Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC) is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriatchate in Canada, primarily serving Ukrainian Canadians.

It has cathedrals in the cities of Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal. The Metropolitan Cathedral, seminary (St. Andrew's College), and central administrative office are all based in Winnipeg. Its membership is about twelve thousand, and the current primate of the church is Metropolian John (Stinka) of Winnipeg.

History

Most ethnic Ukrainians moving to Canada from Western Ukraine in the late 19th century and early 20th century centuries were Greek Catholics, and were tended early on by the local Roman Catholic hierarchy. At the same time, a smaller group of settlers arriving from Bukovina were mostly Orthodox. Initially served by the Russian mission, by then established in the northwest of North America through Alaska, the Orthodox settlers sought a native Ukrainian church, which they organized in the summer of 1918 the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The UOCC had strong ties to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church after 1921, when that body was established in Ukraine. In 1990, it became a canonical church by being accepted into the Church of Constantinople.

In July 2005, at the Twenty-first sobor of the UOCC, Metropolitan (Still archbishop, at the time) John (Stinka) was elected Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of All Canada. In late 2005, Archbishop John finally replaced (after his acceptance by the holy synod of bishops) Metropolitan Wasyly (Fedak) as Metropolitan, who died in January 2005, after serving in the position for nearly twenty years.

Currently, the UOCC has just two bishops (fewer than preferred, as 3 bishops makes a council of bishops, and the UOCC prefers to have four bishops to help them better look after their flock.), and at the Twenty-first Sobor, the Sobor chose Very Rev. Fr. Michael Skumeda as bishop-elect, and an Extraordinary Sobor will be held in July 2006 (though there is talk of postponement to 2007) to elect at least one bishop (key candidates inclue Archimandrite Job (Getcha) (only 33 years of age, while 35 is required age of the UOCC, to become bishop) and Archimandrite Tikhon (Chyzevsky)), to enthrone Metr. John as Archbishop of Winnipeg and the Central Diosese, and to Ordain Fr. Michael as Bishop of Edmonton (St. John's Cathedral) and the Western Eparchy.

Bishops

In Ukrainian (Slavic) Tradition, the metropolitan is the primate of the church, and then followed by the archbishops and bishops.

In the UOCC, the metropolitan is styled the Archbishop of Winnipeg, of the Central Diocese, and All-Canada, while the next two bishops are styled (Arch)bishop of Edmonton, and the Western Diocese and the (Arch)bishop of Toronto, and the Eastern Diocese, while the next bishop is styled Bishop of Saskatoon, and Vicar of the Central Diocese. Usually the church only has four bishops, but if there is a need for more, then titles available are Bishop of Montreal, and Vicar of the Eastern Diocese, and Bishop of Vancouver, and the Vicar of the Central Diocese.

List of Bishops, who served (or currently serve) in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada:

• His Eminence, Archbishop Mstyslav (later Archbishop, and Metropolitan of UOC of USA, and in 1990-93, Patriarch of Ukraine in the UAOC), deceased
• His Beatitude, Metropolitan Ilarion (first metropolitan in the UOCC) (1950-1972 as metropolitan), deceased
• His Beatitude, Metropolitan Michael (19??-197?), metropolitan from 1972 to 1975 (he passed on the title, and duties to Metropolitan Andrew, before his death), deceased
• His Beatitude, Metropolitan Andrew (19??-1985) & metropolitan from 1975 to 1985 (first Bishop of Edmonton), deceased
• His Eminence, Archbishop Boris (first Bishop of Saskatoon), deceased
• His Eminence, Archbishop Nicholas, deceased
• His Beatitude, Metropolitan Wasyly (Fedak) of Winnipeg (1978-2005), metropolitan from 1985 to 2005, deceased
• His Eminence, Metropolitan John (Stinka) of Winnipeg (1983-present), metropolitan from 2005 to present
• His Eminence, Archbishop Yurij (1989-present)

• Bishop-Elect: Very Rev. Michael Skrumeda (elected 2005)

External links

• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
• History of UOCC