Bishop Yosafat Bohdan Moschych

Bishop Josaphat Moshchych, Eparch of Chernivtsi, Head of the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization, and Member of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC. He was born on September 16, 1976, in the town of Staryi Rozdil (Mykolaiv Raion, Lviv Oblast). He received priestly ordination on September 26, 1999, from the hands of the Most Reverend Bishop Sofron Mudryi, Eparch of Ivano-Frankivsk. His episcopal ordination took place on August 3, 2014, at the Marian Spiritual Center in the village of Krylos (Halych Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast). His enthronement occurred on November 18, 2017, at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Chernivtsi. Childhood and education: He was born on September 16, 1976, in the town of Staryi Rozdil (Mykolaiv Raion, Lviv Oblast). From 1982 to 1993, he attended the Rozdil Secondary School. From 1994 to 1999, he studied at the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Seminary. Bishop Josaphat speaks of the emergence of his vocation as follows: "As early as the 7th grade, I thought about becoming a priest. I liked it; I served in the church and observed everything closely. Later, I attended catechism courses. I don't know—it was a calling, I suppose. I don't know how to explain it logically. It is like love. You simply feel it. And then, there is freedom. Because I chose the priesthood myself. It is freedom and the gift of a calling. That is how I would describe my intention. Once, during a time of human doubt, I opened the Holy Scriptures: 'Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.'" And so, everything became clear and understandable to me.” On the other hand, the Bishop recalls his seminary studies with particular warmth: “I studied at the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Seminary; the classes were overcrowded, and there were many of us. At that time, there wasn't enough dormitory space for everyone, so ten of us young men had to live at the monastery in Maizli. The superior wouldn't accept money from us, but we had to work around the monastery. We managed to study, take exams, work, and serve at Divine Liturgies. There was a lot going on, but the spirit of friendship prevailed over everything. During my studies, I made many friends with whom I still keep in touch today. One time, Father Yosyp Danylovych woke us up and said, ‘Lads, we need to load bricks—get up.’ We protested, ‘But we have an exam tomorrow!’ He replied, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get everything done!’ And we did work, and we managed to do it all. That is how we experienced the spirit of God’s support.” Regarding his priestly ministry: on April 25, 1998, he entered the novitiate of the Missionary Congregation of Saint Andrew the Apostle, choosing the religious name Josaphat. He made his first temporary vows on August 14, 1999, and his perpetual vows on September 15, 2002. He was ordained a deacon on December 13, 1998, and received the Holy Sacrament of Priesthood on September 26, 1999, at the hands of the Most Reverend Sofron Mudryi, Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk. From 2000 to 2002, he studied at the Pontifical Academy “Alfonsiana” (the Higher Institute of Moral Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University) in Rome. In 2003, he studied at the Salesian University in Rome. While in Italy, he provided pastoral care to Ukrainian Greek Catholics in the town of Grosseto. On October 21, 2003, he was appointed Superior of the Missionary Congregation of St. Andrew the Apostle (for a three-year term). On September 22, 2006, at the General Elective Chapter, he was elected Superior General of the Missionary Congregation of St. Andrew the Apostle (for a six-year term). From 2004 to 2008, he served as Secretary of the Council of Major Superiors of Male Institutes of Consecrated Life in Ukraine. Additionally, he served as Head of the Mission and Evangelization Department of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy, Syncellus for Lay Movements of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy, and Coordinator of the special and delegated ministry regarding exorcism and prayers for special intentions in the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy. Regarding his episcopal ministry: on May 27, 2014, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy, with the titular see of Pulcheriopolis. His episcopal ordination took place on August 3, 2014, during the Third All-Ukrainian Pilgrimage on foot to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God in the village of Krylos (Ancient Halych), Halych District, Ivano-Frankivsk Region. The principal consecrator was His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, concelebrating with Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv Ihor Vozniak and Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ivano-Frankivsk Volodymyr Viityshyn. "Today, Bishop Josaphat has laid his life upon God's altar, and through his ministry, the Lord will give life to His Church," said His Beatitude Sviatoslav. "...For the task of a bishop is to teach and preach the Gospel, to sanctify the people through the Holy Sacraments, and to guide the faithful toward God." On November 18, 2017, in accordance with a decision by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) confirmed by Pope Francis, the Chernivtsi Eparchy of the UGCC was established. Bishop Josaphat Moshchych was appointed as the first Eparchial Bishop of this newly created eparchy. During the 2022 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC—held in Przemyśl, Poland, due to the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—he was elected a member of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC. At the subsequent Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, held from July 2 to 12, 2024, at the Zarvanytsia Marian Spiritual Center, the Council for Evangelization under the Head of the UGCC was granted Church-wide status. Bishop Josaphat Moshchych became the first head of the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization, an appointment announced in a decree issued on July 24, 2024, by the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav.