November 1, 2024 will mark the 80th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky (1865-1944). The famed Eastern Catholic churchman, who served as ethnarch of his people in present-day Western Ukraine for 44 years, survived three-years of Tsarist imprisonment as well as occupation under six different governments. The Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto is organizing an international conference to analyze Sheptytsky’s legacy. October 31 and November 1 are the dates of the academic gathering taking place in Muzzo Family Alumni Hall. The building is located at 121 St. Joseph Street, Toronto.
Sheptytsky’s leadership in various fields has been lauded for decades. In 2015, Pope Francis declared him “venerable,” a step towards canonization. Two years ago, Russia’s war against Ukraine inspired the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church to issue a Pastoral Letter calling on the faithful to develop a special devotion to Sheptytsky.
The number of scholarly publications either devoted exclusively to his work, or which refer to his exemplary leadership, has multiplied significantly. Timothy Snyder, the renowned historian at Yale University, has written admiringly of Sheptytsky, and will speak at the Conference dinner. Snyder’s address is entitled “Exemplary Behavior during War.”
More than 30 other scholars will appear at the Conference. They hale from universities such as Notre Dame and Georgetown. Especially noteworthy will be the presence of specialists from Ukraine. The opening of archives in Ukraine and other parts of the former USSR and East bloc, not to mention the Vatican, has enabled scholars to nuance, deepen and challenge previous thought on Sheptytsky.
The conference proceedings will be published and become a “companion volume” to Paul R. Magocsi’s seminal Morality and Reality: The Life and Times of Andrei Sheptyts’kyi, publicized on Amazon as an “acclaimed classic reference work.”
Admission to the academic portion of the Conference is free, but registration is required. To register, e-mail quinton.peraltagreenough@mail.utoronto.caFor more information contact the Chair of the Organizing Committee: peter.galadza@utoronto.ca