“Ukraine lives where there is at least one Ukrainian, and God is where there is a soul with hope, kindness, and faith.” Fr. Ihor Holovko

Today, on the Feast of the Descending of the Holy Spirit, when we end our ten-day journey through the Missionary Decade, Father Ihor Holovko, Synkellos for Clergy of the Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, Administrator of the parish of St. John the Baptist in Perth, Western Australia, tells about his vision of the missionary nature of the Church, about service in Australia, and about his own experience of missionary activity.

— Father Ihor, please tell us how you got to Australia.

— I was born in Volyn and grew up in Lviv. After graduating from the Lviv Theological Seminary of the Holy Spirit, I worked in the Catechetical Commission of the Lviv Archeparchy, assisted in the Patriarchal Commission on Youth Affairs, and was the first cantor in the Church of the Holy Eucharist in Lviv. Bishop Petro Stasiuk, at that time the ruling bishop of the Melbourne Eparchy, was the Chairman of the Youth and Catechetical Synodal Commission. Therefore, our paths often crossed when he came to Ukraine. That’s how I got to know Bishop Peter, and after some time, he suggested to me whether I would like to come to serve in Australia, but forever. That is, his condition was that if I came, it would be permanent. Of course, it was not easy to make such a decision, but I trusted God. And on December 1, 1999, my wife and I and another priest and his family, Fr. Taras Gorpynyak, flew to Australia.

— So Australia was your first place of ministry?

— Yes. I was ordained in Ukraine, in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Drohobych, by Bishop Julian Voronovskyy, but for the Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.

— What does your ministry look like now?

— I am now in my eighth year as an administrator of St. John the Baptist Parish in Perth, Western Australia, as well as a Synkellos for Clergy. The peculiarity of our Eparchy in Australia is that, due to the size of this country, priests are mostly scattered over long distances. But we do not dramatise it. We are probably already used to the fact that when you plan a trip or visit someone, you have to go far. So, the Synkellos for Clergy is at a distance of 3,500 km from the eparchy’s centre, which is in Melbourne, and the nearest neighbouring parish is in Adelaide at a distance of 2,700 km. But, thank God, thanks to modern means of communication and the Internet, we remain close to each other.

Fr. Ihor with parishioners in Perth, Western Australia

— Today we conclude the Missionary Decade. What does missionary work mean for you, as a priest, in the modern Church?

— First of all, we have understand that it is an evangelistic activity. And the territories where the church carries out this evangelistic activity were also called “missions”. What does it mean to be missional? In my opinion, this means that the priest must be ready to reveal to people the treasure of connection with God, which is already embedded in us. Perhaps a person does not even know about it, but the priest must help him find the way to God. First of all, show that God is with you, walks with you, and wants to be with you always. And a person should, accordingly, be in this, strive in this, and understand that life is from God and goes to Him. A priest or a missionary should reveal these main points to people on missions. It can be an example, a posture, or a general willingness to be with people. Of course, we dream that our churches are full. The priest is happy about that; it’s very natural, but you have to be happy, even when you just meet people on the street, for coffee, etc.; you just have to go to people.

— Is there a difference between a parish priest and a missionary?

— I think there should be no difference. It exists, but in the 21 st century, as I said, there should be no difference. Then he will be both a successful parish priest and a successful missionary. Because today there is such a challenge that we have to be missionaries even in the parish. Even if we have a big church and a thousand people come to the Divine Liturgy, the challenges are great because the world offers different alternatives so much faster and more diversely, among which people often get lost. And we see that parish life also requires being a missionary. It means being creative, open, simple, and ready to serve at any moment, 24 hours a day.

— If compared with Ukrainian parishes and parish priests, does a priest in Australia automatically become a missionary, at least because of the long distances between the faithful?

— In Australia, circumstances really require us to be missional. In our Eparchy, there are parishes, each of which has its own priest-administrator, but there are also missions — places where there is no permanent church or priest — that are looked after by the same parish priests. However, now, when I look at Ukraine and talk to priests from Ukraine, I believe that wherever we are, in Australia or in Ukraine, the 21 st century requires priests to be missionaries. Missionaries even for their parishes. Because this is a time when we are simply fighting for every soul.

— So now it is not enough just to be a parish priest?

— I think that it was always in the nature of the church that the priest had to be a missionary all the time. If you look at the history and lives of the saints, it has always been, is, and will be. There is no difference between a person who lived 2000 years ago, 1150 years ago, and so on. We are the same people and have the same challenges. Reading the pastoral letters of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi, we do not see a big difference between people and challenges. The only obvious difference is that we now have phones, cars, and the Internet. These are the things that speed up the pace of our lives. This means that before, we could react gradually, but today we have to react quickly. But the goal, the salvation of the human race, is the same, and evangelisation, as a tool to achieve this goal, is also the same. Therefore, missionary work is one of the tools of service for both the parish priest and the missionary. Therefore, I would not make a big difference between a parish priest and a missionary. But, of course, in the church, we all have different gifts. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the Epistle to the Romans: “For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:4–8). And that should be respected. Some are better at missionary work, and some are worse. But it cannot be said that he is completely incapable of the mission. Because who is the first missionary? Jesus Christ! He is with you. He does your business, not you. You just follow him.

The Resurrection of Christ in Darwin

— For several years, you have been taking care of the community of Ukrainian Catholics in Darwin, in the north of Australia. Although the Northern Territory of Australia borders the state of Western Australia, where you carry your ministry, the distance between Perth and Darwin is quite large — more than 4,000 km. How was this community established in Darwin, and what is your role in this story?

— Darwin is a young Mission. I went to Darwin for the first time in 2018. But even earlier, Father Dmytro Seniv used to come there, as young people used to go to Darwin for work or on business trips, and some of them stayed there to this day. It was probably more than 30 years ago. I always dreamed that maybe one day I would go there. If there are Ukrainians there, then we should look for them.

Several years ago, in Perth, where I serve, a man came to my parishioners. He himself is from Lviv but lives in Darwin, their friend. And he came to the church in national clothes — such a real Ukrainian. After the liturgy, I approached him and greeted him. That’s how we met and talked, and I promised him that I would visit Darwin. Of course, we exchanged contacts. So I decided to go to Darwin if our people were there, either at Christmas or at Easter. The first contacts were made through Facebook. So I found another woman who also lived in Darwin, and later two other people my age who worked in Darwin. At that time, I was already in contact with 5–6 people through the Internet. This was enough for me, and that’s why I decided to fly to them on Easter according to the Gregorian calendar. If even one person wants a priest to come to them, then I go, and here I found 5–6 people, so I went.

— How was your first mission trip to Darwin?

— Six people gathered for the Divine Liturgy: three Ukrainians, two natives of India, Catholics of the Eastern Rite, and the administrator of the Cathedral Church in Darwin, who helped me a lot with the organisation and during the liturgy. Everything was surprisingly beautiful and sweet, and on the one hand, there was great joy because we were able, according to the words of Jesus Christ, “Go to the crossroads and call everyone you find,” to gather people and organise the liturgy, but… we gathered “just” six people. You can imagine that there were only six of us in the great cathedral, where thousands of people could pray at the same time, but I did not despair.

— What is the current situation in Darwin?

— You know, everything is gradually going in the right direction. It is possible to establish contact with Ukrainians living there. When I first called people in 2018, the conversation felt a bit forced. I dragged out that conversation, but not much, just like this: hello, hello, how are you, and so on. Over time, today, it can already be a very casual, pleasant, and necessary conversation. This is how relationships are built. I still don’t even have a guarantee that they will come to church next time. But I can already call them, talk to them, ask how they are doing, and visit them. And they even already promise that they will come to church. This is already good. This year, in January, we organised a Christmas Eve. Our bishop, Mykola Bychok, also came to Darwin. 35 people gathered at the joint Christmas Eve, and 25 people gathered at the Divine Liturgy the next day. It is something for the mission. It’s fine. Recently, I was in Darwin. We gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ according to the Julian calendar, and there were also over 20 people at the Divine Liturgy. So, the community in Darwin is slowly developing and growing.

— As far as I know, the Ukrainian Catholics in Darwin do not have their own church. Where do you gather and conduct the prayer service?

— Yes, indeed, neither our Mission in New Zealand nor the Mission in Darwin have their own churches. We serve in Roman Catholic churches, where we are gladly greeted, invited, and helped. It is very touching and pleasant. I thank God that I am a Catholic priest. I am happy because I clearly see this brotherhood, this spirit of Catholicism, and this universality. I feel like a member of a big family. As a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, I am always well greeted by my brothers Roman Catholics, wherever I am. It makes our ministry so much easier. It was the same with our Church when Ukrainians first came to Australia. Many thanks to the Catholic Church in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania for this openness and help.

A pastoral visit to New Zealand

— Father, in January—February of this year, you were on a pastoral visit to another mission centre of the Melbourne Eparchy, namely in New Zealand. What impressed you the most there?

— New Zealand opened up to me in such wonderful, lightning-fast moments. I was in New Zealand in 2005, on the North Island. In 2023, last year, on the South Island. And this time I went all over New Zealand, from end to end. I did not even think that it would be like this, but the Lord worked in everything. We had to expand our journey and adapt it to our needs. As soon as I got the opportunity to make contact with anyone, I tried to visit that person immediately. We don’t necessarily talk about catechism or religion with them, but it can simply be a conversation between a person with a person or a priest with a family. And you know, what struck me the most in New Zealand is the openness of our people. After all, there is no priest here; they are the furthest from our pastoral care, but they are ready at the slightest opportunity to grab it and be happy. People are grateful that the priest came once a year; they are grateful that the Church remembers and cares for them and prays for them. They do not require much; they agree to any minimum visit, even a telephone conversation. They appreciate even the smallest spiritual grain, and they know that the Lord is there.

— Among such interesting moments, we met one man, a New Zealander who lives closer to Hamilton; he calls the Russian embassy every week and says, “Get out of Ukraine.” That’s how he should clearly call them once a week and say so. The other meeting: the woman is Ukrainian, and the man is a New Zealander, a Ukrainian patriot, writing a scientific dissertation on the national revival of Ukrainians against the background of revolutions and military events of the 20^th and 21 st centuries. Another meeting: the South, on the edge of New Zealand. She is Ukrainian from Kyiv, he is Dutch, and they have their own hotel. We arrive and see three flags: New Zealand, Ukrainian, and Dutch. They have dumplings for lunch on the menu. That is, the end of the world; that’s all here; the world has ended; there is no more world here — the Antarctic, the wild ocean. And we see: Ukraine lives where there is at least one Ukrainian, and God is where there is a soul with hope, kindness, and faith.

— Thank you for sharing these incredible stories. You were in New Zealand, constantly taking care of Darwin. Is there a difference between these Missions?

— Yes, the difference between New Zealand and Darwin is that in New Zealand there is already a certain history of the mission of our Church, there is a certain persistence. In New Zealand, our people already know that they are the Mission. When, for example, you go to South Africa, to Darwin, they don’t even know that it can be a Mission. You only reveal to them that the priest can come to them. They did not even expect this and did not know that such a thing was possible.

— You mentioned South Africa. Tell us a little more about this mission trip.

— I was already in Perth at the parish. It was probably the first or second year of my ministry in Perth. It started like this: it was Easter, and after the liturgy, we and our neighbours had a joint lunch, a “spilne sviachene”. Then a man walks down the street and asks our parishioner about the service in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. By that time, services had ended in all churches because it was already noon. We invited him to our place for lunch. Then he said he was a doctor, came from South Africa, and was looking for a place to go to Easter services. That’s how we got to know him, and he told us that a Ukrainian community was founded in South Africa, where people gather together and help Ukraine together. It was after 2014, and the events in Ukraine became a certain incentive for Ukrainians all over the world to unite and help. Later, it turned out that we had mutual acquaintances. Then I contacted them, and they told me that they were going to write a letter to His Beatitude Sviatoslav so that a priest would come to them. Since I was just planning to go to Europe at that time and already knew those people, I volunteered to Bishop Yosyf Milyan, who was then the Head of the Pastoral and Migration Department of the UGCC. We resolved the organisational issues, and I flew to Kyiv and received the blessing of His Beatitude Sviatoslav for this trip. And that’s how I got to South Africa — a man was just walking down the street and looking for the Church…

Mission trip to South Africa

— If you had the choice now to be a parish priest or a missionary, what would you choose? Where do you see yourself more?

— You know, what I was talking about before, about how I got to Darwin, to South Africa, happens so often. It’s as if I didn’t choose a mission, but today it requires a priest to be a missionary, to be open, and to be ready to meet the Lord in any circumstances. Not only where we expect Him, but also to meet the Lord through such people who may be hearing about the Church and the priest for the first time. We do not know what their faith will be in the future. We cannot expect the result. We can only drink coffee with them, and maybe they will not even want to talk with us about faith, about God, as much as we would like to share. But it’s all in God’s hands. God does not accidentally bring this person to a meeting; he does not accidentally bring him to the church. I believe that there are no coincidences in life. The Lord knows the gifts with which He has endowed us, and therefore He sends us where we can best serve and use these gifts.

As for me, I can be a missionary in Perth. Wherever you are, you can be a missionary. For me, this is part of my ministry. My phone works 24 hours a day. I turn off the sound and leave my phone in the sacristy only during the Divine Liturgy. I am always ready to answer and serve people as a priest. My approach to people is the same whether I am on mission in Darwin, New Zealand, or Perth. I have the same attitude towards those people who are always in church and know how to sing troparies and kondaks, and towards those people who ask, “Who is Jesus Christ?” I am always open, ready to serve, help, or pray together. When I go on missions, I don’t become different. And when I come to Perth, I don’t become any different either.

I like to meet new people; this is a great value for me. New places and meeting new people are important to me, so maybe, because of my readiness for new things, it is not difficult for me to be in the role of a missionary priest.

— Father Ihor, I sincerely thank you for an interesting and meaningful conversation. Perhaps you would like to wish our readers something at the end?

— You can be very close, but be very far, and you can be very far, but be very close. Therefore, I want to say that, despite the fact that Australia is the farthest from Ukraine, remember that Australia is always there, and in particular, our entire Eparchy with New Zealand and Oceania is very close to Ukraine. We are very close to Ukraine, and we feel Ukraine is very close to us.

See also

September 27 A charity evening was held in Perth to support Ukrainian defenders August 17 Homily by Fr. Ihor Holovko on the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost July 25 Meeting with Ukrainian defenders in Perth