Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Great Britain

Infobox Roman Catholic diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of=Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Great Britain
Latin name of diocese=


caption=Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile
location=Mayfair, London, Great Britain
territory=Great Britain: England and Wales & Scotland
population=15 000
rite=Ukrainian Greek Catholic
patron=Holy Family in Exile
province=
established=March 8, 1968
cathedral=Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile
co-cathedral=
leadership="vacant"
website= [http://www.cerkva.org.uk// www.cerkva.org.uk/]
pope=
major archbishop=Lubomyr Cardinal Husar
metropolitan=
ordinary=
coadjutor archbishop=
coadjutor bishop=
auxiliary=

The Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians (Ukrainian: Апостольський екзархат у Великобританії "Apostol's'kiy ekzarchat u Velikobritanï") is an apostolic exarchate for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Great Britain. The apostolic exarchate was erected on 10 June 1957 for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in England and Wales and was extended to the whole of Great Britain on 12 May 1968. It is the only Eastern Rite Catholic diocese in Britain.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarch of Great Britain used to be Paul Patrick Chomnycky. However, since his appointment as Eparch of Stamford, the position of Apostolic Exarch of Great Britain has been vacant. The current apostolic administrator is Benjamin Lysykanych. [ "Clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile" [http://www.cerkva.org.uk/index.php?content=clergy] ]

Unlike many other nations outside Ukraine to which the Ukrainian diaspora have emigrated, such as Canada and Australia, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Britain does not have eparchial status (equivalent to diocesan status in the Latin Church), but rather exarchial status. In addition, vis-a-vis other Latin Rite dioceses in Britain, due to the comparatively small number of faithful in the apostolic exarchate, there are fewer services, such as schools and care centres, that are provided.

History of the Apostolic Exarchate

Since the late nineteenth century, many Ukrainian have been migrating to England, most noticeably to London and the Red Bank area of Manchester. [ "Manchester City Council:Multi-Cultural Manchester - Ukrainians" [http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=448&documentID=506&pageNumber=19] ] These immigrants have been known as 'old immigrants', or "stari emihiranty".

After the Second World War, more and more immigrants were flocking to the British Isles from Eastern Europe, amongst them included numerous Ukrainian Catholics, as most of the Ukrainian immigrants were from Western Ukraine. Initially, many of the Eastern European Catholics worshipped in industrial hostels, as these were common locations where immigrants found cheaper accommodation. Some also worshipped in local Latin Rite parish churches, but not in their Byzantine liturgy.

However, eventually, Ukrainian Catholics were able to organize worship in their own Byzantine liturgy, often in the local Latin Rite parish church. In Coventry, by 1948, the Church of Christ the King in Coundon started having Ukrainian Catholic services. These were soon transferred to St Elizabeth Church in Foleshill. [ "The City of Coventry - Roman Catholicism | British History Online" [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16040] ] In 1957, the Apostolic Exarchate was established for Ukrainian Catholics in England and Wales.

By 1959, over 700 Ukrainian Catholics had registered themselves in Coventry. In the Midlands, there was a Ukrainian Catholic priest celebrating Ukrainian-rite services for the Ukrainian faithful in Coventry, as well as in Rugby, Gloucester, Bristol, Birmingham and Cheltenham.

With the help of Cardinal John Heenan, Bishop Hornyak was able to secure a former Methodist chapel to serve as the Apostolic Exarchate's cathedral church - the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in London.

In the 1990s, after Ukraine declared its independence, a period of economic difficulties followed, and many Ukrainians emigrated to Western Europe. This caused an increase in the number of Ukrainian Catholic faithful in Great Britain. [ "The Ukrainian Greek Catholics: A Historical Survey" [http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/major.religions/greek.catholic/historical.survey/] ]

Recently, the Ukrainian Catholic church in Wolverhampton was included as part of a video series by English Heritage on faith buildings in England. [ "Wolverhampton's Ukrainian church" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_4650000/newsid_4658200/4658244.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=4658244&bbcws=1] ]

Division over views of a Kievan Patriarchate

There has, for a long time, been different views among Ukrainian Catholics on the idea of a Kievan Patriarchate, replacing the Major Archdiocese. [Sulyk 2004, p.402.]

Augustine Hornyak, the first apostolic exarch, was known to have sided with those who did not believe that it would be appropriate for the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church - who was then Cardinal Josyf Slipyj - to be commemorated as Patriarch until the Pope would agree to elevate the Major Archdiocese to a Patriarchate. [Sulyk 2004, p.403.]

Since most of the faithful in the Apostolic Exarchate were patriotic and nationalist veterans of the Ukrainian Army, which was created in resistance to the German occupational forces, most supported the idea of a Patriarchate. They were therefore disappointed by the Bishop Hornyak's decision. Many showed their opposition through withholding their donations to the Church. A few Ukrainian Catholic priests came from Rome and began to celebrate Divine Liturgy privately in the faithful's homes commemorating the Major Archbishop as Patriarch - an act which angered Bishop Hornyak.

However, some people chose even more extreme methods of expressing their disagreement with Bishop Hornyak. For example, on 18th December, 1977, when Bishop Hornyak went to Gloucester to open the new Ukrainian Catholic church, he was met by around 500 demonstrators who ignored the police cordon line and attacked him, bruising his face and crushing his glasses. This forced him to retreat back into his car. [ Ukrainian Catholics Reportedly Clash With Bishop Hornyak in England" [http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/1977/2897708.shtml] ] [Hebblethwaite 1986, p.133.]

Stephen Sulyk, Archbishop Metropolitan Emeritus for Ukrainian Catholics in Philadelphia, wrote in his autobiography, "I Am With You Always", that Bishop Hornyak was eventually forced in to retirement due to pressure from the Patriarchal Organization - which advocated a Kievan Patriarchate - and the Major Archbishop of Lviv, Cardinal Myroslav Lubachivsky (Sulyk's predecessor) unfairly due to his backing of Vatican policies. However, many supporting the creation of a Kievan Patriarchate viewed Bishop Hornyak's retirement as a good sign. [Sulyk 2004, p.403.]

List of former Apostolic Exarchs

When the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in England and Wales was first established in 1957, it was administered by the then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal William Godfrey. Bishop Augustine Hornyak was ordained as auxiliary bishop in 1961. Upon the death of Cardinal Godfrey in 1963, Augustine Hornyak was elevated to Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians in England and Wales. In 1968, with the enlargement of the Apostolic Exarchate to include Scotland as well, Bishop Hornyak became the first Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians in Great Britain. He was then followed by two other bishops (see below).

The Apostolic Exarchate is currently vacant, until the Holy See appoints a new apostolic exarch. As a result, the current apostolic administrator is Benjamin Lysykanych. [ "Clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile" [http://www.cerkva.org.uk/index.php?content=clergy] ]

*Paul Patrick Chomnycky, O.S.B.M. (2002-2006; Eparch of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford 2006-now)
*Michael Kuchmiak, C.S.S.R. (Auxiliary bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia 1988; Apostolic exarch 1989-2002)
*"Michael Hrynchyshyn, C.S.S.R. (Apostolic administrator 1987-9; Apostolic Exarch of France, Benelux and Switzerland 1982-now)"
*Augustine Hornyak, O.S.B.M. (Auxiliary bishop 1961-3; Apostolic exarch 1963-1987)

Cathedral church

"Main article: Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile"

Named for the Holy Family, the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile - seat of the Apostolic Exarch - is situated in Mayfair, London, and has a regular congregation of around 1 000 parishoners. Currently, the clergy at the cathedral consist of priests from the Order of St Basil the Great.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish churches in Great Britain

tatistics

The number of faithful in the Apostolic Exarchate numbers 15 000. There are 14 parishes regularly served, 12 diocesan priests, 3 religious priests, 3 male religious and 4 female religious. [Statistics from Catholic Hierarchy [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dgbuk.html] ]

Charitable Status

Like other Latin Rite Catholic provinces in Britain, the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain is a registered charity with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, under charity number 240088. The Apostolic Exarchate was first registered as a charity on the 9th Jul, 1965. The stated aim of the Apostolic Exarchate is 'the advancement of religion at discretion of the bishop and his successors in title or the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Great Britain'. [Extract from the Central Register of Charities maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales [http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/Showcharity.asp?chyno=240088] ]

Citations

References

*wikicite|id=idSulyk2004|reference=Sulyk, Stephen (2004). "I Am Always With You", Pleasant Word.
*wikicite|id=idHebblethwaite1986|reference=Hebblethwaite, Peter (1986). "Inside the Vatican", Sidgwick and Jackson Limited.

ee also

*Ukrainian migration to the United Kingdom
*Catholic Church in England and Wales
*Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
*Catholic Church

External links

* [http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/diocese/grea1.htm| Giga-Catholic information page on the Apostolic Exarchate]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dgbuk.html| Catholic Hierarchy information on the Apostolic Exarchate]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=issrFieSyt0&NR=1 Youtube video of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar's visit to London]