By Nathan Rumohr

In 1912 a young Ukrainian bishop arrived in Winnipeg tasked with establishing a unified Ukrainian Catholic Church in his adopted land. Bishop Nykyta Budka evangelized the sick, the oppressed, and the imprisoned.

He was only 35, but equipped with the words of Jesus's proclamation in the synagogue of Nazareth (Lk 4:18-19), he not only established a new eparchy but also offered inspiration to thousands of Ukrainian Catholics.

One hundred years later the Ukrainian Catholic bishops of Canada will celebrate Blessed Budka's accomplishment with the annual worldwide synod of Ukrainian Catholic bishops in Winnipeg Sept. 9-16.

"For me personally, as a Ukrainian Catholic Bishop in Canada, Blessed Nykyta serves as a model," said Ukrainian Eparch Ken Nowakowski of New Westminster.

"He had to leave the comforts familiar to him, as well as his relatives and friends in his homeland. When he arrived in Canada he became the father to the Ukrainians he encountered and brought to them the good news of the kingdom of heaven."

About 40 bishops will take part in the annual meeting. The synod is normally closed to the public, according to canon law; however the September event will have various public functions, including the official opening Divine Liturgy at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral on Sept. 9, and a banquet.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shewchuk, the newly elected head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, will attend. The 40-year-old leader will use the month of September to visit not only Winnipeg but also the other Ukrainian eparchies in the country: New Westminster, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Toronto.

Blessed Budka will be honoured during the synod for his ability to unify Canadian Ukrainians, and for his courage later in life when he was imprisoned in a concentration camp.

The bishop accomplished much: he obtained civil recognition for the church, he developed good relations with the Latin-rite bishops, and he helped Ukrainian pioneers settle into a new culture and way of life.

"I can only imagine how difficult it would be to be the first archbishop of all of Canada," marvelled Archeparch Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, of Winnipeg, who will host the synod. "I have trouble just watching over Manitoba. He is very admirable."

Blessed Budka returned to Ukraine in 1928, where he resumed his old post in pastoral ministry. However, Ukraine fell under communism, and although Bishop Budka was a Canadian citizen, he was arrested with other bishops for practising their faith.

He was sentenced to life in a concentration camp in Kazakhstan and died in 1949. Blessed Pope John

Paul II beatified Bishop Budka in 2001 during his visit to Ukraine.

More information on the Ukrainian Catholic Synod of Bishops is available from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster, 604-524-8824, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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