Eastern Rite - Blessed Symeon Lukach

Today is the Feast of Our holy father, Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem. His "Catechetical Instruction," given to the Catechumens, on the elements of the Faith are among the most precious documents of Catholic teaching. He was named by Pope Leo XII among the Doctors of the Church. He died A.D. 386 in the reign of Theodosius, Emperor. -- SS. Alexandra, Claudia, Evphrasia and other Martyrs who suffered death in Missena A.D. 237, during the reign of Maximian, Emperor.

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The Blessed Symeon Lukach, Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, was born on 7 July 1893 in the village of Starunia, Stanislaviv Region in the Kingdom of Hungary. His parents were simple villagers who worked the land. In 1913, he entered the seminary. His studies were interrupted for two years during World War I but he was able to complete his studies in 1919. That same year he was ordained a priest by Bld Hryhory Khomyshyn. He taught moral theology at the seminary in Stanislaviv, Ukrainian SSR, (now Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine) until April 1945, when it is suspected that Bishop Hryhory secretly ordained him a bishop. He was first arrested on 26 October 1949 by the NKVD and deported to Siberia (Krasnoyarsk) for ten years hard labour. After serving half his sentence, he was released on 11 February 1955. He functioned as an underground member of the clergy, but in July 1962 he was arrested for a second time and appeared in court with Bishop Ivan Sleziuk, who too was an underground bishop. He was sentenced to five more years of labour where he underwent interrogations. While he was in prison, he developed tuberculosis. He was released back to his village where he died on 22 August 1964.

Born
7 July 1893 at Starunya, Ivano-Frankivs’ka oblast’, Ukraine

Died
22 August 1964 in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivs’ka oblast’, Ukraine of tuberculosis

Venerated
24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)

Beatified
27 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II at Ukraine