The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC; french: Église orthodoxe ukrainienne du Canada) is an
Eastern Orthodox church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, primarily consisting of Orthodox
Ukrainian Canadians. Its former name (before 1990) was the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada (UGOCC). The Church, currently a metropolis of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, is part of the wider
Eastern Orthodox communion, however was created independently in 1918.
It has
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
s in many Canadian cities including
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
, Saskatoon,
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
,
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
,
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
. The
Metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
Cathedral, seminary (
St. Andrew's College), and central administrative office are all based in Winnipeg. Also the church is affiliated with four residences for university students: St. Vladimir Institute in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
;
St. Petro Mohyla Institute in
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan; St. John's Institute in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
; and one operating at St. Andrew's College. The church's membership is about ten thousand. The current
Primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...
of the church is
Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk).
History
Most ethnic
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
moving to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
from
Galicia (
Western Ukraine) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were
Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually.
The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine C ...
s, and were tended early on by the local
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
hierarchy until the creation of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Exarchate in 1912. This was because the North American Roman Catholic bishops believed that the presence of married Eastern Catholic priests would create a scandal at the time. The other major group of Ukrainians which were coming to Canada were from
Bukovina, and they were mostly Orthodox. At first these Orthodox Christians were served by the
Russian Orthodox Mission in North America (which at that time was part of the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
), but these services were not conducted in their native
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian ( uk, украї́нська мо́ва, translit=ukrainska mova, label=native name, ) is an East Slavic language of the Indo-European language family. It is the native language of about 40 million people and the official state lan ...
. Catholics and the Orthodox who wanted to establish their own church met in the summer of 1918 in the city of
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and established the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church in Canada. Also at these meetings, the delegates (mostly from
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
,
Saskatchewan and
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
) had established a Brotherhood to try to help the young church.
The settlers had just created a new church, but they were very conscious of Church Canon Law that states that a church cannot exist without a bishop. The church's brotherhood tried to have Archbishop Alexander of the
Russian Orthodox Mission to take the church under his temporary care as
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
. At first Archbishop Alexander agreed, but later declined; however, the UGOC's First Sobor (Church Council) still took place as planned on December 28, 1918 in Saskatoon. This Sobor led to the establishment of the church's first
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
in Saskatoon. The Brotherhood still searched for a temporary bishop, and eventually found one: Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadi), who was the Metropolitan of the
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), often referred to in North America as simply the Antiochian Archdiocese, is the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in the United States and Canada. Ori ...
. He led the church for the next 5 years (1919-1924). Under his supervision, Sobor II took place in Saskatoon on November 27, 1919.
Archbishop John (Theodorovich)
Following Metropolitan Germanos' leadership, Archbishop John (Theodorovich) became the church's
primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...
. Archbishop John had just arrived in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
from the non-canonical
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC; uk, Українська автокефальна православна церква (УАПЦ), Ukrayinska avtokefalna pravoslavna tserkva (UAPC)) was one of the three major Eastern Orthod ...
, and he began to serve the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA to become their Primate and Metropolitan. The young church had chosen the Ukrainian
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
as their bishop, hoping that the church would further grow under his leadership. During the summers from 1924 to 1946 Archbishop John would make an annual trip to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
to visit the parishes throughout the country. When Archbishop John was in the USA during the winter months, a Fr. Semen Sawchuk would act as an administrator at the Consistory in Canada.
After a few years as acting Primate of the UOCC, certain controversies laid around Archbishop John, due to his uncanonical ordination to bishop. Archbishop John was "ordained" by the "bishops" of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, who were not ordained according to the canon laws and traditions of the Orthodox Church, but were ordained by priests and lay people. The 1st Canon of the Holy Apostles states that new bishops should be ordained by at least 2 or 3 bishops. As a result of this, Archbishop John resigned his position as ruling bishop in 1946.
At a special Sobor in 1947, Bishop
Mstyslav (Skrypnyk)
Patriarch Mstyslav, secular name Stepan Ivanovych Skrypnyk (10 April 1898 – 11 June 1993), was a Ukrainian Orthodox Church hierarch. He was a nephew of Symon Petlyura.
Biography
Born in Poltava (Russian Empire, now Ukraine), Skrypny ...
was accepted as the new ''Archbishop of Winnipeg and all Canada''. However, due to some misunderstandings, and arguments about how the church should be governed (mostly between himself and Semen Sawchuk), he resigned as Primate in 1950 at X Sobor in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. In response the UOCC contacted Metropolitan Polycarp (Sikorski) (who was the head of the
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Abroad, composed of refugee bishops formerly affiliated with the Polish Orthodox Church in German-occupied Ukraine) for assistance, and he agreed to send some bishops over to help the faithful in Canada.
Formation of the Metropolia
At a special sobor in 1947 the UGOCC accepted Bishop
Mstyslav (Skrypnyk)
Patriarch Mstyslav, secular name Stepan Ivanovych Skrypnyk (10 April 1898 – 11 June 1993), was a Ukrainian Orthodox Church hierarch. He was a nephew of Symon Petlyura.
Biography
Born in Poltava (Russian Empire, now Ukraine), Skrypny ...
of Pereyaslav of the UAOC, consecrated during World War II with the blessing of Metropolitan Dionysius (Waledyński) of Warsaw, as its ruling bishop with the title "Archbishop of Winnipeg and All Canada".
Due to conflicts between Archbishop Mstyslav and members of the UGOCC Consistory, however, the former resigned as diocesan bishop at the tenth sobor of the Church in 1950, once again leaving the UGOCC without a bishop.
After the resignation of Archbishop Mstyslav the Consistory appealed to Metropolitan Polycarp of the UAOC for assistance in finding bishops for the UGOCC. By the time another special sobor was called in 1951 four potential bishops, all consecrated in German-occupied Ukraine during World War II, had been found. One, Metropolitan
Hilarion (Ohienko)
Metropolitan Ilarion (secular name Ivan Ivanovitch Ohienko; uk, Іван Іванович Огієнко; 2 January (14 January), 1882 in Brusilov, Kiev Governorate – 29 March 1972 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) was a Ukrainian Orthodox cleri ...
of Kholm, had been resident in Winnipeg since 1947. Two others, Archbishop
Michael (Khoroshy) Metropolitan Michael, (secular name Theodot Nykyforovych Khoroshy; 10 July 1885, in , near Chigirin, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine) – May 5, 1977, in Toronto) was a bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada from 1951–1977, and the Chur ...
and Bishop Platon (Artemiuk), came to Canada at the invitation of the Consistory and with the blessing of Metropolitan Polycarp.
At the 1951 sobor it was decided that the UGOCC, which had grown to include some 300 parishes, would be organized as a
metropolia. Metropolitan Ilarion was elected Metropolitan of Winnipeg and All Canada and primate of the UGOCC, while Archbishop Michael was elected
Archbishop of Toronto and Eastern Canada
The Eastern Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, an autonomous part of the Church of Constantinople, is currently vacant, with Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Winnipeg serving as the diocese's locum tenens. Prior to his electio ...
. (Bishop Platon had died shortly after his arrival in Canada.) The size of the UGOCC necessitated the appointment of more bishops, and so in 1959
Archimandrite
The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom ...
Andrew (Metiuk) was elected
Bishop of Edmonton and Western Canada and in 1963 Archimandrite Boris (Yakovkevych) was elected Bishop of Saskatoon and auxiliary or assistant bishop of the Central Eparchy under Metropolitan Ilarion.
After 21 years as primate of the UGOCC, Metropolitan Ilarion died on March 29, 1972, and was succeeded by Archbishop Michael of Toronto as Metropolitan of Winnipeg and All Canada. After Metropolitan Michael’s retirement in 1975 Archbishop Andrew (Metiuk) was elected metropolitan, serving until his death on February 2, 1985. Under Metropolitan Andrew new bishops, Bishops Mikolaj (Debryn),
Basil (Fedak), and
John (Stinka), were elected to serve the UGOCC, and after Metropolitan Andrew’s death Bishop Wasyly was elected Metropolitan of Winnipeg and All Canada. Four years after his enthronement as primate of the UGOCC Metropolitan Wasyly consecrated Archimandrite Yurij (Kalistchuk) as Bishop of Saskatoon.
Recent history
After dialoguing with the
Church of Constantinople the UGOCC was received into its jurisdiction as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada in 1990, bringing it into the full communion of the canonical
Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church
* Oriental Orthodox Churches
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
* State church of the Roman Empire
* True Orthodox church
See also
* Orthodox (d ...
.
(Several years later its sister church, the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Diaspora, also joined the Patriarchate of Constantinople.) The decree of
Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius (Papadopoulos) uniting the UOCC with the Church of Constantinople recognized the Church’s internal autonomy under its metropolitan, justifying the reception of the UOCC into the Patriarchate’s jurisdiction on the basis of the historic jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople in Ukraine.
Following the death of Metropolitan Wasyly in early 2005 the twenty-first sobor of the UOCC elected Archbishop John as Metropolitan of Winnipeg and Canada. In August 2008 an extraordinary sobor was held in Saskatoon to elect new bishops, amend the UOCC’s bylaws, and mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the UOCC in the city.
The sobor elected Bishops
Ilarion (Rudnyk) of Telmessos as Bishop of Edmonton and
Andriy (Peshko) of Krateia as auxiliary Bishop of Saskatoon.
In July 2010 another special sobor of the UOCC was held to nominate a successor to the newly retired Metropolitan John. The sobor nominated Archbishop
Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Toronto for the metropolitanate, and consequently on August 30, 2010, the Holy Synod in Constantinople elected Archbishop Yurij as Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Canada.
Structure
The UOCC is divided into three eparchies or dioceses, the
Eastern Eparchy, with its cathedral in Toronto, Ontario; the
Central Eparchy, with its cathedral in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the
Western Eparchy, with its cathedral in Edmonton, Alberta. According to the custom of the UOCC the Church's primate is the titled the "Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Canada" and serves as the diocesan or ruling bishop of the Central Eparchy.
The Eastern Eparchy is led by Bishop
Andriy (Peshko) of Toronto. The Western Eparchy is led by Bishop
Ilarion (Rudnyk) of Edmonton and Western Canada. All of the UOCC's dioceses may have auxiliary bishops (titled 'Bishop of Vancouver' in the Western Eparchy, 'Bishop of Saskatoon' in the Central Eparchy and 'Bishop of Montreal' in the Eastern Eparchy), but none of the Eparchies have an auxiliary bishop at this time.
Current hierarchy
*Central Eparchy
**
Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Winnipeg and Canada (2010–2021 Retired)
*Eastern Eparchy
**
Bishop Andriy (Peshko) of Toronto, Bishop of Toronto and Eastern Canada (2008–Present)
*Western Eparchy
**
Bishop Ilarion (Rudnyk) of Edmonton and Western Canada (2008–Present)
Past bishops
List of bishops who have served in the UOCC historically, and the years served:
* Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadi) of the
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA), often referred to in North America as simply the Antiochian Archdiocese, is the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in the United States and Canada. Ori ...
- (1919-1924)
* Metropolitan John (Theodorovych) - (1924-1948)
*
Archbishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) - (1949-1950)
*
Metropolitan Ilarion (Ohienko) - (1951-1972)
*
Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy) - (1951-1977)
* Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) - (1959-1985)
* Archbishop Boris (Yakovkevych) - (1963-1984)
* Archbishop Mykolaj (Debryn) - (1975-1981)
*
Metropolitan Wasyly (Fedak) - (1978-2005)
*
Metropolitan John (Stinka) - (1983-2010)
*
Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) - (1989–2021)
*
Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk) - (2008–Present)
*
Bishop Andriy (Peshko) - (2008–Present)
Metropolitans/Primates
List of primates, and years of primatial rule:
*
Metropolitan Ilarion (Ohienko) - (1951-1972)
*
Metropolitan Michael (Khoroshy) - (1972-1975) - Resigned as Metropolitan in 1975
* Metropolitan Andrew (Metiuk) - (1975-1985)
*
Metropolitan Wasyly (Fedak) - (1985-2005)
*
Metropolitan John (Stinka) - (2005-2010) - Resigned as Metropolitan in 2010
*
Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) - (2010–2021) - Resigned as Metropolitan 2021
*
Metropolitan Ilarion (Rudnyk) - (2022–Present)
See also
*
History of Christianity in Ukraine
The history of Christianity in Ukraine dates back to the earliest centuries of the history of Christianity, to the Apostolic Age, with mission trips along the Black Sea and a legend of Saint Andrew even ascending the hills of Kyiv. The first Ch ...
References
External links
*
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada: Eastern EparchyHistory of the UOCCOrthodoxWiki ArticleArticle on the UOCC by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA websiteLiturgical texts and music in Ukrainian and English as practised in the Eastern Eparchy, UOCC (Kyivan chant)Liturgical texts and music in Ukrainian and English as practised in the Western Eparchy, UOCC (Galician chant)
{{Authority control
Ukrainian Orthodox church bodies
Ukrainian Canadian religion
Christian organizations established in 1918
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Ukrainian diaspora in Canada
Christian denominations established in the 20th century
Eastern Orthodox organizations established in the 20th century