Beatitude

Published by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, January 10, 2005

Falling Asleep of His Beatitude Metropolitan WASYLY (Fedak)

We, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, the Most Reverend Archbishop John of Edmonton and the Western Eparchy of the UOCC and the Most Reverend Archbishop Yurij of Toronto and the Eastern Eparchy of the UOCC, with sadness inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord, following a valiant and prolonged struggle with ill health, of our brother bishop, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Wasyly, the Most Reverend Metropolitan-Archbishop of Winnipeg and of All-Canada.

His Beatitude reposed in the Lord on January 10, 2005, at 6:30 a.m., in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, preceded by his partaking in the Holy Mysteries of Confession and Communion.

The passing of His Beatitude has impoverished us, his brother bishops, together with the Right Reverend Mitred Priest Fr. William Makarenko, Chair of the Presidium of the Consistory of the UOCC, the Members of the Presidium and Full Consistory of the UOCC, his spiritual children - the clergy and laity of the UOCC. His loss is felt most deeply by his sons - by marriage to Dobrodijka Paraskeviya (nee Tymoffee) Fedak, who predeceased His Beatitude in 1976 while he served as a parish priest in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: the Honourable Mr. Justice Eugene Fedak; Mr. Jaroslaw Fedak, and Mr. Emil Fedak, along with their families, and his sister, Mrs. Irene Melnyshuk, his niece and care-giver, Nadia Hudyma and his personal secretary, Reverend Fr. Cornell Zubritsky.

His Beatitude was born Wasyl’ Fedak on November 1, 1909 in the village of Kadobivtsy, Bukovyna Province, Ukraine into the family of Wasyl’s and Anastazia Fedak. He was brought to Canada by his parents in May of 1912 and settled in Sheho, Saskatchewan. Following completion of his secondary education he completed a course for teachers and assumed his teaching assignments in the Saskatchewan school system.

In 1932, he married Paraskeviya Tymoffee. In 1941 he commenced theological studies in the seminary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, which he completed in 1944. He was ordained into the diaconate September 27, 1944, and into the priesthood October 1, 1944. Following ordination Fr. Wasyl' Fedak served parishes in the Sandy Lake, Manitoba District and travelled to Menzie, Vista, Angusville, Glen Elmo, Oakburn and Rossburn, Manitoba. He organized new parishes at Oakburn, Sandy Lake, Sich and Angusville, Manitoba.

In 1948 he was assigned to Grimsby, Ontario, but also served parishes in Oshawa, Long Branch, Waterford and St. Catherine's, Ontario. Due to his efforts, the parish in Welland joined the UOCC. He also travelled to Ottawa and Kirkland Lake, in Ontario, and Rouin and Noranda in Quebec.

In September, 1951 he was appointed to St. Vladimir's parish in Hamilton, Ontario, where he served for 29 years. His pastoral dedication resulted in the parish growing from 47 to 500 families, to become one of the most developed parishes in the UOCC.

For his dedicated service, the Church awarded him all priestly honours, including the honour of protopresbyter in 1977. His activities went beyond his parish responsibilities. For 20 years he was the National Chaplain of the Canadian Ukrainian Youth Association (CYMK-UOY). For all of this tireless service he was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction and received honours from the Province of Ontario.

Two years following the passing of his devoted wife, Dobrodijka Paraskeviya, in April 1976, an Extra-Ordinary Sobor of the UOCC in 1978 chose Fr. Wasyl’ as its candidate to the episcopacy.

On Sunday, July 16, 1978 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Winnipeg Archimadrite Wasyly was consecrated into the episcopacy with the title, "Bishop of Saskatoon, Vicar of the Central Eparchy", by His Beatitude Andrew, Metropolitan of Winnipeg and All-Canada, His Eminence Boris, Archbishop of Edmonton and the Western Eparchy, and His Grace Mykolaj, Bishop of Toronto and the Eastern Eparchy.

Following the passing of Archbishop Mykolaj in 1981, Bishop Wasyly became Acting Bishop of the Eastern Eparchy, and in November, 1983, he was elevated to Archbishop of Toronto and the Eastern Eparchy. The 17th Sobor of the UOCC in 1985 chose Archbishop Wasyly as its Metropolitan and Primate with title "His Beatitude", and Chancellor of St. Andrew’s College.

During his service as Metropolitan, Vladyka Wasyly led the Church in celebrating the Millennium of Baptism of Ukraine into the Holy Orthodox Faith, the Centenary of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada and the 75th Anniversary of the UOCC.

He established Eucharistic union with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, in 1990, and oversaw the UOCC’s membership into the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the Americas. During this time, the UOCC also became a member of the Canadian Council of Churches. In 1995 he initiated the establishment the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine. He participated in creating a Conference of Orthodox Bishops of Canada and an Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue in Canada.

As Metropolitan he worked closely with the World Congress of Ukrainians and the Canadian Ukrainian Congress.

In 1993, he led a delegation to visit Ukraine, which had proclaimed its independence and sovereignty in 1991. This was an opportunity to become better acquainted with the hierarchs and complex situation in Orthodoxy in Ukraine. He felt it his duty to contribute to the establishment of one, recognized, local Orthodox Church in his ancestral homeland and he was uplifted to see his brothers and sisters choosing an open and democratic form of government and society.

Among the many honours bestowed upon His Beatitude are the Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from St. Andrew’s College, the Honorary Doctorate in Canon Law from the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, the Centenary Medal and the Shevchenko Medal from the Canadian Ukrainian Congress, the Governor General’s Medal in honour of Canada’s 125th Anniversary, the Queen Elizabeth II 50th Anniversary Medal and the highest award of the Governor General of Canada, the Officer of the Order of Canada Medal.

The impact of His Beatitude’s service to the church as priest and hierarch will be evaluated for many years, yet the history of the UOCC has come to be embodied in the person and long life of Metropolitan Wasyly.

The Orthodox Rite of Burial of a Hierarch will take place at the Holy Trinity All-Canada Metropolitan Cathedral, 1175 Main Street, Winnipeg, Canada. The Hierarchical Funeral Service will begin on Friday, January 21, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and completion of the Funeral Rite will commence the next day, Saturday, January 22, 2005, at 10:00 a.m., followed by the interment at Glen Eden Cemetery. Following the interment, a memorial luncheon will be held at the Holy Trinity Auditorium, 1175 Main Street, Winnipeg, Canada.

The Main Celebrant of the Funeral Services will be His Eminence, Archbishop John. Concelebrants will be His Eminence, Archbishop Yurij, visiting Hierarchs and clergy of the UOCC.

Condolences may be sent to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, 9 St. John’s Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tel. 1-204-586-3093, Fax. 1-204-582-5241, e-mail: consistory@uocc.ca

We ask for prayers for the peaceful repose of our beloved brother in Christ, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Wasyly and that he await the Second Coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in a place where there is neither pain nor sorrow nor sighing, but life everlasting. Vichnaya Pamyat’.



Volume 7 Number 3 - Tuesday, January 18th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY