Vasyl Velychkovsky
Encyclopedia
Blessed
Martyr
Vasyl Velychkovsky (born June 1, 1903, Stanislav
, Austria-Hungary
— died June 30, 1973, Winnipeg
, Canada
) was a priest, and later bishop
, of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Eastern rite Catholics).
In 1920 he entered the seminary in Lviv
. In 1925 he took his first monastic vows in the village of Holosko near Lviv in the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer and was ordained
a priest
. As a priest-monk Vasyl Velychkovsky taught and preached in Volyn. In 1942 he became abbot
of the monastery in Ternopil
. Because of religious persecution
by the Soviet Government
he was arrested in 1945 by the NKVD
and sent to Kyiv
. The punishment of death was commuted to 10 years of hard labor
.
On release in 1955 he went back to Lviv, and was ordained a bishop in 1963. In 1969 he was imprisoned again for three years for his religious activities. Release in 1972, he was exile
d. He died in Winnipeg (Canada) on June 30, 1973.
3hirty years after his death, Vasyl Velychkovsky's body was found to be almost incorrupt (his toes had fallen off and were subsequently divided to be used as holy relics). Beatified
in 2001, the intact remains of Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsk are enshrined at St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Today, his shrine is located at 250 Jefferson Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
Vasyl Velychkovsky (born June 1, 1903, Stanislav
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
— died June 30, 1973, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) was a priest, and later bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Eastern rite Catholics).
In 1920 he entered the seminary in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. In 1925 he took his first monastic vows in the village of Holosko near Lviv in the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. As a priest-monk Vasyl Velychkovsky taught and preached in Volyn. In 1942 he became abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the monastery in Ternopil
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
. Because of religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
by the Soviet Government
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
he was arrested in 1945 by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and sent to Kyiv
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. The punishment of death was commuted to 10 years of hard labor
Penal labour
Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
.
On release in 1955 he went back to Lviv, and was ordained a bishop in 1963. In 1969 he was imprisoned again for three years for his religious activities. Release in 1972, he was exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d. He died in Winnipeg (Canada) on June 30, 1973.
3hirty years after his death, Vasyl Velychkovsky's body was found to be almost incorrupt (his toes had fallen off and were subsequently divided to be used as holy relics). Beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
in 2001, the intact remains of Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsk are enshrined at St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Today, his shrine is located at 250 Jefferson Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.