The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) (Ukrainian: Українська Греко-Католицька Церква – УГКЦ), is the largest Eastern Catholic Church sui juris, particular church in full communion with the West Patriarchal See of Rome. The Head of the Church holds the office of Archbishop-Major of Kyiv-Halych and All Rus, … Continue reading
Category Archives: Getting to Know Something About Our Greek Catholic Faith
Our Church, as does all the Eastern Christian churches, presents three theophanies as part of a winter cycle of feasts. This cycle includes: Christmas, Theophany and, finally the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. The Presentation, which is celebrated … Continue reading
The word Theophany, in ancient Greek (Θεοφάνεια, Theophaneia) means a vision of God – a historical event that manifested God’s existence. There have been many different theophanies in human history for people who believe there is a God. Judaism recognizes a … Continue reading
It is a tradition of our Church that the day before Theophany, that is Tuesday January 5th, is a day of strict fast and abstinence: no meat or dairy products should be eaten. While we will celebrate this feast on … Continue reading
The first important event in the life of Jesus following his birth is his circumcision and naming. In Luke’s Gospel we read: When the eighth day arrived for his circumcision, the name Jesus was given the child, the name the … Continue reading
St. Nicholas of Myra is truly one of the most popular saints of our Church. Tradition maintains that he was born to well-to-do parents in the province of Lycia in the southern part of Asia Minor in the city of … Continue reading
One of the characteristics of the Eastern Church is her ascetical practice of fasting before major feasts. Since we are now in the period known as St. Philip’s Fast, I thought I would share some ideas about fasting, Eastern style. … Continue reading
In getting to know our Greek-Catholic faith better, it is important that we consider two important events that our Church celebrates during the month of November. The first is the beginning of the Nativity Fast, a period of abstinence and … Continue reading
During this past week, November 8th, our Church celebrated the feast of the Synaxis of St. Michael the Archangel. This feast also includes the rest of the Angelic Powers. It is perhaps in the Divine Liturgy that the sense of … Continue reading
The Union of Brest was the the 1595-96 decision of the Ruthenian Church of Rus’, the Metropolia of Kiev-Halych and all Rus’, to break relations with the Patriarch of Constantinople and to enter into communion with the Bishop of Rome. … Continue reading