Minutes of the meeting

1.         of the Basilian fathers of Pidhirtsi monastery;

2.         of the participants in spiritual retreat ;

3.         of Pidhirtsi’ parishioners.

As to the events that took place in the monastery: On Friday 30th July 2004 a spiritual retreat for married couples started and was to end on 7th August 2004. This spiritual retreat was arranged already since February 2004 in order that participants could plan their holiday.

On Sunday 1st August 2004 at 4 pm to the monastery arrived Basilian fathers from the Province: Provincial Superior Hryhoryi Hrynkiv OSBM, Provincial Protocounsellor P. Klement Stasiv OSBM and General Counsellor P. Genezіy Viomar OSBM. After being welcomed by the local fathers, they suggested a talk with the Superior Fr. Roman Shelepko OSBM. To the request that Fr. Eliáš Dohnal OSBM was present at the talk, the Provincial Superior replied in a negative way and did not want to permit it trying to turn Fr. Eliáš out of doors. A sharp exchange of opinions took place. Neither the Provincial Superior nor anyone of those who arrived along with him did present a single argument which would explain their way of behaviour. We asked them for reasonable settlement of situation on the basis of our Constitution OSBM and CCEO. However, we did not get a positive answer.

The aim of the visit was to change the superior of the monastery and to dissolve monastic community without any previous announcement and without official documents. They did not even announce to what monastery we should move. During the General Assembly in Rome, on 4th July 2004, the community of our monastery turned to the Assembly with a request for establishment of the monastery sui iuris. On 16th July 2004, we sent the same request to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, which was legally grounded on can. 544 §1,3-4; 545 §1-3 CCEO. Legally it holds true that until there is given official reply, whatever decisions concerning future of our religious community are suspended. Here, the so-called recourse is in effect. In spite of being aware of this fact, the superiors acted in defiance of the law.

During argument P. Hryhoryi was several times going out and phoning to other monasteries. After one hour, when we came to the hall, there were already bags with personal belongings of P. Damian Kicha, br. Antoniy and br. Zakharia. The Provincial Superior along with brothers were singing vespers and when the retreat participants asked why there were no lectures, P. Klement replied that this was interior matters of the religious order. At 19 pm the parishioners came to evening Liturgy and in the hall a new quarrel arouse. P. Hryhoryi shouted out that all should go out. Parishioners, and especially Mr Yuriy Papa, deputy of the Regional Council, were asking for reasonable settlement of the situation, and saying that fathers should not had let themselves be overcome by emotions. The parishioners were bearing positive testimony to the missionary and parish work of our community; they were speaking about the fruits of spiritual retreat, about the power of common prayer of prayer groups in the parish. In that time, however, there were arriving other priests and brothers from other monasteries: from Zolochiv, Lvov, Bryukhovychi; about 20 persons. Monastery was locked at the instigation of the Superior of the monastery – Fr. Roman. When religious who arrived along with their superiors – (Mikhailo Luchkiv, Makariy Leniv, Martin Khaburskyi, Klement Stasiv) saw that monastery had been locked on all sides, they wanted quickly to get to the main entrance. On their way they were pushing and kicking people who were defending the monastery door. Religious priests Makariy Leniv and Mikhailo Luchkiv were drunk and were offending people by abusive language (P. Makaryi behaved very roughly to Ms Kateryna Kavalec). Religious priest Damian Kastran was shouting at people that he had found the retreat house here and that he would close it down, too. Religious priest Martin Khaburskyi was shouting that the retreat house was his own. At that time heavy rain started. When they saw that they were not able to drive us away from the monastery by force and having no arguments for justification of their acts before people who gathered here they left about 10 pm.