Rev. and Very Rev. Parish Priests
And Catechists
Praised be Jesus Christ!

“If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for
boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to
me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” (1 Cor 9, 16)

Dear Catechists!

I sincerely greet you on the Day of the catechist!

Approaching the apostles, who were leaving Jerusalem and were discussing what had happened, Jesus proceeds, accompanied them, to explain to them the Sacred Scriptures (Ref. Luke 24, 13-35). Modern people also need leadership in their journey of faith throughout their lives. The Church provides this leadership through catechization. “The goal of catechesis, as the essential work of the Church, is to teach and to form Christians in the faith, leading them into fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Church community.”

This year Synod of Bishops was dedicated to the topic of the Word of God and catechesis. A lot of attention was devoted to questions who are catechists and which persons are been catechized. In their resolutions and the Post Synodal pastoral letter, the Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church reflected on the state of the announcement of the Word of God and catechetical teaching in our Church. They have proposed in their norms, that having properly read the signs of the times, we must unite all our efforts to fulfill our very important mission of catechetical service.

The Post Synodal letter will be published soon. I invite you to carefully read this document of the Synod, which is very important and timely for us, in that it calls on us to consider new methods of proclaiming the Word of God and the transferal of faith. We are very pleased that after much hard work and prayers, the Synod has for the very first time dedicated a pastoral letter on the Word of God and catechesis. As catechesis is the constant and continued method of transferal of the faith to all the members of Christ’s Church i. e. – children, youth, and adults.

It is of the fondest of memories that I remember my work with all of you in our eparchies and am very grateful for everything that we as a Church have been able to accomplish through prayer and hard work in the last 25 years.

At the Synod, due to my upcoming retirement, I have presented my intention to retire from the Catechetical Commission, after 25 years of service. It is of the fondest of memories that I remember my work with all of you in our eparchies and am very grateful for everything that we as a Church have been able to accomplish through prayer and hard work in the last 25 years. We can say that the catechetical apostolate has grown and matured throughout our Church.

I especially want to thank sr. Luiza Ciupa, SMI, who for the last 22 years has selflessly worked in our Church in the catechetical field. I want to thank God for all the coworkers in the catechetical service I have met over the past years.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will bless our new team, the new head of the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission, Bishop David Motiuk and Mr. Nazar Duda, the new Vice Chair of the Commission.

We will all work with you, catechists so that our Church may be able to recognize the challenges that our mission will face in the coming years. A lot has been accomplished, but the possibilities of new and better service demand that we are able to respond to the challenges of the future.

A lot has been accomplished, but the possibilities of new and better service demand that we are able to respond to the challenges of the future.

I pray that our merciful God will bless you in your service for the good of our Church and our people. The goal of catechization is to better recognize the Person of Jesus Christ. The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother, and follower of Jesus, herself heard His words and believed it and gifted it to the world. She is always an example for us, on how to be followers of Jesus and how to lead others to Him. So that, thanks to our witness in the faith of the person of Christ, our student who today tells us “we want to see Jesus” (John 12,21) may in fact recognize Him and receive Him, and live in the unit with Him.

May the Mother of God lead us in our mission of listening and personalization of Word of God in our daily lines, that we may more deeply recognize the teaching of Christ and grow in faith and that we may with joy and enthusiasm pass it on.

With pray and gratitude,

May God bless you!

+ Peter (Stasiuk)

Head of Patriarchal Catechetical Commission

Lviv, September 10, 2018