The funeral of Yuriy Shevchuk, father of the Head of the UGCC, was held in Stryi
The service was co-celebrated by Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ivano-Frankivsk Volodymyr Viytyshyn, Bishop of Stryi Taras Senkiv, Bishop of Sambir-Drohobych Yaroslav Pryriz, ruling hierarch of the St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of Kamyanets-Podilsky Ivan Kulyk, Exarch of Odessa Bishop Mykhailo Bubny, Exarch of Kharkiv Bishop Vasyl Tuchapets, Exarch of Lutsk Bishop Josaphat Hovera, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Kyiv Iosyp Milyan, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv Theodor Martynyuk, Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych, Bishop Hryhoriy Komar, Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Striy Bohdan Manyshyn, and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Kyiv Andriy Khimyak.
Numerous priests from Striy, Lviv, Kyiv, Drohobych, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi, and other cities of Ukraine were also present at the funeral.
Bishop Bohdan Danylo delivered a sermon in which he shared memories of the last months of Yuriy Shevchuk's life in America.
When Mr. Yuriy Shevchuk arrived in the United States in August amidst the hot climate, his first desire was to join the celebrations of Ukraine's Independence Day. Clad in an embroidered shirt, he walked the streets of Parma alongside us, immersing himself in the festivities. However, what struck me the most was his immediate request upon seeing me: the Sacrament of Confession," revealed the bishop.
He emphasized that Yuriy Shevchuk was the thread that united Ukrainians in America with Ukraine, regardless of when they arrived in the United States, because he shared with them the true face of the war.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav delivered a speech in which he first thanked God for the gift of good parents: his father and mother, who were exemplary Christian spouses, and thus entrusted his father to the embrace of the Heavenly Father.
The head of the UGCC testified to his father's special faith in the natural goodness of people, noting that he always defended and loved others.
"I remember embracing my father. I know that God's embrace will be much sweeter for all of us. Therefore, today, I want to entrust our father to the Father's embrace, our Heavenly Father. Dear Dad, we say to you, 'See you soon!' See you in the Father's embrace! Eternal memory to you! Christ is risen!" said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
A significant number of believers attended the funeral service, and thousands of people united in prayer through the live broadcast provided by "Zhyve TV" (Live TV).
It should be noted that the first funeral services took place in the United States on December 9, 2022. The Rite of Burial was performed by Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak, in co-celebration with Bishop of the St. Josaphat Eparchy with headquarters in Parma Bishop Bohdan Danylo and the clergy in Akron, Ohio (USA).
