Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Bishop Mykola Bychok in Toronto: “It is in the family that hope is born, faith is formed, and love is nurtured”
September 12, 2025
On Thursday, September 11, Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne, who is currently visiting Canada, took part in the First Annual Eparchial Appeal Dinner organised by Bishop Bryan Bayda in Toronto.
The event, which aimed to raise funds for the opening of the Family and Life office — a new project designed to support Ukrainian families experiencing hardships due to war and emigration — brought together nearly 500 people, including numerous representatives of the clergy and community. Among those present were cardinals from the Archdiocese of Toronto, Cardinal Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, and Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop Emeritus.
Bishop Mykola had the opportunity to deliver a speech in which he reflected on the dignity and mission of the Christian family — in light of our faith, our history, and our painful present. He reminded the audience that “the family is not just a ‘centre of formation’ but a source of Christian tradition and spiritual continuity between generations. It is in the family that a person first discovers God, learns to pray, and learns to respect their neighbours, their native land, and their Church.”
The bishop recalled the tragic history of Ukrainian families under totalitarianism: “I remember those times myself. I spent the first 11 years of my life in the Soviet Union. Priests and bishops served secretly, under constant threat of arrest. Families gathered around radio sets to listen to the broadcast of the liturgy from the Vatican. In their homes, they set up improvised altars, dressed in their Sunday best, and prayed together, despite the risk. The family became the last bastion of faith. It was in homes that faith was passed on from parents to children. It was grandmothers and mothers, often without any theological education, who became apostles of the Gospel for their families.”
In his address, Cardinal Bychok also shared insights from this year’s Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which took place in Rome under the theme “Pastoral Care of Families in Conditions of War”. He emphasised that the war has struck at the very heart of Ukrainian society — the family — and that countless families today are divided by the frontlines and emigration. The Church is seeking ways to provide spiritual, psychological, and material support to families. “Today, every Ukrainian family is a suffering family,” he said. “But it is in the family that hope is born, … faith is formed, and love is nurtured.”
At the end of his address, Bishop Mykola called on all those present to show solidarity and to pray: “I urge you all: do not stand aside. Pray for peace and for the families who bear the heaviest burdens of war. Support those who need help. Work for justice and unity. The future of Ukraine and of every family depends on our common faith, our prayers, and our actions.”
Photo: Lu Taskey
