Academia and spiritual growth--new hope. (News in Brief: Ukraine).

Toronto--In mid-April, 2003, American-born Fr. Boris Gudziak, currently Rector of Lviv's Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), visited Toronto to share some news from the one-year-old UCU. It is the first Catholic university in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The precursor of the UCU was the Lviv Theological Academy, revived in 1994 (see C.I., July/Aug./02. p. 29).

One of the university's major projects includes research work on the underground Ukrainian Catholic Church (1945 to 1989) through its Institute of Church History (ICH). Since its creation ten years ago, the Institute has been collecting various documentation.

After the liquidation of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1946 by the Soviet authorities, the Church's hierarchy, priests and their families, and numerous faithful, were arrested, persecuted, and sentenced to Siberia. Even in exile they served the Lord as best as possible in the most trying conditions. After the death of Stalin in 1953, a number of priestly families were able to return to Ukraine. Three generations of Christians were raised in the underground.

Since manifestations of faith were kept secret during the communist regime, documents from the time are hard to find. Oral testimonies from live witnesses remain the best source of history. Currently thirty people at the ICH continue to conduct and tape interviews, and to collect materials. They have published several books. Information about the ICH can be found on the internet at www.ichistory.org.

Reflecting on the not-so-distant past, Fr. Gudziak stated that it is necessary to honour the sacrifices of the past in order to be able to make sacrifices in the future.

The new university itself faces many challenges, said Fr. Gudziak. Instead of support, the present-day government is oftentimes a hindrance to the university's work. However, Fr. Gudziak believes in conquering confrontations and even thriving.

Although the UCU's diplomas are recognized worldwide, they have no accreditation from the government of Ukraine. This could be detrimental for graduates seeking employment in certain fields, such as the government sector. On the other hand, the absence of state accreditation has allowed the university to exercise freedom in formulating its own curriculum according to real needs, and not according to abstract criteria. The university is working to attain state accreditation and maintain some crucial freedoms.

At a critical time in Ukraine's history, faced with economic hardship, many citizens have been fleeing the country to find a better fate elsewhere.

But the university is a sign of hope. It has offered its students a broad experience and exposure to new ideas through its study abroad and opportunities in Canada, the U.S., and various European countries. Unlike other Ukrainians who see no hope in the future of their country, the UCU students studying abroad have all returned and chosen to live in Ukraine.

The university experience is not exclusively an academic one; attention is also given to spiritual growth. Apart from their studies, students participate in outreach projects--they help the mentally or physically impaired, or spend time with orphans.

The UCU has 1000 students, 400 of whom are full-time. Currently they study theology and history but, in the future, plans are underway to start up faculties of philology, psychology, political science, etc.

The university is strengthening Ukrainian society and culture, and is contributing to the spiritual revival in Ukraine. The benefits are already visible, and this is just the beginning.

Fundraising for the UCU has been conducted in Canada through the Ukrainain Catholic Education Foundation. During the past year it collected $170,000. Fr. Gudziak expressed his gratitude for the financial support from the West; he was very impressed with the generosity of his supporters. His supporters, in turn, were amazed at his surpassing enthusiasm and achievements.

For more information on the UCU, contact Fr. Michael Loza at (905)4653388 or visit the websites: www.ucef.org or www.ucu.edu.ua.