In Odessa, the world's youngest cardinal prayed for those killed in the Russian Federation's attacks

On Sunday, July 19, Cardinal Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church visited Odesa. During his visit, he presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle and prayed for the deceased.

This was reported by an Intenta photojournalist from the scene.

Mykola Bychok is the head of the Melbourne Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia. He is currently considered the youngest cardinal in the world, and his visit to Odesa was a significant event for the local Greek Catholic community and believers in the southern region.

<picture></picture>Photo: Intent

During the liturgy, the cardinal prayed for the civilians who died as a result of the recent Russian attacks in the Odesa region, as well as for the Ukrainian military defending the country against Russian aggression.

In his prayer, he also asked for a just peace for Ukraine.

According to an Intent photojournalist, it was nearly impossible to approach the cardinal due to the large number of believers who had gathered both inside the church and on the street.

<picture></picture>Photo: Intent

What is known about the cardinal

Mykola Bychok was born on February 13, 1980, in Ternopil. In July 1997, he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, completing his monastic and theological training in Ukraine and Poland and earning a licentiate in pastoral theology.

On August 17, 2003, he took his perpetual vows, and on May 3, 2005, he was ordained a priest. As a priest, Bychok performed various pastoral duties: he led the Redemptorist monastery and a parish in Ivano-Frankivsk, and served as provincial treasurer. Since 2015, he has served at St. John the Baptist Parish in Newark (USA) as part of the Philadelphia Archdiocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

On January 15, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him the new eparch of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne (UGC, Australia). His episcopal consecration took place on June 7, 2020, at St. George’s Archcathedral in Lviv, with His Beatitude Sviatoslav presiding as the principal consecrator.

Ірина Глухова