About us

The Association of Consecrated Life of the UGCC and RCC in Ukraine is a vibrant community that unites Catholics of two Churches, who have dedicated their lives to God and neighbor. 

Since the beginning of Christianity Catholic Church has united many nations, combined diversity of languages and traditions, So during almost twenty centuries many traditions and liturgical rites initiated and developed. Therefore, many of them became the basis for intensive development of the local Church communities. Consequently, each community was characterized by its own dynamism, uniqueness and beauty.

Although multi-riteness in the Universal Church provides a separate Church hierarchy for each ritual tradition, as well as feature of monastic life formation and diversity of external worship (organization of worship and common prayer practices), the Catholics of different liturgical rites and traditions practice their faith and worship towards the same God in Trinity, taking care for the Eucharistic unity with the whole Catholic Church. This solidarity becomes visible by their obedience to the Pope of Rome, who is well-known as a world-famous Religious Leader and considered by all Catholics as a highest pastor and successor of the Apostle Peter, whom Jesus Christ perfoming His mission on the Earth appointed as the supreme apostle (Matthew 16:17-18). 

The two largest ritual groups of Catholics in Ukraine (also known as „rites”) are Greek Catholics and Roman Catholics. In fact, each of these denominations is considered as a separate Church. I mean the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Every of these Christian Catholic denominations form their identity, as well as plan their own activities separately. The same is with the development their liturgical life and their ministry. The hierarchical leaders of both Churches lead their faithful flock along two different paths to the same goal, founding and developing their own parishes, building new monasteries, caring for the people in need, and responding to contemporary challenges in the world.

The Association of Consecrated Life is seen as a platform for the consolidation of the activity and development of the monastic centers for both Churches. It is a platform for building a strong Christian society in Ukraine with the real participation and efforts of consecrated persons in this prosess. So, no matter how monks and nuns identify themselves – Studite or Franciscans, Benedictines or Basilians Sisters, Jesuits or Studites – each consacrated person and every congregation is seen as a most valuable treasure for the Association that has a potentiality to transform Ukraine into a space of the Kingdom of God and to create a strong Christian society.

The event that took place on September 14-18, 2015, in Lviv was crucial. It was the beginning of the Association of Consecrated Life of the UGCC and RCC in Ukraine. This event was called the Assembly of Consecrated Life for the Catholic Church in Ukraine unter the title „Evangelical Communion of Consecrated Persons of the RCC and UGCC in Ukraine”. As the 2015 was announced as the year of consecrated life for Catholic Churches in Ukraine, the Conferences of Supreme Superiors of Men’s and Women’s Communities of the Consecrated Life of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Churches in Ukraine decided to organize this large-scale and important meeting. 

And now 5 years have passed, but the ideas that were articulated at that Assembly continue to develop and implement by the Association of Consecrated Life of the UGCC and RCC in Ukraine. It is worth noting that since this time we have learned not only to increase our pastoral and spiritual efforts. We also try to be more open to each other, to meet often and to communicate fruitfully. We continue to become one heart and one soul at various events organized. Besides that we are walking in the same direction. It means that during our pilgrimage travel we try to deep together the theological and humanitarian knowledge by participating the interesting scientific and practical conferences.

In order to know more about us, we invite you to browse the following sections of our web site…