MEETING OF THE PERMANENT SYNOD - DONETSK
From Friday, February 27 until Monday, March 2, 2009 a meeting of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was held in Donetsk, Ukraine. Joining His Beatitude Patriarch Lubomyr were Permanent Synod members Archbishop Ihor Wozniak (L’viv), Bishop Vasyl Semeniuk (Ternopil), Bishop Paul Chomnycky (Stamford), Bishop David Motiuk (Edmonton) as well as synodal secretary Bishop Bohdan Dzjurakh. Hosting the meeting was the bishop of the Exarchate of Dontesk-Kharkiw, Stepan Monjok. Numerous topics were addressed during the four-day deliberations which were held in the catechetical centre.
In addition to the formal meetings the members of the Pernament Synod had ample opportunity to meet with local faithful as well as civic authorities. On Friday the bishops paid a courtesy call to the mayor of Donetsk who informed the visitors that Donetsk is not only a major mining, industrial and metalurigical centre but is home to a flourishing cultural and arts community. The bishops also paid a visit to the Institute for Artificial Intelligence where the assembled staff and students took the opportunity to greet His Beatitude on the occasion of his 76th birthday.
On Saturday the members of the Permanent Synod were received by the Vice-Governor of the Donetsk Oblast in his offices. Later that afternoon they had an opportunity to meet with local clergy, faithful and youth in the Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God which set the stage for a lively exchange of thoughts and ideas.
On Sunday the bishops celebrated the Divine Liturgy for various parish communities within and outside of Donetsk. Following the conclusion of the Permanent Synod meetings on Monday, the bishops were treated to a driving tour of the major points of interest of downtown Donetsk which included the wide boulevards, expansive public parks and the newly-constructed soccer stadium, erected in anticipation of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. On Tuesday morning the bishops departed for home with much important business accomplished and with a deepened knowledge of the local reality of a small segment of our world-wide Church.