Most Rev. Borys Gudziak, Archbishop

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Ph.D.

The official enthronement ceremony of Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Borys Gudziak, took place on June 4, 2019 in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia, with participation of 50 bishops from the Eastern Catholic, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Catholic Churches, over a hundred of priests and members of the monastic orders.Bishop Borys became the seventh Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia of the UGCC.

Borys Gudziak was born in 1960 in Syracuse, New York, the son of immigrants from Ukraine. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and biology from Syracuse University in 1980 and then studied in Rome, in the circle of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. He received a STB degree in theology from the Pontifical Urban University in 1983 and then returned to America to pursue a doctorate in Slavic and Byzantine Cultural History at Harvard University, which he successfully defended in 1992. In 1995 he earned a licentiate in Eastern Christian studies from the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

In 1992, he moved to Lviv where he founded and directed (1992-2002) the Institute of Church History. In 1993, he was appointed Chairman of the Commission for the Renewal of the Lviv Theological Academy. From 1995 until 2000, he served as Vice Rector of the Lviv Theological Academy, then as Rector from 2000 to 2002. In that year, Gudziak became Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (founded on the basis of the Academy), and in 2013 its President.

Borys Gudziak was ordained as a priest  on November 26, 1998.

In 2012 he was appointed Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and Switzerland. Archbishop Borys also serves as a member of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and as a head of the Department of External Church Relations. In 2016, with the help of American consultants with experience in church administration as well as business, Archbishop Borys launched a program of strategic pastoral planning to create an eparchial vision for its future activity and growth, increased the number of priests and parishes, established a new financial model for the eparchy’s sustainability, and widely engaged the laity.

During the 2013-2014 Maidan movement for human dignity, Archbishop Borys was an active supporter and appeared regularly on leading global TV channels and media providing expert commentary. 

Archbishop Borys has received numerous awards and distinctions. In 2015 he became a Cavalier of the Order of Legion of Honor (Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur), the highest decoration in France. In 2016 he was awarded the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański Award in Wroclaw, Poland, in recognition for his work in shaping civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2018 he received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Syracuse University, and a literary award from the Ukrainian chapter of PEN International.  In June 2019, Archbishop Borys was presented with the Notre Dame Award from Notre Dame University.  He travels globally with lectures and talks on theology, history, spirituality, education, society, and current challenges in Ukraine.

He speaks English, Ukrainian, Italian, Polish, French, Russian, and German. Archbishop Gudziak is the author of a number of scholarly works, among them a doctoral dissertation on sixteenth-century church history, published as Crisis and Reform: The Kyivan Metropolitanate, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Genesis of the Union of Brest (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998), as well as numerous articles in European and North American academic journals. He has also penned articles in popular magazines, newspapers, commentary on political, cultural, and religious affairs, position papers on academic curricula and educational reform, and introductions to scholarly and spiritual publications. Archbishop Borys is among the authors of A Pope Francis Lexicon,edited by Cindy Wooden and Joshua J McElwee (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2017) and a collection of essays about the future of Europe.

He continues to be an active member of the “Plast” Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the head of its supervisory board.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak is an honorary citizen of Lviv.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Архиєпископ Борис Ґудзяк

Офіційна церемонія інтронізації архиєпископа митрополита Філадельфійського УГКЦ Бориса Ґудзяка відбулася 4 червня 2019 p., у катедрі Непорочного Зачаття у Філадельфії за участю 50 єпископів зі Східних Католицьких, Римо-Католицької та Української Католицької Церков, понад сотні священиків та членів монаших чинів. Владика Борис став сьомим архиєпископом і митрополитом Філадельфійської митрополії УГКЦ.

Борис Ґудзяк народився 1960 року в Сиракузах, штат Нью-Йорк, в українській родині, що емігрувала до США після Другої світової війни. Бакалаврський ступінь з філософії та біології він здобув 1980 року в Сиракузькому університеті та цього ж року розпочав навчання в Римі під проводом патріарха Йосифа Сліпого. Після вивчення богослов’я в університеті папи Урбана та отримання бакалаврського диплому, 1983 року повернувся до Америки, щоб розпочати працю над докторською дисертацією з славістики та візантиністики в Гарвардському університеті, яку успішно захистив 1992 року. 1995 року отримав ліценціатський ступінь з східних християнських студій в Папському Орієнтальному Інституті в Римі

1992 року переїхав до Львова, де заснував і очолив (1992-2002) Інститут Історії Церкви. 1993 року призначений головою Комісії з відновлення Львівської Богословської Академії. Від 1995 до 2000 працював віце-ректором ЛБА, а з 2000 до 2002 – її ректором. Цього ж року Академія була реорганізована в Університет, і отець Борис Ґудзяк став його першим ректором, а з 2013 – президентом.

Священичі свячення отримав в 26 листопада 1998 року. 

2012 року був призначений єпископом для українців-католиків в Франції, Бельгії, Нідерландах, Люксембурзі та Швейцарії. Також є членом Постійного Синоду Української Греко-Католицької Церкви та головою Відділу зовнішніх церковних зв’язків. 2016 року з допомогою зовнішніх консультантів команда єпархії на чолі з владикою Борисом розпочала працю над стратегічним пасторальним планом розвитку, що дозволив збільшити кількість священиків та душпастирських осередків, заангажувати мирян та запропонував нову фінансову модель для єпархії. 

Архиєпископ Борис був активним учасником “Революції гідності” 2013/2014 років, часто виступаючи в українських та міжнародних ЗМІ.

Архиєпископ Борис отримав багато нагород та відзначень. 2015 року став кавалером Ордену Почесного Легіону (Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur), що є найвищою нагородою Французької Республіки. 2016 – отримав нагороду Яна Новака-Єзьоранського у Вроцлаві, Польща, як визнання його вкладу у розбудову громадянського суспільства у центральній та східній Європі. У 2018 став почесним доктором своєї альма матер – Сиракузького університету – і лауреатом премії Василя Стуса.  У червні 2019 архиєпископ Борис отримав нагороду університету Notre Dame.  Багато подорожує з лекціями та доповідями на теми богослов’я, історії, християнської духовності, освіти, суспільства та викликів в сучасній Україні. 

Володіє англійською, українською, італійською, польською, французькою, російською та німецькою мовами. Є автором багатьох наукових праць, серед яких його докторська дисертація “Криза і реформа: Київська митрополія, Царгородський патріархат і генеза Берестейської унії” (1998) та різних статей у європейських та північноамериканських наукових журналах. Він також дописує до суспільних видань, коментуючи на політичні, суспільні та релігійні теми. Належить до авторів книги про папу Франциска A Pope Francis Lexicon, Cindy Wooden and Joshua J McElwee (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2017) та збірки есеїв “Нова Європа”.

Почесний громадянин Львова. Пластун, голова наглядової ради скаутської організації “Пласт”.

---------------------------------------------




Most Rev. Stefan Soroka, Archbishop-emeritus

Pope Francis Appoints Auxiliary Bishop Andriy Rabiy as Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia; Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Stefan Soroka effective April 16, 2018


-----------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - As the traditional Greek word of approval, Axios! (He is worthy) resounded throughout the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception here, the Most Reverend Stefan Soroka. 49, of Winnipeg, Canada, was enthroned as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy (Archdiocese) of Philadelphia on Tuesday, February 27th.
 

                The new spiritual leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States succeeds Metropolitan-Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, 76, who submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II, pursuant to the provisions of canon law upon reach­ing the age of 75 in October, 1999. The resignation was accepted and the new met­ropolitan was appointed by the Holy Fa­ther on November 29, 2000. The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which met in Ukraine in July, 2000 made its recommendation to the Holy See for the appointment of the new Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia.
 

The new metropolitan entered the cathedral, accompanied by thirty-five bishops, including four cardinals, follow­ing a procession of 400 children and altar boys from throughout the archeparchy, and 200 members of the clergy and reli­gious. Presiding prelates included Cardi­nal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua of the Latin-rite Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, of the Archdiocese of Washington and Cardinal William Keeler of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Cardinals Husar and McCarrick were ele­vated to the rank of cardinal February 21 at the Vatican.
 

Cardinal Husar extended greet­ings on behalf of the Synod of Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchy to the clergy, religious and faithful.
 

Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States read the Papal Bull of appointment from Pope John Paul II, and the crosier, the pastoral staff of spiritual authority, was' passed from retiring Metropolitan Sulyk to the new Metropolitan.
 

Cardinal Husar and Archbishop Montvalvo then led Metropolitan Soroka to the Episcopal chair, the "cathedra," where he was seated, or "enthroned."
 

After tneenthronement ceremony, all the clergy of the Philadelphia Archeparchy came forward to express their promise of obedience to the new Metropolitan.
 

During the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Metro­politan Soroka was the main celebrant and homilist, with his brother bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine tradition as cocelebrants. Included among the bishops at the altar were his predecessor, Metropolitan Sulyk, Metropolitan-Archbishop of Winnipeg Michael Bzdel, and Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Byzantine Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Judson Procyk and his suffragan bishops, Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Epar­chy, Bishop Robert Moskal, of the St. Josaphat Eparchy of Parma, Bishop Michael Wiwchar, recently installed as Bishop of Saskatoon and presently serving as administrator of St. Nicholas Eparchy of Chicago, and recently re­tired auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, Bishop Walter Paska.
 

Concelebrating priests from the Archeparchy were Rev. Archpriest David Clooney, Rev. Msgr. Ronald P. Popivchak, Rev. Msgr. James T. Melnic, and Rev. Archpriest Michael Hutsko. Rev. John N. Ciurpita served as master of ceremonies. Reverend Mr. Andriy Rabiy served as deacon.
 

During his homily, Metropolitan Soroka stated, "Those of us called to leadership in our church are called to lead by example. We cannot expect our people to do anything which we would be unwill1ng to do with them. As your shepherd, I am called to be among the priests, religious and people enough that you will recognize my voice and trust my heart. I must have enough courage to go first, compassion enough to choose a safe path for the weakest among you, and confidence enough to know that you will follow if I lead."
 

He continued, "As your new archbishop and met­ropolitan, I commit myself to serve you according to the ideals of the One High Shepherd, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, I want us to come to know one another with much famili­arity, with much mutual love and respect. I beg your pa­tience and understanding of my limitations, and your kind assistance so that I may become whom our Lord Jesus calls me to be for you. I pledge you my passionate love for God, and our Church, and for all of you."
 

                The responses to the Divine Liturgy were sung in congregational chant in both the English and Ukrainian languages. Rev. Joseph Szupa, Rev. Paul Wolensky, and Rev. Deacon Michael Waak served as cantors. Annuncia­tion of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church choir, Melrose Park, Pa., under the direction of Alexandra Binkalskyj sang hymns during the enthronement ceremo­nies.
 

               After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Soroka informally greeted over 2,000 members of the clergy, reli­gious and faithful during a reception in the cathedral social hall.
 

A formal luncheon for 300 invited clergy, reli­giuus, family and friends of the new metropolitan was held held earlier in the day at the Hyatt Regency. Penn's Landing. Retiring Metropolitan Sulyk offered the invoca­tion and a toast in honor of his successor. Bishop Vsevolod extended greetings on behalf of the Ukrainian Ortho­dox Church and Msgr. James Melnic offered greetings on behalf of the clergy, religious and faithful of the Philadel­phia Archeparchy.
 

Metropolitan Soroka gave responding remarks to those assembled, expressing his gratitude to all those who had made him feel at home during the brief time he has been in Philadelphia. I am no longer a stranger, but I am now at home among my faithful. He then concluded the program by offering the benediction.