bukovyna and Maramorsk (Zakarpattia) ones led by the General Vicar, Fr. Ivan Voloshchuk. Services are conducted in several churches, which were returned to the Greek Catholics, and in newly built chapels and adjusted buildings.