I, Michailo Osidach, born 1st September 1930, hereby affirm that in the time of illegality on 6th September 1989 I was consecrated bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church by the Metropolitan Volodymyr Sternyuk and Bishop Phylymon Kurchaba. The consecration took place in Lvov, in the apartment of the mentioned Metropolitan in 30 Tchkalova Street.

Present at the consecration were the priest Mykola Tsaryk and the religious sister Antonia from the Congregation of St. Vincent.

The reason for my consecration:

At that time an Orthodox priest, Fr. Volodymyr, tried to establish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. He came to me and proposed that I could receive episcopal consecration and thus become the Metropolitan of this Autocephalous Church. I told him that I am Catholic-minded. He replied: “What does Rome or Moscow matter to you? Now is the time to establish the Autocephalous Church.” Fr. Volodymyr was actually seeking a celibate priest who had certain moral authority to become the Metropolitan of this Church. I suggested to him that he should go and consult the UGCC Metropolitan V. Sternyuk. When he presented his plan to him, Metropolitan V. Sternyuk said to him: “But we ourselves are seeking personalities suitable for episcopal service.” When the group of Fr. Volodymyr visited me a few times more afterwards and insisted that I become the Metropolitan of the Autocephalous Church, Metropolitan V. Sternyuk called me and along with Bishop P. Kurchaba they consecrated me Greek-Catholic bishop. Fr. Volodymyr and the group that wanted to establish the Autocephalous Church got angry about that. Fr. Volodymyr then resolved that he would become the head of the Autocephalous Church himself. First he let himself be ordained as archimandrite and later consecrated as bishop. He promised to send his wife to a monastery. He even did so; then he chose the name Jarema and became Head of the Autocephalous Church in Ukraine.

After coming out from illegality I first taught in Krechiv and then in the seminary in Rudno. After some time I had to stop teaching because I’d had a heart attack. I did not apply for admission into the Bishops’ Synod on the one hand owing to my health and on the other hand because I was frustrated at the intrigues and tensions which at the time were among the bishops. As a doctor I helped people who visited me in my house and I do so till nowadays. In 1995 Metropolitan V. Sternyuk presented me with a crozier which I use occasionally. After the death of Metropolitan V. Sternyuk and Bishop P. Kurchaba I was called up by Cardinal M. Lubachivskyi (former Head of UGCC) who asked me why I did not work publicly within the Bishops’ Synod. He offered to send me to Eastern Ukraine and thus to incorporate me in the Bishops’ Synod. By reason of my advanced age and broken health (I had another heart attack) I declined the offer.

A lot of priests were acquainted with my episcopal consecration and after the year 2000 I began to be visited by those of them who in their heart are faithful to the Holy Father. These seek moral help with me because of being exposed to an anti-Catholic pressure on the part of the Bishops’ Synod. By this letter I attest my episcopal consecration which took place on 6th September 1989 in Lvov.

+ Kir Michailo Osidach

Zhovkva 13th February 2008