March 27, 2026, marks 15 years since the enthronement of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. In 2011, he became one of the youngest heads among the Eastern Catholic Churches, and since then his path has been inseparable from the most important events in the history of Ukraine. This was reported on the website UGCC.
The beginning of a great ministry
On the day of the enthronement in the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv, His Beatitude Sviatoslav recalls the feelings of awe and responsibility. "I would have said only one thing then: 'Do not be afraid!'," — tells the Primate to "Zhyve Television". — "The Lord God will be with you".
Since then, the Church has gone through the Revolution of Dignity, the Russian invasion of 2014, and the full-scale war, remaining a pillar for the people and the voice of their hope and pain.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasizes: "Since the beginning of independence, the Church has been a driver of civic consciousness. At the Maidan, we were alongside the people, but we did not call for them to come out — it was an explosion of Ukrainian consciousness."
During the COVID epidemic, vaccination centers were opened in UGCC churches, and online broadcasts of services were introduced.
With the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, His Beatitude remained in Kyiv and began daily addresses to the people. They became a "word of hope" that inspired people in Ukraine and abroad. The Patriarchal Cathedral turned into a shelter for hundreds of people, animals, and those seeking protection from shelling.
"The Church not only provides spiritual support but also actually saves lives," — says His Beatitude Sviatoslav. Its cathedral hubs in various cities of Ukraine have become centers for humanitarian aid and logistics.
Two requests to the faithful
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of his patriarchal ministry, His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed the believers with two special requests:
The first - is a prayer for the Head of the Church. "The Head of the Church is the kind of head that his Church is. Pray for me, a sinner, at least once 'Our Father' every day. And then we will move mountains, for the power of God will be with us".
Also, instead of gifts, the Patriarch asks to make donations to the Church's media platform, which today allows the voice of the Head to reach all ends of the earth. Donations can be made via QR codes or bank details on the Church's official resources.
