Catholic University Opens
The first Catholic university in the former Soviet Union and the first founded by an Eastern Catholic Church was officially opened on 29 June. The Ukrainian Catholic University of St. Clement I is the only university-level faculty of theology and philosophy in Ukraine. Pope John Paul II blessed the cornerstone of UCU during a visit last June.
The new school follows in the tradition of the Lviv Theological Academy, which was founded in 1928 and closed by the communists in 1944. Reopened 50 years later, it educates Christians of all traditions.
The opening of UCU is a major step in broadening higher education inUkraine. Father Borys Gudziak, the Harvard-educated rector of UCU said, “Our task is to be a center for cultural thought and the formation of a new Ukrainian society based on human dignity.”
Friends of CNEWA
For Helen and Edward Murphy who live in the Brentwood section of Pittsburgh, supporting CNEWA programs is a major part of their charitable giving. For some 40 years, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have responded to a variety of CNEWA appeals, from assisting novice and seminarian formation to aiding victims of the recent border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
“We’re grateful that we’re able to help,” says Mrs. Murphy. They were particularly moved by the devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat state in India in January 2001, and once again, their generosity went a long way in easing the suffering in that country.
“What we have,” says Mrs. Murphy,“we should share.” Members of St. Sylvester’s Parish, they are the parents of 11 and the grandparents of 27.
Shrine Welcomes Pilgrims
The Shrine of St. Nikita in Kostomloty, Poland, has opened its doors to pilgrims, thanks to renovations funded in part by CNEWA. The shrine is a retreat and formation center of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and receives visitors from not only Poland butBelarus, Ukraine, Russia and Latvia. A popular program is a Bible summer camp for youths.
Work included a new residence for priests and accommodations for visitors, upgrading the kitchen facilities and heating system and improved parking. The renovations replaced barracks-style housing in use since 1985. The center is next to St. Nikita Church, built in 1636.
Welcome, CNEWA Visitors
Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Substitute for General Affairs of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, met with Msgr. Robert Stern and senior CNEWA staff members on 21 June. Accompanied by Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, he also prayed at “ground zero,” the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, with CNEWA’s President, Edward Cardinal Egan.
Bishop Szilárd Keresztes of Hajdúdorog, Hungary, visited on 12 July. He discussed funding for the construction of a theologate for the Byzantine Catholic eparchy, which embraces all Greek Catholics in Hungary .
On 18 July Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Koorilos Chakkalapadickal of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of Tiruvalla, India , visited to thank CNEWA for its assistance in publishing the first three years of a catechism, which includes a manual for teachers and study guides for students.
Stephanos II Ghattas, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, in a visit on 19 July, praised CNEWA for its support of the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt, particularly its support of St. Leo the Great Coptic Catholic Seminary.