30 November 2011
Washington, DC (UNIS) – The recently-elected Patriarch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, paid a historic first visit to Washington, DC during his recent trip to the United States in mid-November 2011. Prior to arriving in Washington, His Beatitude met with the Ukrainian community faithful in Philadelphia and attended the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference in Baltimore. MD. The patriarch was escorted to Washington by His Grace Stefan, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Philadelphia and the patriarch’s secretary, Rev. Volodymyr Malchyn.
The first such visit to the capital of the United States since being elected Patriarch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in March 2011, His Beatitude’s initial stop was at the site of the future Ukrainian Holodomor memorial at the corner of N. Capital Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, where he consecrated the grounds, honored the victims of the Ukrainian Genocide with a moving requiem ceremony, and recited prayers for the successful completion of the project.
Throughout his two-day visit to Washington, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the Washington-based public affairs bureau of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, organized an array of meetings for His Beatitude with Members of Congress, U.S. Department of State, as well as non-governmental organizations. The meetings were largely focused on the resurgence of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine, its impact on Ukraine’s society, and the plight of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation. During a live interview of the Voice of America program “Chas-Time” to Ukraine, His Beatitude spoke of the need for unity in Ukraine during these trying times and how the Church helps to create a moral compass for the nation.
Members of Congress were particularly humbled in the presence of His Beatitude Sviatoslav. The patriarch spoke with reverence and commanded an authority of the issues regarding his Church and events in Ukraine. His Beatitude thanked U.S. lawmakers for their unwavering assistance to Ukraine, both current and past, and assured them that the Ukrainian people appreciate the support of the United States. In a meeting at the U.S. Department of State with Ambassador Melanne Verveer (of Ukrainian heritage), Ambassador-at-Large for Women’s Issues, the two discussed the current events in Ukraine and the Church’s role in revitalizing Ukraine’s society.
While in Washington, the Patriarch also made a cordial visit to the Ukrainian Embassy for a discussion with Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, H.E. Oleksandr Motsyk.
