On 1 September, a new liturgical year began. At the Ukrainian Catholic University, it is also the beginning of the academic year, when freshmen are initiated as students.
The liturgy on the occasion of the feast of St Sophia the Wisdom of God in the university church was led by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia, President of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
This is stated on the website of the educational institution.
UCU Rector Taras Dobko congratulated the students on the beginning of the new academic year: “We do not know what this academic year will be like. Today, more than ever, there are many different objective reasons for anxiety, disappointment, discouragement and frustration. We feel vulnerable and limited. But we know that we will spend this academic year together. That together we will face both sorrows and joys, help our Armed Forces to withstand and win for the sake of a just, lasting and reliable peace.”
He called for this academic year to be a year of hope. After all, those who have hope live differently.
Metropolitan Borys Gudziak also addressed the freshmen with a welcoming speech: “Your academic year begins with the feast of St Sophia, the Wisdom of God. The Lord invites you to the house of His Wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge out of love that serves. It is humble knowledge, not haughty, not arrogant, which comforts, brings peace and tranquillity to your heart and to the heart of your neighbour.”
The UCU Press Centre presents several theses from Bishop Borys’s sermon:
- “Our faith should be not only on Sunday. It should be full, filling our time, thoughts, and actions. How do we fill it? Prayer, fasting, hearing the Sacrament of God. We need to see the true God.”
- “We are called to act! How do we move from envy to an outstretched hand to a neighbour? From doubt to certainty? From defeat to victory? We cannot do this on our own. It takes God’s will.”
- “Learn to use two words – ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’. If our leaders, the world’s hegemons, learnt these two words and repented for their sins, we would have a different world.”
- “Knowledge without love is dangerous. Criminals, deceivers were skilful, cunning. Putin has knowledge, but he is a great killer because he does not know how to love.”
- “Wisdom is knowledge out of love that serves. It is humble knowledge, not haughty, not arrogant, which comforts, brings peace and tranquillity to your heart and to the heart of your neighbour.”
- “Dear parents, you have blessed your children with this university. Pray that their experience will be holistic. Pray for your children, support them. Let’s all learn, because today we understand that the time of learning continues throughout life.”
- “God calls us to knowledge that serves. Let us go together to this glory and victory!”
In addition to the metropolitan, the students were greeted by UCU senators, vice-rectors, parents, and numerous guests.
Also during the celebrations, the Doctor Honoris Causa award was presented. It was awarded to Fr John I. Jenkins, the 17th president of the University of Notre Dame in the United States, and Iryna Galadza, a catechist and active church worker.
Interestingly, this year 472 freshmen of bachelor’s programmes joined the UCU community. The Ukrainian Catholic University is the leader among universities in terms of applications for bachelor’s programmes based on the results of the NMT (except for universities that have a creative competition).