Ukrainian Catholic University
The university is a center of the intellectual life of the Ukrainian Catholic
Church, the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Ukrainian Catholic University is the only Catholic university in Ukraine and the rest of post-Soviet territory.
The Ukrainian Catholic University is the
emerging center of the intellectual and spiritual life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church, the largest of the Eastern Catholic churches. It is the premier religious
institution of higher learning in Ukraine with a student body numbering more than 400
seminarian, religious, and lay students at its two campuses. The university’s emphasis
on Scripture, Church Fathers, liturgy, and ancient and modern languages is guided by a
vision that a no-nonsense approach to the basics is the best foundation for creative
reflection and discourse. In addition, the university has developed an intensive English
language program as well as library and technological facilities to adequately prepare its
students to face the dynamic challenges and critical situations of the 21st
century. The official accreditation of the school (formerly Lviv Theological Academy) from the Congregation
for Catholic Education in 1998 marked the successful completion of the first of three
stages in a project to fully develop a Ukrainian Catholic university.
The Lviv Theological Academy (predecessor of Ukrainian Catholic University) was founded
in 1928 by Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky as the first stage of his goal to establish a
Catholic university. The Academy flourished during its first 10 years of activity.
However, classes could not be held in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1939, and the
Academy was officially dissolved by the communist authorities in 1944.
At this time, Ukraine entered one of the most
painful periods of its long history. The Soviets attempted to force a union of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholics (in union with Rome) with the Russian Orthodox Church. Though it
counted nearly 5 million faithful, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was officially
prohibited. Those who refused this union were subject to persecution, torture, Siberian
exile, and execution. For nearly 50 years the UGCC was the largest banned ecclesial body
in the world.
In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet
Union, the UGCC was again legalized. An important step in the rebuilding of the Church was
the revival of the Lviv Theological Academy as a center of theological study on 1
September, 1994. In July, 1999 the Academy graduated its first class of students.
Reflecting its Eastern Christian background,
the study of Sacred Scripture, the writings of the Fathers of the Church, and liturgy are
the focus of the Ukrainian Catholic University’s academic curriculum. The undergraduate
program likewise includes a thorough course of study in historical and systematic
philosophy. This curriculum provides the students with a basic knowledge of the sources of
philosophy and theology—from ancient to modern periods—at the same time seeking
to foster students’ capacity for critical reflection.
The university is establishing a strong program
in the languages of the Church’s tradition (particularly Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and
Church Slavonic). Most students study four semesters of Greek and three semesters of
Latin. The program for classical languages is being developed in close cooperation with
eminent classical and biblical scholars in Rome and the US. Through the intensive teaching
of Greek and Latin to all of its students, the university has a strong impact on classical
philology in Ukraine, where at the 12 state universities there is only one Classics
Department, which graduates only about 10 students per year.
In addition to the required core courses in
systematic, moral, and pastoral theology, Church history, and canon law, the undergraduate
program of studies also includes Byzantine history, art history, and archaeology.
The faculty of the Ukrainian Catholic University consists of more than 70 full and part-time professors, lecturers, and teachers. It
includes native Ukrainians, scholars of Ukrainian origin who completed doctoral studies at
universities outside of Ukraine, as well as a number of non-Ukrainians.
The university is fortunate to host each semester a
number of English speaking professors from different countries. Beginning with the third
year of studies, certain classes are taught by English-speaking professors to supplement
the Ukrainian-speaking faculty. The university expects all students to develop proficiency in
English by the end of the second year.
In 1994, with the revival of the Lviv
Theological Academy, an institutional library also began its activity. The widespread
confiscation or destruction of the Catholic Church’s library collections under the
Soviets has made this a formidable endeavor. Initial book donations came from Italy,
Belgium, Germany, Austria, Canada, and the US. At present, the library counts some 35,000
volumes encompassing a multitude of ancient and modern languages. Additionally, there are
approximately 10,000 periodicals, covering a wide breadth of fields in religion and the
humanities. While a majority of the library’s resources are theological in nature,
there are also numerous volumes of philosophy, history, and literature. The library’s
holdings are available on a computer database, which accommodates fast and convenient
searches for items.
The library is being regularly supplemented
by foreign donations, among which are some truly unique publications, such as the
collection of books on Byzantine history and culture recently acquired from a professor in
Germany. It is important to realize that the ultimate vision of the library incorporates
not only those resources necessary for a theological college but also research materials
pertaining to the humanities in general that are essential to any Catholic university. In
addition to theology, philosophy, and languages, the university is building an extensive
collection in the social sciences, history, literature, and the arts.
With generous technological contributions
from the West, the university has developed a computer center aimed at improving and
enlivening the educational process. Students and faculty are able to use computers for
composing papers and academic work, preparing lectures, and enhancing their knowledge with
an array of educational programs. Likewise, access to the internet and the world wide web
provide Ukrainian students and scholars with an invaluable wealth of resources that would
otherwise be unavailable in a country where books are often non-existent or prohibitively
expensive. The computers in the university operate on a network, and all students and staff
have access to the internet and their own e-mail addresses.
In an effort to nurture and develop an
international perspective, many English-speaking professors come to lecture at the Ukrainian Catholic University. To prepare students to understand these courses and to access much of
the English language material in its library, the university has implemented an intensive
English language program under the direction of American specialists. Students are
required to have intermediate to advanced capacities in English by the end of the second
year.
The regular English program is supplemented
each year by a month-long English immersion summer school in the Carpathian Mountains. The
goal of the Carpathian English Summer School is to improve language proficiency in a
context of international Christian fellowship and communal prayer.
Each year some 20 native-speaking volunteer
teachers, principally from North America, help students develop greater confidence in
communicating in English. All classes and discussions about spiritual and cultural topics
as well as liturgical celebrations are conducted in English. Volunteers are able to
experience Christianity and learn about this exciting part of the world. Ukrainian
students, in turn, benefit greatly from native English speakers in a dynamic immersion
setting.
Some of the most advanced students are able
to participate in summer internship or academic programs in England, Canada or the United
States. These students are not only able to improve their language skills but they also
see how Western communities and religious institutions operate. For example, supervised
structured work in parishes, homes for the poor, hospitals, or camps are particularly
useful for them. Participants are required to write several brief reports in English about
their experiences. Study programs have included Harvard University and St. John’s
University in Collegeville, MN.
The Ukrainian Catholic University conducts
academic research in several basic fields that are divided between special institutes
which function within the structures of the university: the Institute of Church History, the
Institute for Theological Terminology and Translation, the Institute for Neo-Latin
Studies, the Institute of Religion of Society, the Institute for Christian Marriage and
Family, and the Catechetical Institute.
The Institute of Church History is
working on several distinct projects, the most comprehensive of which is the Oral History
Project. From 1946 to 1989, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was the largest banned
ecclesiastical community in the world. The Oral History Project is responding to the
urgent need to systematically gather oral testimony about the martyrdom and clandestine
life of the UGCC in order that its history may inform and inspire the growth of the Church
today. The project has two mutually enhancing programs that are being pursued
simultaneously: academic—to document the life of the catacomb Church, and
pastoral—to apply this witness to the efforts of contemporary evangelization and
faith development. The Institute also organizes conferences and publications.
The Institute for Neo-Latin Studies
researches the influence of Roman civilization and the Latin language on the development
of Ukrainian culture and introduces into academic circulation comprehensive studies of the
documents and literary works produced in Ukraine in the Latin language or are based on
European Neo-Latin culture. The activities of the Institute include the compilation of a
Latin-Ukrainian dictionary and a bibliography of the chronicles of Galician monasteries as
well as the publication of an anthology of Neo-Latin poetry in Ukrainian translation.
The aim of the Institute for Theological
Terminology and Translation is to establish the scholarly foundation for the
standardization and development of theological terminology in Ukrainian, to generalize the
existing historical and contemporary themes in this field, and to harmonize them with the
demands of international theology and the norms of contemporary Ukrainian language. The
Institute is in the process of compiling a liturgical dictionary. This is the first part
of a comprehensive dictionary of Ukrainian theological terminology, which will provide
norms for the usage of Ukrainian theological expressions and their synonymic variants and
will demonstrate the appropriate equivalents in other languages.
The Institute on Religion and Society
serves as an intermediary between the Church and the various centers of public life, in
order to promote the adoption by public institutions of the experience of the Church in
serving individuals and society. This Institute will also be an important source of
information for priests as they work to integrate the experience of the persecuted Church
and the teachings of Vatican II with the unique situation of post-communist society in
Ukraine. The Institute has sponsored numerous conferences and publications covering topics
such as ecumenism, Church and State relations, and human rights.
The Institute for Christian Marriage and
Family strives to understand, defend, and introduce in the public consciousness
Catholic doctrines of marriage and family life. The Institute collaborates with Christians
of other confessions as well as political and academic institutions to support the values
of Christian family life, to uphold and protect the dignity and sanctity of all human
life, to counter the negative influence of modern social trends on the family, and to
exonerate the values of marriage: love, faith, and purity. The Institute conducts
research, sponsors publications, and organizes educational programs to fulfill its
mission.
The Catechetical-Pedagogical Institute
trains catechists and educators to spread the Gospel of Christ. Comprehensive training
programs of the Institute are organized for catechists and evangelists who work with
children, youths, and adults in the context of parishes and Christian communities, and
teachers of Christian education and ethics in primary and secondary schools. The Institute
is also publishing a complete series of textbooks and manuals for students and teachers
from grades 1-11.
Summer Programs
The Ukrainian Catholic University educates 400
seminarians and lay students of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This is particularly
challenging in a society where all the religious institutions and structures must be
reconstituted and few good models exist.
Two important aspects of modern education for
our students are learning a major Western language and understanding models of
contemporary pastoral practice. For the first goal, English is required of all students at
the university and we annually operate a special English language summer school in the
Carpathians with 15-20 volunteers from Britain and North America. For the second goal,
students engage in catechetical work including summer parish work in Eastern Ukraine.
At the most advanced level, we build on these
experiences and place a number of advanced students (who already have upper-intermediate
language knowledge) in summer internships or academic programs in England, Canada or the
United States. In this way, not only can students improve their language skills but also
see how Western communities and religious institutions operate. For example, supervised
structured work in parishes, homes for the poor, hospitals, or camps are particularly
useful for them; participants are required to write several brief reports in English about
their experiences. Study programs have included the Harvard Ukrainian Summer School.
Programs usually last for 8 weeks, mid-June to mid-August. We are also eager to increase
contacts between Ukraine and the diaspora communities, and these internships support that
goal as well.
Funding for these programs comes from various
charitable organizations abroad. The university guarantees the financial support and return to
Ukraine of all participants (no student is allowed or encouraged to work abroad under
these programs). Since 1994, we have sent over 80 students and teachers abroad for summer
programs and there has never been a problem with their timely return. If you are
interested in volunteering, please contact us!
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