Ceslaus Sipovich ( be, Чэслаў Сіповіч,
Łacinka
The Belarusian Latin alphabet or Łacinka (from be, лацінка or łacinka, BGN/PCGN: ''Latsinka'', ) for the Latin script in general is the common name for writing Belarusian using Latin script. It is similar to the Sorbian alphabet an ...
: Česłaǔ Sipovič) (December 8, 1914 – October 4, 1981) was a bishop of the
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church and a notable Belarusian émigré social and religious leader.
Early life
Bishop Sipovich was born on 8 December 1914 into a large farming family in the village of Dziedzinka, Braslau District, Kovno Province of the Russian Empire (nowadays
Mijory District,
Viciebsk Region of Belarus). He felt a priesthood vocation from an early age while attending catholic school in
Druja
Druya ( be, Друя; russian: Друя; pl, Druja) is a historic townlet in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, about 30 km northeast of Braslaw. It is located on the left bank of the Western Dvina, at the mouth of the Druyka River, opposite the Latvia ...
.
In 1935 Sipovich went to
Vilnius University
Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow an ...
to read Philosophy and Theology followed by studies at the
Pontifical Greek College in Rome between 1938-1942. In 1940 he was ordained a priest in the
Greek-Catholic rite. In 1946 he obtained his doctorate from the
Pontifical Oriental Institute.
Later life in Britain
In 1947 Sipovich moved to
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
to serve the spiritual needs of thousands of ethnic Belarusians (mainly former soldiers of the Polish
Anders Army
Anders' Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the 1941–42 period, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders. The army was created in the Soviet Union but, in March 1942, based on an understan ...
) who settled there after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. He joined the recently founded
Association of Belarusians in Great Britain and was involved in refugee welfare work.
On 27 October 1947 the Belarusian Catholic Mission in North London (the precursor of
Church of St Cyril of Turau and All the Patron Saints of the Belarusian People) was established, with Fr Sipovich as its first Rector.
In 1954 the
Anglo-Belarusian Society
The Anglo-Belarusian Society () is one of the oldest Belarus-related organisations in the UK with an object of “diffusion, interchange and publication of knowledge relating to the Belarusian people, their land, history and culture”.
History
...
was founded, one of its founders was Fr Sipovich. At that time, he also revived the Society of St John Chrysostom, an organisation devoted to promoting a better knowledge and understanding of Eastern Christianity among English-speaking people.
He was appointed titular bishop in 1960, making him the first bishop in the
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church since its suppression by the
Russian imperial authorities in the 1830s. Bishop Sipovich also served as Superior General of the
Congregation of Marian Fathers from 1963 to 1969 and was
Apostolic Visitor for Belarusian Catholic faithful abroad.
In 1971 he was one of the founders of the
Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library in London. Its opening was “an impressive feast of Belarusian culture and a personal triumph for Bishop Sipovich.”
Bishop Sipovich was also involved in academic work in the field of Theology and Church History.
Death
Bishop Sipovich died at the age of 67 on 4 October 1981 and is buried in
St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in East Finchley, North London.
References
External links
Ceslaus Sipovich(Polish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sipovich, Ceslaus
1914 births
1981 deaths
People from Miory District
People from Novoalexandrovsky Uyezd
Belarusian Eastern Catholic bishops
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
British people of Belarusian descent
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England
20th-century Roman Catholic titular bishops
Burials at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery