Greek Catholic Bishops Ordained for Kharkiv and Lviv

Hieromonach (priest-monk) Stepan Meniok was ordained to the episcopacy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) on 15 February 2002. Bishop Meniok will serve as exarch for the UGCC’s new exarchate of Donetsk-Kharkiv (eastern Ukraine). Hieromonach Ihor Vozniak was ordained on 17 February 2002. He will serve as the auxiliary-bishop for the Lviv Archeparchy of the UGCC. Both ordinations were held in St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv. Hieromonach Hlib Lonchyna will be ordained on 27 February 2002. Biographical information follows.
Reverend Stepan Meniok Rev. Stepan Meniok, Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSSR), was born on 19 August 1949 in the village of Nakonechne, Yavoriv district, Lviv region. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the underground seminary in Lviv. He joined the Redemptorist order, took his first vows in 1975 and his final vows on 8 November 1981. He was ordained a priest on 8 July 1981 and served the underground church in the Lviv region. In addition to his extensive pastoral service, he fulfilled the responsibilities of provincial steward and vicar. From 1994 to 1997 he was the rector of the Lviv Holy Spirit Seminary. Since 1997 he has served as the hegumen (superior) for the monastery of St. Alphonsus in Lviv and rector of the Blessed Mykola Charnetskyi Higher Spiritual Institute, Lviv province, Redemptorist Fathers. He speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, and French. Reverend Ihor Vozniak Rev. Ihor Vozniak, Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSSR), was born on 3 August 1952 in the village of Lypytsi, Mykolaiv district, Lviv region. He studied philosophy and theology at the underground seminary in Lviv and joined the Redemptorist order. He took his first vows in 1975 and his final vows in July 1981. He was ordained a priest on 23 November 1980 and served in the underground church in Vynytsia and surrounding villages. From 1990 to 1996 he was the Redemptorist proto-hegumen (abbot). After 1996 he conducted pastoral ministry in Vynytsia. From 1998 he was the novice instructor for the Lviv province of the Redemptorist Fathers. At the same time he continued his pastoral ministry, with a particular emphasis on preaching and conducting retreats for monks, religious sisters and laity. In addition to the Ukrainian language, he also speaks Russian, Polish, Italian, and English. A third episcopal ordination is planned for 27 February 2002. After his episcopal ordination, Hieromonach Hlib Lonchyna will serve as auxiliary-bishop of the Lviv Archeparchy (Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC). Reverend Hlib Lonchyna Rev. Hlib Lonchyna, Monk of the Studite Order (MSU), was born 23 February 1954 in Steubenville, Ohio (USA). He completed his studies in philosophy and theology in Rome at the Papal Urbanian University and at the Papal Oriental Institute, where he received his doctorate in Liturgy in 2001. He was tonsured at the monastery of St. Theodore the Studite in Grottaferrata (Italy) where he received his schema on 19 December 1976. He was ordained a priest on 3 July 1977 and for several years conducted pastoral ministry at St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, New Jersey (USA). From 1994 he served as the spiritual director for the Lviv Holy Spirit Seminary and taught at the Lviv Theological Academy (Ukraine). Since 2000 he has worked as the attache for the Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv. Other than Ukrainian, he speaks English, Italian, and French. Source: Press service of the UGCC