The education of Ukrainian Greek Catholic clergy in Galicia (1882–1946)
Abstract
World War II established the Soviet Union as the political power in Ukraine and especially over the territory of Galicia in Western Ukraine. In March of 1946 a pseudo-synod was held in Lviv and declared that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church no longer existed. The church's hierarchy, clergy and laity were shipped to various parts of the Soviet gulag archipelago and its institutions were confiscated. The seminaries of Galicia were a pivotal part of the three main eparchies of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of the region: Lviv, Peremyshly and Stanyslaviv. The eparchial seminaries of Peremyshl and Stanyslaviv, along with the General Seminary of Lviv provided the church with a highly educated and motivated clergy, The Theological Academy of Lviv would be a great educational achievement in the region. There have been some initial studies regarding the education of clergy in the region of Galicia, however, a severe lacuna exists for the period which ends the nineteenth century and into the modern era. This study argues the Order of St. Basil the Great (O.S.B.M.) from its Dobromyl reform in 1882 to 1946 contributed the most towards the education of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Clergy in Galicia. The influence of these monks can be seen in their preponderance in the teaching cadre of the three seminaries in question. This work begins with a brief historical synopsis of education in the Catholic Church followed by an outline of Kyivan church education. The golden era of clerical education in Galicia dated from 1920–1939. It is this period which I contend not only provided the church with highly educated clergy, but also provided the church with the educational and spiritual fortitude to withstand one of the most heinous persecutions of the modern era.
Subject Area
Religious education|Religious history|European history
Recommended Citation
Kaszczak, Ivan, "The education of Ukrainian Greek Catholic clergy in Galicia (1882–1946)" (2005). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3170695.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3170695
