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Archbishop Gudziak: Walking the Way of the Cross with Ukraine
Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, talks about how the Church continues to walk alongside suffering Ukrainians, providing pastoral care, humanitarian support, and a witness of faith in the midst of war. Jul 14, 2025
Aftermath of overnight combined Russian strikes on Ukraine (ANSA)
By Linda Bordoni & Devin WatkinsAs Ukraine endures relentless bombardments and the trauma of prolonged war, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church remains a steadfast presence alongside its people, both at home and abroad.
Speaking to Vatican News, Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia for Ukrainian Catholics in the United States highlights the challenges and hopes facing the Church in a time of great suffering.
"The bishops can't do much in one sense," he says, "but in fact, they can do a lot. They stay with the people." And this, he explains, is what matters most when a community is in pain: "Nothing is more important when you're suffering than to have solidarity."
Archbishop Gudziak describes a nation profoundly affected by displacement. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, nearly 14 million Ukrainians have fled their homes. While some have returned, many remain internally displaced or have settled abroad with no homes left to return to.
In this context, he continues, the Church plays a vital role, not only spiritually, but also socially.
"We try to pray with and for the people, to explain what is happening, to accompany victims along the way of the cross," he says. "Everyone knows someone who's been killed, someone who's a refugee. It's a universal experience."
Through its network of clergy and religious, the Church, Archbishop Gudziak explains, is providing shelter, food, clothing, psychological support, and medical care. Priests are even being trained to recognize and respond to post-traumatic stress disorder, with over 10 million people expected to be affected in the coming years.
The needs of children are also a priority. He speaks of how the Church is organizing summer camps for orphans and refugee children, many of whom have lost years of education due to war and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Some children have effectively lost five years of schooling," the Archbishop says, expressing concern for the rise in illiteracy.
A Synod in Rome
Asked about the recent Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church held in Rome, Archbishop Gudziak says that the main focus was pastoral, but necessarily tied to the war.
'We meet every year for almost two weeks to address the issues of the day and of the future, which include also selecting candidates for Episcopal Sees,' he states.
However, this year, he adds, the focus was mainly on the pastoral care of families in the context of war 'because outside of Ukraine, we have refugees of this war.' Some 350,000 people have come into the United States in the past three years, he explains, while in England alone there are over 150,000.
With millions of Ukrainians living abroad, Archbishop Gudziak says the bishops need to address both their spiritual and practical needs.
"We wanted to show support for our brother bishops in Ukraine, both morally and materially: eastern Ukraine and western Ukraine have different styles and different pastoral circumstances," he reiterates. 'The main topic now is the war and the suffering of people.'
He adds that the Church wants "to be able to speak in an informed way about the circumstances in Ukraine, to the outside world.'
Providing an overview of the reality and complexity of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, he explains that it is part of the communion of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, each with its own liturgical and canonical tradition. Presently, he notes, the Church has 36 eparchies across Ukraine and the diaspora, supported by a total of 55 bishops.
In Rome, he says, the bishops met twice with Pope Leo XIV and held talks with various Vatican officials.
A Church in a backpack
Turning to his own ministry in the United States, Archbishop Gudziak notes that despite the large number of new Ukrainian arrivals, only a small fraction, about 5%, regularly connect with the Church.
To reach them, the Archeparchy has established a special office for migrants, offering food assistance, clothing, language resources, and help with schooling, licensing, and job placement. Yet, the geographic spread of newcomers and the limited number of parishes pose a significant challenge.
"We are rethinking what it means to be Church," the Archbishop says. 'We need to be a 'Church in the backpack', mobile, flexible, present where the people are, even without buildings.'
He recalls his own experience in Paris, where for years the Ukrainian Catholic community gathered for liturgies and fellowship in borrowed spaces. 'We had wonderful Church life, even without infrastructure.'
He also highlights the growing influence of secularization and digital culture, particularly among younger Ukrainians: "They are more similar to their peers in England, Australia, or Korea than to their own grandparents."
Plea for prayer and solidarity
As the war escalates, so does the suffering. In recent weeks, record numbers of drones—up to 700 in a single day—have targeted civilian infrastructure, hospitals, and schools.
Archbishop Gudziak's message is urgent: 'We ask you to pray, because prayer deflects bullets. Pray because God is the Lord of history, and His truth will prevail.'
He invites Catholics around the world to stay informed and to help however they can—through prayer, advocacy, or humanitarian aid.
"The Catholic Church has historically been outlawed and destroyed in territories under Russian occupation," he notes, adding that in such times, the people's courage and conversion stand as powerful signs of God's presence.
'It is a time of incredible challenge," he concludes, "but we are immensely grateful for every act of kindness, every prayer, every gesture of assistance."--Vatican News
