Bishop Vasyl Ivasyuk

Bishop Vasyl Ivasyuk, Eparch of Kolomyia. Born on January 21, 1960, in the village of Dora (Nadvirna District, Ivano-Frankivsk Region). Ordained a priest on August 16, 1989, by the Most Reverend Bishop Julian Voronovsky, Eparch of Sambir-Drohobych. Consecrated a bishop on September 28, 2003, at St. George’s Archcathedral in Lviv. Enthroned on March 22, 2014, at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kolomyia (Ivano-Frankivsk Region). Childhood and family: Born on January 21, 1960, in the village of Dora (near Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk Region) into the Christian family of Ilko Ivasyuk and his wife Paraskeva. Bishop Vasyl himself recalls these first lessons of faith from his parents: "Who led me to the Church? I was born in the 1960s, a time when many bishops and priests were condemned, and quite a few were imprisoned. So, I am stating nothing new when I say that parents have a profound influence on a child's formation. Thus, my mother Paraska and father Ilko taught me to pray. Before I could read or even attend school, they were the ones who led the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' prayers—in short, the daily prayers found in our Church's catechism. This happened both morning and evening. At the same time, my parents instilled in me a love for people and for the beauty of this world, and taught me to understand my neighbor. That, in fact, was my first school of catechesis—my family home." Beyond his parents, the Bishop also recalls several other renowned luminaries of our Church who played a role in his vocation: "My father prepared me for my first Confession." So, it was around the second grade that I made my first Confession with Father Porfyrii—whose secular name was Petro Chuchman—a renowned figure at the time. Indeed, he had a profound influence on me during the second stage of my formation. And he did so, it seems, through such simple methods. I recall him saying one day: "Take these groceries to the poor." He gave me some food to deliver. Surely, this was a way of drawing people even closer to the Church—not only through prayer and confession but also through concrete deeds. My next teacher and mentor was a native of my hometown of Dora, Father Vasyl Semeniuk—now the Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv. I owe my theological formation to him. He, in turn, had developed under the influence of our late Metropolitan Volodymyr Sterniuk. Thus, my personal and spiritual development is largely linked to Lviv. During that time, I met the Studite monks Stefan and Dmytro, the current Kyiv Bishop Yosyf Milian, and the late Bishop of Drohobych-Sambir, Yulian Voronovskyi. Education: After finishing secondary school, I entered the Institute of Land Reclamation in Rivne. At the same time, I studied at an underground seminary. Later, I continued my theological studies at the Major Seminary in Ternopil and subsequently at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where I obtained a licentiate in dogmatic theology in 2003. Priestly Ministry: On August 15, 1989, I was ordained a deacon, and the very next day, August 16, 1989, I received priestly ordination at the hands of the Most Reverend Bishop... ...Julian Voronovskyi. During the time the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was underground, he ministered in the Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. In December 1989, he became the parish priest in the village of Stare Misto and the town of Pidhaitsi (Ternopil region); in August 1990, he became the parish priest and dean in the town of Berezhany (Ternopil region). Here is how Bishop Vasyl describes those years of underground ministry: "It so happened that I interacted more with the Lviv clergy. A little later, on August 16, 1989, Bishop Julian Voronovskyi ordained me as a priest. This momentous event for me took place in a private home in my native village of Dora. At first, frankly speaking, I didn't know the details—what, where, how, or the plan. People came and presented me with a fait accompli, as there was great fear of persecution and arrest. Naturally, that was the reality when receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders or taking monastic vows. In truth, people did this solely for religious reasons. They understood the need to serve both the Almighty and their own people. Therefore, they were prepared for the possibility of arrest and imprisonment. I was fortunate, to a certain extent. After my ordination, I managed to travel to Poland as part of a group of clergy. It was difficult, but not impossible. We happened to be there for the episcopal ordination of Father Ivan Martyniak. That solemn event in the miraculous city of Częstochowa, where bishops from Eastern Europe had gathered, left a profound mark on my heart. I remember a young Father Ivan Datsko and others. It was truly a magnificent celebration for the UGCC! Upon returning to Ukraine, with the blessing of Metropolitan Volodymyr Sterniuk, I began serving the Pidhaitsi area, Chortkiv, and the Borshchiv district." The era of the underground Church had not yet ended. I recall conducting a retreat in Kalush for women of the Third Order. There, I met Father Petrash, an underground priest—a highly respected and deeply learned man. It was said that he had been a candidate for bishop but had declined the position. Later, when the Church finally began to emerge from the underground, a force of such magnitude surged within the people—like an awakened volcano that no one could contain. The lava poured forth and rolled onward. Indeed. It was then that we celebrated one of the first public Liturgies in the forest at Dobre Pole, near Zarvanytsia." In 1993, he was appointed Chancellor of the Zboriv Eparchy, and the following year, Vicar of the same eparchy and Pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the town of Zboriv (Ternopil region). On June 1, 1996, he was appointed Protosyncellus of the Zboriv Eparchy. Let us return to the account of His Excellency Vasyl Ivasyuk: "A little later, in August 1990, I was transferred to Berezhany to serve as Dean. At that time, the Berezhany and Pidhaitsi districts of the Ternopil region were united. Then, in 1993, the Zboriv Eparchy was established, spanning the Pidhaitsi, Berezhany, Kozova, and Zboriv areas (in the Ternopil region), as well as the Brody, Radekhiv, and Sokal areas (in the Lviv region). Its territory resembled a curved shape, like a bow. Everyone understood that, eventually, it would have to undergo changes and be reorganized into a more compact structure. It was then—in September 1993—that Bishop Mykhailo Koltun called me to Zboriv, where I served first as Vice-Chancellor, and later as Chancellor and Protosyncellus. While holding that last position, I was also studying Canon Law at the Catholic University of Lublin. I did not complete the program there, however, because I was sent to Rome for full-time studies at the Gregorian University’s Faculty of Fundamental Theology. I returned from there in 2003. Upon my return from Rome, I was appointed Protosyncellus of the Sokal Eparchy. Episcopal Ministry: On July 28, 2003, the Holy Father John Paul II approved the appointment of the Very Reverend Father Vasyl Ivasyuk as the first Exarch of Odesa-Crimea. On September 28, 2003—the 15th Sunday after Pentecost—my episcopal ordination took place. The principal consecrator was His Beatitude Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, with the Eparchial Bishop of Sambir-Drohobych, the Most Reverend Julian Voronovsky, and the Eparchial Bishop of Sokal, the Most Reverend Mykhail Koltun, serving as co-consecrators. "There was no time for a break, as His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar declared: 'We need a bishop for Odesa.' Although I had planned something else—wanting to go to England to learn the language—I replied, 'Very well.' I understood it was necessary. And so, on September 28, 2003, I was ordained Bishop of Odesa-Crimea. I arrived in a southern region that felt somewhat foreign—though not, of course, in the literal sense of the word... At that time, there were only seven or eight priests there. When we approached the authorities to register a Greek Catholic church, we were looked upon as strangers. Yet, thanks to the titanic efforts and the authority of Bishop Lubomyr Husar, I was able to gain a firm footing in southern Ukraine. By the time I concluded my ministry there, the number of priests had grown to forty." "Whether this is a lot or a little is not for me to judge. Five regions and 40 priests," says Bishop Vasyl, summarizing his work in the southern territories. On May 23, 2013, he was appointed Administrator of the Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy of the UGCC. Subsequently, from 2014 to 2017, he served as the Bishop of Kolomyia-Chernivtsi. Bishop Vasyl accepted his appointment calmly and with trust in the Lord: "I had been in Kolomyia since May of the previous year, following the passing of the late Bishop Mykola Simkailo. He was a good bishop who performed many acts of mercy. Since May, I have been fulfilling the duties of Administrator of the Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy. It so happened that on February 13 of this year, the Holy Father officially announced to the world that I would be the Ruling Bishop of the entire Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy, responsible for all its clergy and faithful, as well as for those who may still be weak in faith—we must reach out to them, too. There is much work to be done, yet few shepherds. Currently, there are 245. It is difficult for me to say exactly how many are missing; we need to look at specific areas... For instance, work with children and youth, as well as catechesis, are priority areas requiring specially qualified priests... We also lack monks. At present, there is only one male monastery of the Studite Rule in Dora (Yaremche). Monks make the best spiritual guides for priests, helping them respond to the challenges of the present day." Since September 12, 2017, he has served as the Bishop of Kolomyia, following the separation of the Chernivtsi Eparchy from the former Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy.