Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with its seat in Chicago (Illinois, USA), hosted the bishops of the Philadelphia Metropolitanate, Most Rev. Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia, Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, Eparch of Stamford, and Most Rev. Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat, based in Parma (Ohio, USA), for a four-day meeting.

The meeting took place from April 8 to 11 at Holy Transfiguration Monastery, located in the picturesque mountains of northern California.

“It was an opportunity for the bishops to have joint retreats, discuss the implementation of the pastoral plan ‘The Hope to which the Lord calls us,’ discuss responses to current challenges, and even consider new places and areas of our church ministry in America,” Bishop Bohdan Danylo said in a commentary to the press service of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.

In addition to discussing various pastoral issues of the metropolitanate, which was also attended by the protosyncellus and chancellors of dioceses in the United States, the hierarchs held an online conversation with representatives of the UGCC Pastoral Council.

During their stay at Holy Transfiguration Monastery, the bishops enjoyed the hospitality of the monks under the leadership of their superior, Fr. Damian. The Ukrainian bishops had the opportunity to join them in daily monastic prayer, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, and joint dinners.

“A focal point of this year’s meeting was also the sharing of the experience of missionary settlements in individual dioceses. We could not ignore those places where many refugees from Ukraine are staying today and need their own spiritual centers. Therefore, the bishops discussed the possibility of opening new missionary or parish centers,” Bishop Bohdan continues.

On Wednesday, April 10, the bishops joined their Canadian counterparts, the bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitanate of Winnipeg. The hierarchs of the UGCC held a joint online meeting to discuss various issues affecting the activities and ministry of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in North America. Among the topics discussed were changes in the liturgical calendar, a new English translation of the Divine Liturgy, SingCon 2024, and a potential in-person meeting of the bishops this year in the United States.

On Thursday afternoon, April 11, the American bishops concluded their meeting and headed home.