Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of North & South America & the Diaspora
Archeparchy of the United States

His Beatitdue, MEFODIY, Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, Predstoyatel
His Eminence, The Most Reverend Michael Javchak Champion, DD., MA Th.
Archbishop of New York - Metropolitan of All America & the Diaspora

PREDSTOYATEL OF THE UAOC TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES

His Beatitude MEFODIY, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All-Ukraine, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church worldwide will visit he United States from February 14 - 23, 2006. His Beatitude and the church delegation from Ukraine are visiting at the invitation of Metropolitan Mykhayil (Javchak-Champion), Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All America & the Diaspora and the faithful of the UAOC in the USA.

On the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, February 15, His Beatitude will celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 11:00 a.m. in the Orthodox Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, located within the Graymoor Monastery, Garrison, New York.

On Sunday, February, 19, he will celebrate the Pontifical Divine Liturgy at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Parish in Brooklyn, NY, beginning at 9:30 a.m.. The church is located within the lower level of St. Catherine of Alexandria Roman Catholic Church at 1117 41st. St. and Fort Hamilton Ave in Borough Park. The Ukrainian community and all Christian faithful are invited to pray with His Beatitude, Metropolitan MEFODIY at both Divine Liturgies, after which he will greet those present and extend his primatial blessing to all.

Metropolitan MEFODIY is visiting the United States during the 15th. Jubilee Year of the Third Resurrection of the UAOC, following the period of Soviet domination in Ukraine. As promulgated by the Sobor of Bishops of the UAOC in June, this important anniversary is to be celebrated in each Eparchy of the UAOC throughout the world. The faithful will have the opportunity to obtain the special Jubilee blessing directly from His Beatitude.

The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church is the historical Orthodox of Ukraine, first reborn in 1921, after the uncanonical transfer of the Kyiv Metropolitanate to the Moscow Patriarchate in the 1600s. In 1924, a Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, re-established the Metropolia of Kyiv as an autocephalous jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church. The UAOC has several million faithful in Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia and Africa. His Beatitude, Metropolitan MEFODIY has been the Primate (Predstoyatel) of the UAOC since the death of Patriarch Dymytryj in 2000.

This historic visit of the Father and Head of the UAOC worldwide is the first such visit to take place since the death of Patriarch Mystyslav (Skrypnyk) and the brief visit of Patriarch Dymytry (Jarema). The American-Ukrainian faithful welcome His Beatitude and pray for a blessed and successful first visit to the United States.

More information regarding the visit of His Beatitude, MEFODIY to the United States can be obtained by calling the office of Metropolitan Mykhayil at: (914) 739-3930 or (914) 433-7277.

PRESS SERVICE OF THE UAOC

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