By: Katherine Massopust

PERTH AMBOY – His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk is the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the world since March 25, 2011. He is directly under Pope Francis in charge of all the Ukrainian Catholic Churches worldwide. On Saturday, November 7, 2015 he was at the Holodomor Memorial Dedication in Washington DC. Holodomor translates to Death by Hunger. This memorial is to honor those who suffered during the Forced Famine initiated by Joseph Stalin. From 1932-1933 an estimated over 7 million Ukrainians died in the Holodomor.

While in the United States, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk visited Assumption Catholic School on Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

According to Assumption Catholic School Principal Michael Szpyhulsky, “It is an immense honor to meet His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk.”

Students from Assumption Catholic School greeted His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk with gifts of bread, salt and flowers. Bread represents the good in life and salt represents the bitterness in life. Students also gave a brief program which included one song and a recitation of a poem written by Maria Datscko.

Father Ivan Turyk said, “Two great leaders (Archbishop of Philadelphia Stefan Soroka and His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk) are here. The school and church are for everybody. Our doors are open to everyone who wants a good education. Children of all races and colors make Assumption Catholic School a beautiful mosaic.”

After a brief speech to the students His Beatitude answered questions from the students. His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk is fluent in English, Ukrainian and Spanish and answered questions in all three languages.

Q: When did you become a priest?

A: 23 years ago when I was 24 years old.

Q: How many Ukrainian Churches are there in the world?

A: There are 51 Bishops, 3000 priests in our churches but the number of churches I don’t know.

Q: How could we as children of God become leaders?

A: You have to have that gift from God to be a leader. One has to be listen and kind to others or they won’t follow you.

A student held up a photo of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk holding a staff.

Q: What does the staff in your hand symbolize?

A: It’s a symbol of the Pastor to lead his people and his service and authority.

Q: When you were young, what did you enjoy?

A: I love music.

Q: Where are you from? Where did you go to school?

A: I was born in Ukraine. I was educated in the same town I grew up in. When I became a bishop I was assigned to Buenos Aries, Argentina. When I became a Patriarch I came back to Ukraine. I worked as a nurse in a hospital in Ukraine.

Rev. Ivan Turyk asked one question: Do you foresee Catholic Schools in Ukraine?

A: Until last year (remnants of being under the Soviet Union) it was not allowed for a Catholic Church to have a School in Ukraine. Now there is a new law. In each metropolitan city in Ukraine we do have Catholic Schools starting up. I am overseeing a new school in Kyiv. In the prior Soviet Union controlled education.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being a Bishop?

A: To meet all kinds of people.

Fr. Ivan thanked everyone, “History will be made here.”

Archbishop Stefan Soroka, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Father Ivan Turyk enter Assumption Catholic School
*Photos by Paul W. Wang