Cardinal caps off Ukrainian church milestone
News
Australia’s highest ranking Catholic leader and the universal Church’s youngest cardinal, Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of Wayville on September 28.
Cardinal Bychok, a prelate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Melbourne, was appointed to the College of Cardinals in December 2024 at the age of 44.
It was his first visit to Adelaide since being appointed a cardinal, his presence and that of local dignitaries and church leaders reflecting the significance of the event.
In his pastoral address, Bishop Mykola drew attention to the profound significance of the church in the life of the parish community: “Today is a joyful and sacred day. We gather to celebrate the golden jubilee of this church. Fifty years ago, Bishop Ivan Prasko, the first eparch for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia, consecrated the Church of Our Lady of Protection in Adelaide-Wayville. 50 years since these walls were set apart, blessed, and dedicated as a house of prayer, a dwelling place for God’s presence in the heart of Adelaide.”
In the context of the anniversary, the bishop expressed his gratitude to the priests who served in the parish throughout its history: “We give thanks to God for the pioneering priests who looked after the spiritual needs of the faithful in Adelaide. From the first days of Ukrainian settlement in Adelaide, Fr. Dmytro Kaczmar celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Holy Mysteries for our faithful in chapels and Latin churches as well as in camps and people’s homes. We remember with gratitude the work of Fr. Evhen Lacyk, who, together with Fr. Semen Myhal, initiated construction of this holy temple and who saw it completed. For the ministry of Fr. Ihor Spytkovsky, Fr. Dmytro Seniv, Fr. Zenon Chorkawiy, Fr. Laurence Foote, Fr. Peter Guy and many other priests who have served the people of Wayville, we thank God who sends pastors to look after the flock.”
The bishop also mentioned the tireless work of the Basilian sisters, Sister Cecilia and Sister Klementia, who served in this parish for 25 years, as well as the parishioners who contributed in a special way to the foundation of the church. “A building only becomes a ‘Church’ when people come to worship God. So many parishioners gave their time and funds to build this temple. Men, women and children would come after work and school to help with construction. We give particular thanks for the hard work of the building committee, which over the years was headed by such great pioneers as Petro Dwulat, Vasil Іvaniv and Mychaylo Lesiw.”
“There are so many names that I could mention, members of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood who for years looked after the needs of this church. Today we thank them and thank God for their lives, their work and their sacrifices. So, while we give thanks today for this beautiful church building, let’s not forget that we, the people, are the living stones. The real miracle of the past 50 years is not just the maintenance of walls or windows — it is the living faith of this parish community,” emphasised Bishop Mykola.
After the Divine Liturgy, the icon of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ was consecrated and immediately placed in the church.
The celebration continued in the parish hall, where a traditional Ukrainian lunch was held. Memories were shared and parishioner Bohdan Lapka gave a talk on the history of the parish in both English and Ukrainian.
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