22.07, [08:20] // Press-releases // UGCC News // ugcc.org.ua
Kiev - «Ordination is the moment when we consider our future and ask ourselves ‘What will the new bishop be like, what good will he do?'» So His Beatitude Lubomyr, Head of the UGCC, said in his sermon at the Liturgy on the occasion of the episcopal ordination of Bishop Taras (Sen'kiv), Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Stryj. According to the words of the preacher, this depends on three factors: «First of all, [this depends] on what we will all be like. The Lord God puts the bishop in the Church to be a teacher, sanctifier and pastor. Each of us in the Church also has his own task, vocation. If we fulfill the task with our best efforts, the future will be good… Secondly [this depends on] whether we work together. If we work not each for himself but together for the whole community, it will bring benefit to all… Thirdly the success of a new bishop, of our community, our Church, our nation, depends on whether we pray».
The episcopal ordination of Bishop Taras took place on Sunday July 20, 2008, in the Cathedral Church of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God in Stryj as part of an indulgence granted to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Liss'ka, which is kept in the church . The decision to appoint Fr. Taras Sen'kiv as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Stryj, giving him the titular See of Siccenna, was promulgated on May 22, 2008.
The order of episcopal ordination began the day before, on July 19, with the episcopal nomination. The next day the ordination took place in a church filled to the full. For its realization His Beatitude Lubomyr, bishops, members of the Synod of Bishops of the Kyiv and Halych Major Archbishopric of the UGCC, Bishop Guiseppe of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy, representatives of the Order of the Minimi Brothers of Saint Francis of Paula, to the Eastern branch of which Fr. Taras belonged, priests and laymen came to Stryj .
The Liturgy which was led by His Beatitude Lubomyr began at 10.00. First Bishop-nominate Taras (Sen'kiv), in accordance with the rite, confessed his faith in the Holy Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and other truths which are taught by the Church. Afterwards, after the Small Entrance, the ordination began. The main ordaining bishop was His Beatitude Lubomyr, and the bishop co-ordainers were Bishop Yulian (Gbur), Eparch of Stryj, Bishop Mykola (Simkaylo), Eparch of Kolomyja and Chernivtsi, and Bishop Volodymyr (Viytyshyn), Eparch of Ivano-Frankivs'k. The new bishop was ordained through the laying-on of hands of all the bishops who were present. Then a stately «Aksios» [Greek for “worthy”] began to sound in the church.
At the completion of the Liturgy Bishop Taras came forward with a word of gratitude. He thanked God for the gift of life and the vocation to priestly and episcopal ministry. The Bishop said special words of gratitude to Bishop Yulian (Gbur) for the trust to serve together with him in the ministry for the Stryj Eparchy. Bishop Taras thanked Bishop Pavlo (Vasylyk ) of bright memory because he « gave birth to him for the priestly ministry. » Realizing the great responsibility for carrying out the task laid on him, he asked the participants for prayerful support. After the Liturgy the newly-ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Stryj Eparchy imparted his first episcopal blessing on all present.