Lubomyr Husar
In 1944, the family was forced to leave Ukraine. At the beginning they went to Austria. In the city of Salzburg His Beatitude continued his studies at the Ukrainian secondary school. In 1949 the Husar family moved to the USA. His Beatitude Lubomyr finished secondary education at the minor seminary in Stamford (state of Connecticut). Then he studied philosophy at Saint Basil's College, where in 1954 he received a bachelor's degree. He finished theological studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1958 as a student of Saint Josaphat's Major Seminary he received a licentiate in theology. On March 30 of the same year Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn ordained Lubomyr Husar a priest to serve in the Eparchy of Stamford. In 1958-1959 he served as teacher and prefect at Saint Basil's Seminary in Stamford, and also ministered in Kerhonkson (state of New York) as the pastor of the Soyuzivka resort of the Ukrainian National Association and the camp of the Ukrainian Youth Association of America in Ellenville (state of New York). From 1965 he was pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Kerhonkson. He continued studies at Fordham University in New York, studying philosophy. In 1967 he received a master's degree. In 1969 he moved to Rome to continue theological studies, which he completed with a doctorate in theology in 1972. In 1972 His Beatitude Lubomyr entered the Monastery of Saint Theodore (monks of the Studite Order) in Grottaferrata (Italy). From 1973 to 1984 His Beatitude taught at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. On April 2, 1977, in the monastery of the Studite Order in Castel Gandolfo near Rome he was ordained a bishop by Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. In 1978 Patriarch Josyf appointed Bishop Husar as archimandrite of the Monastery of Saint Theodore and also responsible for the monasteries of the Studite Order outside Ukraine. From 1984 to 1991 he was protosynkellos (chancellor) in Rome of the Lviv Archeparchy. In 1993 together with whole community from Grottaferrata he returned to his native land. In 1993-94 he served as a chaplain at Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv. In November 1996 His Beatitude Lubomyr was appointed auxiliary bishop to the Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. On Jan. 26, 2001, at an extraordinary Synod of Bishops he was elected Major Archbishop of the UGCC. On Feb. 21, 2001, he was appointed by Pope John-Paul II a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Under the headship of His Beatitude Lubomyr in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, an event of the historic importance took place, the seat of the Head of UGCC was transferred from Lviv to Kyiv on 21 August, 2005. His Beatitude Lubomyr made much effort toward it as well as toward development of the centralized administrative apparat, the Patriarchal Curia of UGCC, which has become the center of coordination of Church life. Bishop Lubomyr conducted the largest number of Church Synods in UGCC: 14 sessions of patriarchal synods (with the participation of all the bishops of UGCC) and 44 sessions of metropolitan synods (with the participation of bishops in Ukraine). On 22-23 January, 2011, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church celebrated the 10th anniversary of the patriarchal service of the Supreme Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych, His Beatitude Lubomyr. The main celebratory events were the Christmas Prosphorae of the head of UGCC on 22 January at the International Exhibition Center in Kyiv and the Hierarchical Liturgy. Under Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), the following key Theological documents were issued in UGCC: "Ecumenical Concept of UGCC" and "One People of God in the Kyiv Hill Country." They deal with the principles of cooperation of UGCC with the other parts of the Kyivan Church, which once was one, stress that UGCC has always showed by its activity an aspiration for closer and deeper cooperation with the traditional Ukrainian Churches. The creative heritage of the head of UGCC includes numerous theological works and articles on religious and social subjects and audio books. An audio book "The Way to Oneself" appeared in 2009. The second audio book "The Way to One's Neighbour" was presented by His Beatitude Lubomyr in April, last year. On occasion of the 10th anniversary of his patriarchal service, the third audio book "The Way to God" appeared. Many religious studies experts and public figures highly appreciate the moral authority of Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar) and his correct understanding of the place of the Church in the state and its role, which allowed him as the head of UGCC to prevent involvement of the Church in the political relations and strengthen its moral authority in the Ukrainian society for 10 years
