(ANS – Lviv) – On Friday 14 October Bishop Anriy Sapelak SDB, the “patriarch” of Salesian Ukrainians, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. Present at the Mass were representatives of all the branches of the local Salesian Family headed by the Provincial of the East Europe Circumscription, Fr Giuseppe Pellizzari.

The solemn celebration was held in the Salesian parish  in Leopoli, on the day of the patronal feast “Patronage of the Madonna” – in the Byzantine church this corresponds to the Salesian feast of Mary Help of Christians. Bishop Sapelak presided and Bishop Yosyf Milan, auxiliary of Kiev,  the representative of the Patriarch of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church concelebrated.

Bishop. Sapelak, 92 year old, emeritus of the Eparchy of the Byzantine Ukraine Rite in Argentina, wanted the celebration to be held at the heart of the Salesian presence in Ukraine at Leopoli, to which he made a great personal contribution in the 90s, opening the Salesian parish of the “Pokrova” (Patronage) of the Holy Mother of God – the first Salesian house in post-soviet Ukraine.

During the Liturgy Bishop Yosyf Milan read the letter of greeting from the Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk accompanied by 50 white roses: “Please accept my most heartfelt greetings on the day of the Golden Jubilee of your episcopate, which is a sign of God’s great blessing on you and on our Greek-Catholic Church,  and also heartfelt thanks for your service.”

In his turn  Fr Pellizzari read the greetings from the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez: “With feelings of gratitude I want to thank you from my heart for the way in which you have lived with generosity, simplicity and dedication your mission as Pastor  and above all to thank you in a special way for the zeal with which you have kept alive the Salesian Charism in the Ukraine, a charism which after the return of the Salesians has developed and given copious fruits in vocations and in the commitment to the education of youth.”

Born on 13 December 1919 at Ryshkova Volia, now in Poland, Bishop Sapelak was one of the first Ukrainian boys sent to Italy to become  Salesians and then return to their country as founders of the Salesian charism in Ukraine. Having completed his studies in Turin he was ordained priest on  29 June 1949. In 1951 he was appointed Rector of the Ukrainian junior seminary first in France and then in Italy.

He was ordained Bishop on 15 October 1961 in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and appointed Administrator Apostolic for the faithful of the Byzantine-Ukraine Rite in Argentina, a position he held until 1997. In 2001 he returned to Ukraine, to Verhniodniprovsk, where he opened a small parish and an oratory. Author of numerous publications in Ukraine and Spanish, he is one of the few Bishops still living who took part in the Second Vatican Council.

Published 17/10/2011