Bishop Dmytro (Bohdan) Hryhorak

Bishop Dmytro Hryhorak, Eparch of Buchach. Born on January 1, 1956, in Ivano-Frankivsk. Ordained a priest on October 25, 1992, by the Most Reverend Bishop Sofron Dmyterko, Eparch of Ivano-Frankivsk. Consecrated a bishop on September 18, 2011, at the Cathedral of the Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul in Chortkiv (Ternopil region). Enthroned on September 18, 2011, at the Cathedral of the Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul in Chortkiv (Ternopil region). Childhood and family: Bishop Dmytro (baptized Bohdan) was born on January 1, 1956, in Ivano-Frankivsk, into the family of Dmytro and Anna (née Prypkhan). Here is how warmly Bishop Dmytro recalls his family: "My parents are the people through whom I came to know God. It was they who taught me to pray and told me that God exists and that one must believe in Him to be a decent and honest person. Besides me, a younger sister and an older brother were growing up in the family. Our entire family was devout. From my father—an employee of the Ivano-Frankivsk Medical Institute—and my mother—a civil servant—I learned not only the foundations of faith and morality; my parents taught me something indispensable: humanity. In Soviet times, as is well known, it was forbidden even to speak about God. My mother and father took a risk by teaching me the fundamental truths of the Christian faith. My parents were neither theologians nor priests, yet they gave me a true, living faith. We knew that when a problem or trouble arose in the family, we needed to pray sincerely, and we were certain that the Lord would hear us and help." Such was my initial experience of faith. Our family was a "domestic church." It was my parents who took me to the priest Ivan Demushka (who, incidentally, had baptized me) for my first catechism lessons. This took place during my primary school years, and the priest taught us the catechism in greater depth. We were well aware—having been told at home, particularly by the priest—that if the school or the relevant punitive authorities found out about this, my parents would face persecution and serious trouble. Therefore, we knew we had to keep silent about it. The circumstances of the time were such that children were raised as Christians within the family, whereas at school, conversely, we were told that God did not exist. If God was mentioned at all, it was only in a negative context. My sister and I knew that we could not speak at school about the things we discussed at home. We loved, cherished, and valued our parents deeply, yet—regrettably—not quite as we should have. To this day, I regret not giving my parents everything I could have at the time. If those years could be relived, I would treat them differently. I thank the Lord for giving me precisely these parents, and for the fact that it was they who taught me to believe in God not merely with words, but with my heart. Education: From 1963 to 1973, I completed my secondary education in Ivano-Frankivsk. In 1973, I enrolled in the Ivano-Frankivsk Institute of Oil and Gas, graduating in 1978 with a degree in mechanical engineering. I worked as a design engineer at various factories in Ivano-Frankivsk. On October 14, 1989, I officially entered the Order of Saint Basil the Great. On January 7, 1990, the ceremony of clothing in the monastic habit took place in the monastery church in Zolochiv. His first "legal" novitiate took place in Hoshiv and Krekhiv in 1990–1991. Bishop Dmytro recounts the emergence of his vocation during the difficult era of Soviet atheism: "The family I was born into played a major role—my father and mother, who taught me to pray. The dilemma of 'to believe or not to believe' never arose for me. My entire family was religious, although I lacked a deep understanding of the faith, as my parents, naturally, could not provide that. Our family received spiritual support from Fr. Myron Pidlisetskyi, a confessor of the faith. This happened once a year; he would visit at Easter, and we would go to confession and receive Communion, while the priest celebrated the Liturgy in our home. Later, along my life's path, I encountered priests from various congregations: Basilians, Redemptorists, and Studites. At the time, I did not distinguish between the orders; to me, they were all simply monks. It so happened that I established the closest ties with the Basilian fathers, and in the late 1980s, they invited me to join the Order." Priestly ministry: From 1991 to 1996, he studied at the Basilian seminary and also graduated from the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological-Catechetical Institute. He completed his theological studies with a master's degree in ecclesiology from the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland. He was ordained a deacon on September 21, 1992, and a priest on October 25—the Feast of Christ the King—of the same year, by the hands of the Most Reverend Sofron Dmyterko, Eparch of Ivano-Frankivsk (OSBM). From 1992 to 1998, he carried out various pastoral duties at the monastery and the Parish of Christ the King in Ivano-Frankivsk. He served as the bursar and spiritual director for the Sisters of the Myrrh-Bearers and was the superior of the Basilian monastery in the village of Pohonia (Tysmenytsia District, Ivano-Frankivsk Region). In addition, he initiated a chaplaincy ministry at the Ivano-Frankivsk prison and served as the spiritual director of a youth prayer group. He was also sent for missionary work to Volhynia, where he served parishes in the cities of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Lutsk, and others. Subsequently, he was appointed superior of the monastery and pastor of the Church of St. Basil the Great in Lutsk. He initiated the construction of the monastery and church complex. At the same time, he served as the spiritual director of the "Ukrainian Youth for Christ" organization. He organized ecumenical, interfaith prayer gatherings. He took a special interest in—and served as the spiritual inspiration for—the civic organization "Movement for Life." He fostered the spiritual life and ministry of the UGCC in Volhynia, the land of the holy martyr Josaphat Kuntsevych. On July 28, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Dmytro Hryhorak, OSBM, as Apostolic Administrator *ad nutum Sanctae Sedis* (at the disposal of the Holy See) of the UGCC Eparchy of Buchach, which had become vacant following the appointment of Bishop Iriney Bilyk, OSBM, as a canon of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Episcopal Ministry: On July 23, 2011, it was announced that the Holy Father Benedict XVI had given his consent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which had decided to appoint Fr. Dmytro Hryhorak as Eparch of Buchach. Here is how Bishop Dmytro himself recalls this appointment as bishop: "I never imagined myself as either a bishop or a priest." In my youth, I never aspired to be a monk; I didn’t even know what it entailed. Becoming a priest or a bishop never even crossed my mind. Yet, following the advice of a priest, I sought God’s will. Let me share an episode from my life. When I was invited to join the Basilian Fathers' monastery, I hesitated. I had never thought about entering a monastery; I had envisioned myself as a married man. But for some reason, I couldn't say "no" to the fathers—the word "no" seemed to get stuck in my throat. At that time, a desire to be in the monastery arose within me, even though I didn't fully understand what it meant. Something was drawing me there. I consulted various priests, asking for guidance on the right course of action and which path to choose. Some said, "Don't overthink it; go to the monastery. It is God's will." Others said, "Get married. You can be a good priest even if you are married." No one gave me a definitive answer on what I should do. One day, I approached an older priest with the same question, and he replied, "This is your life. It is your choice, and you must make the decision yourself. Whatever you choose will be yours." I said, "Father, I came to you specifically to ask which path is better." He said, "It is good to have a family—a wife and children. And it is good to be in a monastery. But the better path is the one that is truly yours." I asked, "What is mine?" "What is yours is whatever you choose for yourself," the father answered. I asked, "But what does God want from me?" "That is exactly where you should start," the father said. "If you have a choice, it means you have a calling. Those who do not receive a calling from God get married. You have received a calling from God to enter the monastery. Therefore, you have a choice. Choose." I said, "How am I to choose if I do not know what is best for me?" He replied, "Then do not ask God for either the monastery or a family; instead, ask God that His will be done in your life. Pray for God’s will every day." From that time on, I began praying for God’s will, and I continue to do so to this day. By His will, I am a monk, a priest, and now a bishop-designate." The episcopal ordination and the rite of enthronement took place on September 18, 2011, at the Cathedral of the Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul in Chortkiv (Ternopil region). The rite of episcopal ordination was performed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Father and Head of the UGCC. The co-consecrators were Bishop Vasyl Semeniuk, Eparch of Ternopil-Zboriv, and Bishop Sofron Mudryi, Bishop-Emeritus of Ivano-Frankivsk. In one of his first interviews following the announcement of his appointment as bishop, Dmytro Hryhorak shared his thoughts on the future development of the Buchach Eparchy: "I believe the spiritual growth of the eparchy depends primarily on the priests. Therefore, I would like the priests to be true priests—genuine disciples of Christ. Ninety percent of the clergy in our eparchy are married. These are priests who have families—wives and children—whom they must feed, clothe, raise, and educate. This requires not only moral effort but also work to ensure their physical livelihood, as they must also provide for the material well-being of their families. There is a tension here between priestly duties and material obligations toward one's family." I would like priests to prioritize their spiritual duties—to the parish, the Church, and their families—and to raise their children first and foremost to be pious, upright individuals, attending to their material well-being only thereafter; I want them to always serve as a positive example for the parish. The priest’s family plays a major role here. A priest may be an excellent preacher, but if things happen in his family that contradict his words, then, naturally, the example set for the parish becomes negative. The faithful look not only at how the priest speaks but also at how his wife and children live. Indeed, our eparchy has examples of wonderful priests' wives whose lives complement the priest's words. When such cooperation exists—where the priest’s sermon is extended through his wife’s life—the parish truly has a magnificent example and flourishes. There are negative examples as well, though I believe they are few and not characteristic of our eparchy. From the faithful, I would hope for great trust in the clergy, the Church, and the eparchial leadership—trust in the sense that they know the parish priest, and especially the eparchial leadership, have not forgotten anyone, and that we keep all our faithful in mind, even in the most remote parishes on the outskirts of the eparchy. We want to overlook no one and reach everyone; we strive to assist every part of our eparchy, even the smallest unit. Of course, this does not always happen as quickly as we might wish, and we cannot always reach every community, yet we remember everyone and wish to devote our time to all. We strive for every parishioner to feel needed by the Church and, with this awareness, for all the faithful to prioritize their spiritual lives and understand that the well-being of their children and families depends not only on material things but also on their faith. Why do so many people leave for jobs abroad? Because they prioritize material concerns while neglecting the spiritual—forgetting that children are left without parental care and often go down a destructive path. Families eventually fall apart. Many of our people earn good money abroad without realizing that they are losing far more back home: their families and their children. Therefore, I urge our faithful to put God first in their lives. Everything else will follow. He was awarded the "Pride of the Ternopil Region" badge in 2018 for his significant personal contribution to the development of spirituality and the upholding of Christian moral principles and historical justice in Ukrainian society.