Chicago events focus on Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies (01/05/97)

Chicago events focus on Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies

OTTAWA - A weekend of events was held in Chicago on November 1-3 to support the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastem Christian Studies. Founded in Chicago in 1986 at the Catholic Theological Union, the Sheptytsky Institute moved to Ottawa in 1990. Today, as an integral part of St. Paul University's faculty of theology, it provides the Ukrainian Catholic Church in North America a theological voice and a place for seminarians and other students to study their Eastern Christian spiritual and theological heritage. While most of the institute's students come from Canada and the United States, there also are students from as far away as Ukraine.

Sponsored by the U.S.-based organization American Friends of the Sheptytsky Institute, the weekend featured a publications and photo exhibit, a fund-raising banquet, a scholarly conference and a video presentation on the Sheptytsky Institute, produced and donated by a grateful graduate, who is also a media specialist.

During the banquet, beautifully organized by Tania Laba and held at the Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Cultural Center on Saturday, November 1, members of Chicago's Ukrainian community were able to meet board members of the Sheptytsky Institute Foundation, a non-profit organization that manages the funds necessary for the Institute's continued activity.

Among the honored guests were Bishop Michael Wiwchar, Eparchy of Chicago; Eugene Cherwick of Winnipeg, the foundation's president; Father Andriy Chirovsky of Ottawa, director of the institute; Dr. Andrew Browar of Chicago, president of the American Friends; and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kule of Edmonton, the institute's most generous benefactors.

In one of the highlights of the evening, Peter and Doris Kule presented their second endowment of $1 million for the Chair in Eastern Liturgy. Their first $1 million, donated in June 1993, enabled the Institute to inaugurate the Chair of Eastern Christian Theology.

Speaking at the banquet, Mr. Kule underscored his commitment to the institute: "People may ask why we have invested so much of our life's earnings in the Sheptytsky Institute. It is a matter of trust. We believe in the vision of the Sheptytsky Institute and its staff. Without very well educated leaders priests, sisters, laypeople, our Church on this continent may very well die. It will live on in Ukraine, where our people are concentrated and can support each other. To survive in North America we must be stronger and deeper and wiser than other Churches... We have a rich tradition, but we need to make it alive for the next millennium... That is where the Sheptytsky Institute comes in."

In the course of the evening an anonymous donor challenged the guests by agreeing to match funds raised at the banquet up to $10,000. The evening's donations totaled over $20,000.

Scheduled to coincide with the 52nd anniversary of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky's death on November 1, 1944, the weekend also provided the Sheptytsky Institute with an opportunity to honor Bishop Wiwchar for his continued efforts to complete the beatification process of Metropolitan Sheptytsky.

Presenting a gift cross from Ukraine to Bishop Wiwchar and a check to support the bishop's prayer league initiative, Dr. Browar emphasized: "I am happy to introduce an individual, who has understood that the canonization of Metropolitan Andrey does not depend solely on solid academic studies... it also depends on whether people really pray for this. The prayer league started by Bishop Michael is a noble effort that needs to be noticed, reinforced and supported, so that its work can continue until the day when the Universal Church recognizes the sanctity of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky."

On Sunday evening the Sheptytsky Institute held a conference, "The Union of Brest and the Ukrainian Churches Today". The evening included two presentations: "The Union of Brest compared with other Eastern-Catholic Unions" by the Rev. Chirovsky and "The Liturgical Question at the Crossroads of East and West" by the Rev. Petro Galadza. The Rev. Prof. Alexander Baran of Winnipeg, also a Sheptytsky Institute professor, delivered a series of talks during the weekend about Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.

Also during the weekend, the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute Foundation held its annual board meeting. In addition to reviewing the work of the institute and its plans for the future, the board meeting officially enacted the merger of the U.S.-based American Friends of the Sheptytsky Institute with the Canadian-based Sheptytsky Institute Foundation, forming one organization for North America. More than $150,000 in U.S. funds gathered earlier by the American Friends were consolidated with the funds of the Sheptytsky Institute Foundation. Donors to the newly merged foundation can receive full tax benefits in the United States and in Canada, since the foundation is an officially registered charity with both federal governments.

A projected total of $5 million is needed to ensure the Institute's survival for generations to come.

For more information, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact: The Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute, St. Paul University, 233 Main St., Ottawa, Ontario K1 S lC4; (613) 239-1393, ext. 2332.

| Home Page |