Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Bishop Mykola to the members of the CYM in Buxton: “We remember all those who are fighting for independence at this very moment”
December 30, 2024
On Saturday, December 28, Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok and the clergy of the Melbourne Eparchy participated in the opening ceremony of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) Australia summer camp dedicated to the 100th anniversary of CYM worldwide and the 75th anniversary of the organisation in Australia.
On this day, CYM members and numerous guests from Melbourne and Geelong visited the CYM camp “Karpaty” in Buxton, Victoria. Bishop Mykola led the Divine Liturgy, during which he was concelebrated by Fr. Iurii Tychenok, the principal chaplain for CYM; Fr. Ruslan Babii from Ardeer; and Fr. Vasyl Motrichenko from Melbourne.
In his homily, Bishop Mykola called on those present to thank God for the gifts we receive in life. “We read about ten lepers. Ten came to Jesus with both a request and a prayer: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’ And the Lord listened to their prayer. The Lord healed them. However, only one of them returned and thanked the Lord for his gift, for this gift of healing. Today, with this Divine Liturgy, we begin the great celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of CYM in the world and the 75th anniversary of its founding here in Australia. This is a special opportunity to thank God,” the bishop emphasised.
The bishop recalled the history of the founding of the CYM, which began with the activities of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine, when “a few young men and women gathered to do everything to help Ukraine. For its liberation, for its freedom, for every Ukrainian to feel free and independent. Today is a very symbolic day, because we thank God for those CYM members who were there and for those who are here today.”
A special moment was the mention of those members of the CYM who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Ukraine. “There is a separate paper on our throne. On it are written the names of 11 CYM members who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine. Those who were not afraid to give the most valuable thing—their lives. Today, as a sign of gratitude, we also remember them in our prayers. We remember all those who are fighting for independence right now. Those who are at the front, those who are wounded, those who are missing. Many civilians who are suffering a lot from this terrible war,” Bishop Mykola emphasised.
After the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was held for all members of the CYM who died defending Ukraine from Russian aggression. During the memorial service, young CYM members held up portraits of each of the 11 fallen, honouring their feat in the struggle for freedom and independence of the Motherland.
This solemnity was certainly a clear indication that CYM in Australia is growing, developing, and passing on the values of “God and Ukraine” to the next generations.
