Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University completes spring visit to U.S. (05/15/05)

Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University completes spring visit to U.S.

by Matthew Matuszak

CHICAGO - The Rev. Borys Gudziak, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), recently completed a whirlwind tour of Toronto, Los Angeles, Florida, Washington, Baltimore and Detroit. He crisscrossed North America from March 29 to April 11.

"We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from people everywhere we went," said John F. Kurey, president of the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF).

"These trips have three purposes," explained Mr. Kurey. "To thank donors for their support, to update donors on the good works their donations are making possible at the Ukrainian Catholic University, and to invite people to get involved in the developing miracle that is the Ukrainian Catholic University."

Consequently, the Rev. Gudziak met with many old friends and made many new ones. The Ukrainian community continues to support the UCU and the Rev. Gudziak, and Roman Catholics are joining the cause as well.

Legatus, an organization for Catholic business professionals, hosted a talk by the Rev. Gudziak on "The Presidential Election in Ukraine and the Catholic Church," at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village, Calif., on April 1.

In Los Angeles on April 2 and 3, the Rev. Gudziak visited the local Ridna Skhola (Ukrainian Studies school), Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Though recent events in Rome have, understandably, received much attention in Ukraine as elsewhere, the Ukrainian Catholic hierarchy has made the university a priority concern. "I spoke with Blazhennishyi Lubomyr [Husar] a few days before Father Borys arrived to discuss the trip with him," said Mr. Kurey. "His Beatitude encouraged me to take the UCEF's message to every part of America, because the Ukrainian Catholic University is such an important institution and it desperately needs help. I promised Blazhennishyi that we would do just that. Blazhennishyi also asked me to extend his thanks to our supporters for supporting the UCEF and the Ukrainian Catholic University. His Beatitude is 1,000 percent supportive of our efforts and I am very grateful to him for his support."

Ukrainian parishes in St. Petersburg and North Port, Fla., were the Rev. Gudziak's next "port of call," from April 4 to 7. "Father Borys focused on visiting smaller communities this spring," said Mr. Kurey. "In the fall, we'll be visiting major cities, such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Parma."

The Catholic University of America in Washington hosted the rector on April 7. St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church and Selfreliance Baltimore Federal Credit Union welcomed the Rev. Gudziak to Baltimore on April 8.

On April 9 Rev. Gudziak visited the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren, Mich., and the next day he celebrated divine liturgy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Ukrainian Catholic Church in nearby Dearborn Heights. "We were inspired by the dedication of the local clergy to supporting the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation," said Mr. Kurey. "The priests in every parish we visited devoted themselves ceaselessly to making Father Borys' visit a success. I am so grateful to them for their help."

After some private meetings in New York on April 11, the Rev. Gudziak flew back to Ukraine to attend an international conference on theology hosted by the Ukrainian Catholic University.

For further information on future tours, and the UCU in general, readers should 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 Rev. Gudziak will be returning to the U.S. in November and visiting the following cities: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Parma, Ohio.

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