CHICAGO, SEPT. 27, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Helping the Ukrainian Catholic University helps the whole Church in Ukraine, says the president of an organization founded to support the only Catholic higher-learning institution in the former Soviet Union.
John Kurey, president of the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF), told ZENIT that the university is crucial for the future of the Church in Ukraine.
Kurey's Chicago-based organization, supports the Ukrainian Catholic University.
He said, "There has never been a Catholic university as important for an entire rite within the Catholic Church as the Ukrainian Catholic University [UCU] is for the Ukrainian Catholic Church."
The group was founded in 1996, by Father Borys Gudziak, a Ukrainian Catholic priest from Syracuse, New York, and the current rector of the university, and Jeffrey Wills.
The founders aimed "to support the fledgling UCU that had just been reopened in Lviv after being forcibly closed by the communists in 1944, while all of its property was summarily confiscated," Kurey explained.
Pope's perspective
Benedict XVI also noted the importance of the university earlier this year.
Upon meeting the new Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Tetiana Izhevska, the Holy Father said: "I would like to express my satisfaction with the law that the Ministry of Education recently passed regarding the Ukrainian Catholic University and so at the state level recognized its bachelor's degree program in theology.
"This is an especially important event in the life of the Church in Ukraine, because, with such a decision, the Ukrainian authorities recognize that theology is a university discipline."
"Great work"
On Sept. 13, Ukraine's first lady, Kateryna Yushchenko, wife of President Viktor Yushchenko, visited the university, underscoring its important work for the Church and the country, the Religious Information Service of Ukraine reported.
During her visit, Yuchchenko said: "I know how difficult it was to revive the Lviv Theological Academy and that the establishment of such a university did not come easy.
"You are doing a great work, as it is so important that our nation have access to formal study about God. Thank you for initiating this undertaking."
Yushchenko, noting the crucial role of theology as a profession in Ukraine, promised her continued support for the institution and made a contribution of $5,000.
Father Gudziak shared with Yushchenko his plans for the future by showing to her the construction plans for a modern campus on land blessed by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the country in 2001.
Vocations
"In Ukraine," Kurey remarked, "the Church is young and flourishing with vocations. This is probably in part because of the countless Ukrainian martyrs who died for the Catholic faith in the 20th century. The Ukrainian Catholic University is educating about 200 seminarians each year.
"There are also about 25 nuns who study at the university, and over 300 lay students in the university's full-time program. The part-time program has about 500 lay students.
"All of these young people are receiving an authentic Catholic education in the Eastern tradition."
ZE07092705 - 2007-09-27