Last week, the apostolic administrator of the Greek-Catholic Krizevci diocese, Bishop Milan Stipic, visited Ukraine. He serves the congregation of the Eastern Rite in as many as three countries: Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This is reported by the UGCC website.
As part of the visit, the bishop presided over the Liturgy in St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv. Volodymyr Hrutsa, the vicar of the Lviv Archdiocese of the UGCC, co-served with the guest.
During the sermon, the bishop assured Ukrainians of the solidarity of the Croatian people with the Ukrainian nation in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Croatia also survived the war 25 years ago. For this reason, we can understand you. We in Croatia pray that the war ends as soon as possible with the victory of Ukraine and that a just peace comes. Croatia has accepted tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and the Greek Catholic Church constantly takes care of them,” he noted.
The bishop said that the cathedral in Krizevci constantly accepts refugees, organizes cultural and educational events, and also provides material assistance to those in need.
“But we must always remember that Christ can respond to all the challenges of this terrible war,” emphasized the bishop from Croatia.
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us always strengthen this faith in life in God through our prayer. Especially making prayer sacrifices for those who sacrificed their lives protecting us, and for all Christians,” Bishop Milan urged.
After the Divine Liturgy, the bishop from Croatia prayed in the crypt of the cathedral, outside the homes of the previous heads of the UGCC: Metropolitans Andriy Sheptytskyi and Yosif the Blind. Milan Stipic drew particular attention to the Terebovlia icon of the Holy Mother of God, which was crowned during the visit of Pope John Paul II. He also visited the Metropolitan Chambers, gardens and premises of the Curia of the Lviv Archdiocese, where he met with the staff.
