Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church made a pastoral visit to the Greek Catholic Exarchate in Athens on May 10-12 for the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian community of St. Nicholas.
On May 10, Patriarch Sviatoslav was met at the airport of Venizelos by Apostolic Visitator for Greek Catholics of Greece, Bishop Dymytrii, Bishop Yaroslav (Pryriz) of Sambir-Drohobych, Archimandrite Lubomyr and Advisor of the Ukrainian Embassy in Greece, Mr. Yevhen Ostashevskyi.
“The visit of His beatitude Sviatoslav is especially important for Ukrainians in Athens because 15 years ago, a young priest, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who studied in Rome, laid the foundation of this community. Thanks to his efforts, Basilian sisters came to Athens to help Ukrainian children and a Ukrainian school was established thanks to him. Therefore, the community of Ukrainians in Athens welcomes His Beatitude Sviatoslav with special joy in order to thank the Lord together for His mysterious ways and fatherly care,” reported the press service.
The primate participated in a conference on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian Catholic community. Together with the Apostolic Visitator for Greek Catholics of Greece, Patriarch Sviatoslav visited Apostolic Nuncio in Greece, Archbishop Edward Adams on May 11.
The ambassador of the Vatican informed the visitors that the Congregation of the Eastern Churches granted a scholarship for five years to a parishioner of the Ukrainian community in Athens, Ivan Lykhopater. According to the report, this was a pleasant surprise for the exarch as it is the first vocation in the last 50 years.