Grads of Ukrainian Catholic University continue their education abroad (07/18/04)

Grads of Ukrainian Catholic University continue their education abroad

by Matthew Matuszak

LVIV - The 71 students of the class of 2004 graduated from the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv on June 19, with 40 from the General Department and 31 from Holy Spirit Seminary. Like their predecessors, many of the young men and women will be continuing their education abroad, because Ukraine's government still does not recognize their degree.

As the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education has accredited the UCU bachelor's degree in theology, dozens of its alumni and alumnae have been pursuing graduate studies abroad at various Catholic universities since 1999.

Taras Tymo is one of the 51 graduates of the UCU now studying abroad. As part of the Fulbright Program, an international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, Mr. Tymo went to the University of Notre Dame in January to study and do research at Notre Dame's Early Christian Studies program.

Mr. Tymo graduated from the Lviv Theological Academy (now the Ukrainian Catholic University) in 1999 and, with three fellow graduates, entered the licentiate program at the University of Leuven (formerly known as Louvain) in Belgium. He received his licentiate in sacred theology in 2001 and returned to Ukraine, where he worked at his alma mater.

He taught early Church history and patristics to undergraduates at the UCU. He also worked for the Commission for Theological Education, set up by the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to place graduates in theology and other pastoral disciplines in graduate programs in Ukraine and abroad.

Mr. Tymo is currently on doctoral leave from Leuven to do research at Notre Dame. He is working on his doctoral subject, which will involve the homilies on the saints of 4th century theologian St. Gregory of Nazianzus.

A graduate of the seminary campus of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Mr. Tymo says he plans to apply his studies "for educational and pastoral purposes." He said he hopes "to introduce patristic Christianity into the Church in Ukraine today, translating texts into Ukrainian and writing commentaries on classical patristic works for the public, not just for scholars." Because his further studies will keep him abroad for some time, the dates of Mr. Tymo's ordination to the diaconate and priesthood have not yet been set.

The Lviv Theological Academy renewed its activities in 1994, after being closed by the Soviets for five decades. In 2002 it became the Ukrainian Catholic University. The first graduates of its five-year bachelor's degree program in theology graduated in 1999. There have been 258 graduates since then. Twenty-three have already received licentiate degrees; 37 are now working on licentiates; and 14 are working on doctorates. In addition, 10 graduates with advanced degrees are now teaching undergraduate students at the UCU. The university began a bachelor's degree in history program in 2001, which has since been accredited by Ukraine's government.

Because the university's bachelor's degree has international recognition - it has been accredited by the Congregation for Catholic Education since 1998 - Catholic colleges and universities have been particularly welcoming of UCU graduates. Among the schools where UCU graduates are studying for doctorates are the Catholic University of Eichstaett (Germany), the Catholic University of America, St. Paul University in Ottawa and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Secular universities have welcomed UCU grads, as well. Roman Zaviysky, who graduated with Mr. Tymo in 1999, is working on a doctorate in dogmatic theology at Oxford, and Orysya Hachko, who graduated in 2002, is studying on a Fulbright in religion and women's studies at Drew University in Madison, N.J.

According to the Rev. Brian E. Daley, S.J., director of the Early Christian Studies program at Notre Dame, "probably the best way Notre Dame can help [train young Ukrainian scholars] is to find ways to bring them there to participate in programs and research, by a degree or shorter visits through summer courses. There are a variety of things in the summer, and a fine library."

The Rev. Daley said he thinks the UCU also will be able to help Notre Dame. "As UCU grows," he said, "there should be greater opportunities for Notre Dame faculty and graduate and undergraduate students who are studying Slavic languages and history to benefit from an immersion, such as a focus in European studies."

In addition to theological disciplines, UCU graduates abroad are working on advanced degrees in psychology, anthropology, sociology and Byzantine studies.

The UCU has also started its own licentiate program, where 22 graduates are studying. In addition, 12 UCU graduates are continuing their studies in Ukraine, at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, and other institutions.

The Fulbright program has recently honored another of the UCU's staff, Olena Dzhedzhora, acting dean of the Humanities Faculty. Ms. Dzhedzhora will be a Fulbright scholar for the 2004-2005 academic year at Columbia University in New York.

The speaker at this year's UCU commencement was literary critic and civil activist Mykhailyna Kotsiubynska. Previous commencement speakers have included Harvard Byzantinologist Ihor Sevcenko, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual, and Dr. Martha Bohachevsky-Chomiak, director of the Fulbright Office in Ukraine.

Further information about the UCU in English and Ukrainian is available on the university's website at www.ucu.edu.ua. Readers may also contact the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation, 2247 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622; phone, (773) 235-8462; e-mail, ucef@ucef.org; website, www.ucef.org. The phone number of the UCEF in Canada is (905) 465-3388.

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