On June 18, the clergy of the Apostolic Exarchate of the UGCC in Italy, led by Bishop Dionysius Liakhovych, paid a working visit to the State Secretariat of the Holy See.
This is reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
The event took place on the eve of the 5th anniversary of the founding of the Apostolic Exarchate and was aimed at expressing gratitude for the creation of this church structure for Ukrainians of the Byzantine rite in Italy.
The UGCC clergymen met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States and International Organizations. After getting acquainted with the activities of the Apostolic Exarchate, Archbishop Gallagher asked about the challenges faced by the Exarchate in the pastoral and humanitarian spheres. Among them were providing pastoral care to a growing number of people from Ukraine, mobilizing priests, and the need for the formation of lay people to engage them in parish life.
As a sign of gratitude, Bishop Dionysius presented the archbishop with an icon of the Virgin of Vyshhorod, the UGCC Catechism "Christ is our Pascha" in Italian and the book "For the Love of My People. The Heroic Life of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (1865-1944)" by Rev. Dr. Augustine Babiak. He expressed gratitude to the Apostolic See for the annual opportunity for Ukrainian seminarians and priests to study at the Pontifical Universities of the Eternal City.
"The Apostolic See is always ready to support you," Archbishop Gallagher concluded, assuring the representatives of the Exarchate of further support for their mission in Italy.