Bishop Hlib named Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians in the UK

On 14 June 2011 the Roman Pontiff named Kyr Hlib Boris Sviatoslav Lonchyna, a Monk of the Studite Rule, Exarch of the Apostolic Exarchate for the Ukrainian Faithful of the Byzantine Rite residing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

His Lordship Kyr Hlib was born in

Steubenville, Ohio, USA

on 23 February 1954. His parents emigranted from present-day western Ukraine after the Second World War.

Kyr Hlib attended the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome where, in 1979 he completed a licenciate degree in Biblical Theology. He also attended the Pontifical Oriental Institute where he completed a doctoral degree in Eastern Christian Studies (specializing in Eastern Liturgy) in 2001.

In 1975 he entered the Ukrainian Studite monastery at Grottaferrata, where he made his perpetual profession of vows on 19 December 1976. He was ordained to the priesthood on il 3 July 1977 by the late Cardinal Josyf Slipyj.

Father Hlib performed pastoral service at St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, NJ (USA) and later served as Prefect of Students at St. Sophia College in Rome.

After moving to Ukraine in 1994, he served as Spiritual Director for the seminarians of the Greek-Catholic Major Seminary in Lviv and lectured at the Theological Academy of Lviv. Subsequently he served as local assistant in the Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv.

On 11 January 2002 e Pope John-Paul II named him titular Bishop of Bareta and Auxiliary-Bishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians. He received the episcopal ordination on 27 February of that same year.

On 14 January 2003 Blessed John-Paul named him Apostolic Visitor for the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Faithful in Italy and confirmed his appointment as Procurator of the Major-Archbishop of Lviv i Rome. On 4 March 2004 he was also named Apostolic Visitor to Spain and the Republic of Ireland.

On 25 March 2006 Kyr Hlib was recalled to Ukraine and named Head of the Patriarchal Commission for Religious Life, while retaining his charge as Apostolic Visitor. On 7 January 2009 he was replaced as Apostolic Visitor in Italy and Spain by Kyr Dionisio Lachovicz.

On 2 June 2009 he was named Apostolic Administrator "sede vacante" of the Apostolic Exarchate for the Ukrainian Faithful of the Byzantine Rite in Great Britain and Northern Ireland while retaining the Apostolic Visitation for the Irish Republic.

Kyr Hlib is the fourth Ukrainian bishop to be named Apostolic Exarch for the Ukrainians the UK. His predecessors were: the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal William Godfrey (exarch 1957-1963, Father Paul Maluga Vicar General); Bishop Augustine Hornyak (auxiliary 1961, exarch 1963-1987); Bishop Michael Hrynchyshyn (administrator 1987-1989); Bishop Michael Kuchmiak (exarch 1989-2002); Bishop Paul Chomnycky (exarch 2002-2006).

Since arriving in this Country Bishop Hlib has shown himself to be very supportive of the Society of St. John Chrysostom. Last year he delivered the Christopher Morris Lecture following our Annual General Meeting. The same Pontifical Society offers him sincerest congratulations upon his appointment together with ardent prayers for his apostolic mission in this Country.

На многая й благая літа, Владико!

A short history of the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in the UK