Three Cardinals Bless Cornerstone of UCU Theology Center
 The
cornerstone of the new Department of Theology and Philosophy
of the Ukrainian Catholic
University was blessed on September 1, 2003. The department
is part of the new seminary complex being built in Lviv, Ukraine.
Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church,
visiting Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, O.P., archbishop of
Vienna, Austria, and Cardinal Marian Jaworski of Lviv also
participated in the ceremony.
"In this blessing, we have laid a foundation based on solid
rock, not formed by human hands. Jesus Christ is the foundation,"
exclaimed Cardinal Husar. According to liturgical rubrics,
the cardinals laid three stones in order and sprinkled them
with holy water during the consecration.
"This building will serve for the study of God's revelation
according to the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church," said
Cardinal Husar. "Without the Lord God, this is impossible.
So this dedication rite, though humble, has such great importance.
We have laid a firm foundation, which goes to the depths and,
somehow, also reaches to the heavens. We sincerely hope that
the foundation that we have laid today, this root that the
Lord has blessed, will grow into a tree big and strong."
Cardinal Schonborn visited Lviv because, as Cardinal Husar
said, "he is very interested in the status of higher theological
education in Ukraine. He himself is a noted theologian and
so, with his own eyes he wants to see how institutions of
theological education are developing in our country." Cardinal
Schonborn is the head of the Austrian Bishops' Conference
and was the general editor of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church. All those present for the ceremony, including Fr.
Borys Gudziak, rector of UCU, and Fr. Bohdan Prakh, rector
of Holy Spirit Seminary, signed a certificate commemorating
the event.
With God's assistance, by 2006 the Ukrainian Catholic Church
will be opening a new seminary in Lviv, the largest city of
western Ukraine. The UCEF appeals to its donors to support
the building of the seminary, which will provide the best
formation for Ukraine's priests.
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