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THE PAPAL VISIT TO UKRAINE    
June 23-27, 2001    
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Greeting of his Holiness Pope John Paul II at the Youth Rally at Sykhiv

Greeting of his Holiness Pope John Paul II from parishioners of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church


Holy Father!
With great pleasure we welcome you to our young parish of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The birth of the small girl Mary was the beginning of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. Today at the start of the third millennium from the birth of Christ, Divine Providence gives us new miracles to strengthen our faith: the revival of the Church, the birth of the Ukrainian State, the founding of our parish.



26.06.2001 (21:15) // Religious Information Service of Ukraine

   The parish of the Nativity of the Mother of God is situated in Sykhiv, a new neighborhood in Lviv. With God’s blessing the young gathering is happening here, where there is a new area, a new parish, where there are always many children and youth.

  Our parish is the biggest in Ukraine and also very organized, because a holy man, Fr. Orest Fredyna, is its pastor. In a short time he has established a center here for spiritual and civil life. In our region there is close cooperation between church and school, within the territory of the parish the first Catholic high school in Ukraine is functioning, a seminary is being built and youth of the area gather at various youth organizations centered at the church.

  Today we ask your blessing on all these good beginnings: the development of youth organizations, the establishment of a network of Catholic schools in Ukraine, uniting the efforts of the Church and the educational establishment for the Christian education of children, for realizing the plans of our Church’s distinguished Metropolitan Andrey Shetptysky, Patriarch Josyf Slipyj and many other martyrs and confessors for the Christian faith of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

  Your Holiness’ visit to Ukraine is a visible sign of God’s blessing and the fulfillment of our expectations. We are presenting you with this icon of the Mother of God as a symbol of our union with the Apostolic See under the guardianship and protection of the Mother of God.

  

Greeting addressed to his Holiness Pope John Paul II from youth and Christian youth organizations of Ukraine



  Holy Father!

  With great hope and joy the young people gathered in youth organizations in Ukraine have been waiting for the day when Your Holiness would set foot on our land. And now that day has come.

  Together with youth of the whole world we had the great good fortune to praise God in Czestochowa, Denver, Paris and Rome. Today with sincere and open hearts we welcome Your Holiness, our long-awaited guest, a great friend of youth on all continents, now in our midst.

  Each meeting with your Holiness was a clear call to spread the youth apostolate among Ukrainian youth. And each word to youth which came forth from the Holy Father’s mouth called us to follow Christ.

  We are aware that the future of every nation depends on its younger generation. The state of young people today shows the state of the nation tomorrow. On this day when we are together, we want again want to say, in the name of all the youth organizations of Ukraine, that we hope to build our nation on those principles which we hear expressed in Your Holiness’ appeals to us youth,

  Your Holiness, we sincerely believe that this meeting will become a strong foundation for our common home, which is the Church and the nation, of which young people are the architects.

  Accept, Holy Father, our deep gratitude and respect, for your prayer and instruction, self-sacrifice and love for us. And we, representatives of youth organizations of Ukraine, in such great numbers and with such joy greet Your Holiness. We will ask God, in His great mercy, to grant you strength in peace and health, with inspiration and fatherly wisdom, to proclaim the Lord’s word to the world.

  Today bless all of us who with love have received Christ into our hearts, Christ, who you, Holy Father, preach to all nations, so that, strengthened by your word we will be able to pass this love this all those who follow you, because your way is our way, our truth and life.

  

Greeting of His Holiness Pope John Paul II from young Ukrainian families



  HOLY FATHER!

  Today, when we have the great grace from God to bring our prayers before His heavenly throne together with Your Holiness, we want to ask Our Heavenly Father for light on life’s road to guide our newly created and still young families.

  In a community of persons called a “family” we have just started on a new path in life, a path still unfamiliar to us. Before us lies the path which we will take together, as we struggle on the steep path of worries and stride on the level ground of joys. We assure you, Holy Father, that awareness of God’s presence on this road and of His open embrace at its end will not allow us to stand still or to go down the wrong path.

  Holy Father! In your pastoral service of God and humanity with special attention you look into the hearts of each family. We young Ukrainian families sincerely desire that you will continue to care for us with this same love and concern, blessing us with your prayer, instructing us with your word, sharing our problems and our joys.

  The day will come when our children will ask us: “Which way should we go?” At that moment responsible parenthood should speak from our mouths—that parenthood about which you have taught us since the beginning of your pontificate. Parenthood speaks, especially your parenthood, Holy Father. With such an example, without a doubt the way which our children will take will be the way of faith.

  Holy Father! Give us your blessing so that with your prayers we will not fear to be holy, following the family of Nazareth, so that Christ will always be the head of our families and you, Holy Father, our helper!

  

Greeting for his Holiness John Paul II from Ukrainian Greek Catholic youth



  Oles Horodetsky

  Ternopil Eparchy, UGCC

   Holy Father!

   On behalf of millions of Ukrainian youth, together with the whole Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with great joy and expectation we, the younger generation of our country, greet Your Holiness.

  We are the descendants of Volodymyr the Great, the baptizer of Ukraine, and Danilo, who received his crown from the Apostolic See. We have grown up with the experience of many generations, strengthened by the blood of the martyrs and the persecuted. Today we have a special grace from God, the grace, together with Your Holiness and in union with the Universal Church, to praise God’s holy name at this significant time for Ukraine.

   Your service, as well as your whole life, is an example for us of love of Christ and neighbor, to which we also aspire.

   We hope and sincerely believe that Your Holiness’ visit to Ukraine, blessed by God, will begin a new stage in development of our Church, nation and state. We trust that your great mission will confirm the truths of the Christian faith among Ukrainians and that the evil which comes from our recent past will disappear, never to return.

   It is significant that Your Holiness’ visit to Ukraine has coincided with the tenth anniversary of our nation’s independence. And this again confirms that the choice which our people made is final and irrevocable.

   We ask Your Holiness to pray for Ukraine, for our people. We promise to be faithful to Christ and to the Universal Church as long as our young hearts are still beating. This is our faith: “This is the faith of the Church and we are proud to proclaim it, in our Lord Jesus Christ,” recalling the words of your teaching.

  The youth of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church with gratitude praise all the good Your Holiness with the Lord's blessing will bring to us, to the Church and to the whole country. We ask God to grant Your Holiness health and inspiration as you announce the Kingdom of God on earth.

   We hear you, we listen to you, we look into your shining eyes, we follow the word of your teaching. We have come today to show our love for you and our faithfulness to the Apostle Peter of modern times.

   Holy Father, bless today Ukrainian youth and through them the future of our people, so that resurrected Ukraine will follow Christ, for He is our Way, Truth and Life.

  26.06.2001

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