On 26-27 October, 2009 in Rome in the conference hall of the counseling group of Mayor of Rome on the street delle Virgini 18, there took place the fourth International Conference of the cycle "Ukraine and the Vatican”. It was convened within a week of Ukraine in Rome. The conference was organized by the Department of Religious Studies of the H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, by the Transcarpathian V. Stefanyk National University and the State Foundation for Basic Research at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Ukrainian Association for Religious studies (UAR) with the support of the department for international relations of the city council of Rome, the Embassy of Ukraine at the Holy See, Holy See Nunciature in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese and UGCC Bishops in Rome.

On October 14, 2009, on the occasion of the holiday of the Holy Virgin in the chapel of the Annunciation of Vatican Radio there was offered the Holy Liturgy and the sermon was delivered by His Eminence Bishop Iriney Bilyk, OSBM. Father Vitaly Hrabatyn and father Vitaliy Pyrig assisted in the mass. The Apostle was sung by Roman Riznyak. Liturgical singing was done by the Sisters of the Order of Immaculate Virgin Mary.
We offer to your attention a recording of this Holy Mass, offered in the chapel of the Annunciation of Vatican Radio:
Sermon:

Praying program of the last day of the pilgrimage took place in the centre of the Ukrainian sanctuaries of Rome – in the Basilica of St. Sophia. It was the main objective consolidating all the pilgrims of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the three days.

Three days long Nationwide pilgrimage of Ukrainians to Basilica of St. Sophia in Rome began on October 9. The pilgrimage set out with the support and blessing of the Most blessed Patriarch Lyubomyr Huzar on the occasion of 40^th anniversary of the consecration of Basilica of St. Sophia in Rome, the 50^th anniversary of the consecration of the present Ukrainian Papal Institute of the Protective Veil in Rome (at that time Minor Seminary), the 65^th death anniversary of the God’s Servant Metropolitan Andrey and the 25^th death anniversary of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj.

At the Basilian monastery of St. Onufriy in Lavriv, Staryj Sambir, Lviv region, within the action «Plant paternal forest», there was solemnly planted an oak seedling grown from the acorn that Pope Benedict XVI ordained three years ago during the visit to Poland. Polish foresters presented the seedling to Lviv colleagues, and they brought it to Lavriv monastery. Bishop Iryney Bilyk, OSBM, canonic of the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Major participated in the ceremony of planting the oak of the Most Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.

Photos can be viewed here

For Vatican Radio, Konstantyn Chavaha