Ukrainians move into Farm Street after Cathedral ceiling collapses

The Jesuits of Farm Street in central London have come to the rescue of their Byzantine neighbours, after the ceiling of their church in Duke Street collapsed.  From Sunday, 26 August, the 1000-strong congregation of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile - just off Oxford Street - will be temporarily worshipping at the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception in Farm Street.

The two churches belong to the same cluster of parishes (known as a deanery), but their styles of worship are quite different.  The main Eucharistic service of the Byzantine rite is the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, which dates back to the 4th century and includes much ritual alongside hymns, prayers and readings.  While repairs to the Ukrainian Cathedral ceiling are taking place, this service will be held at 1.45pm at Farm Street Church each Sunday.

The parish priest at Farm Street, Father William Pearsall SJ, says it will be a pleasure to welcome their neighbours, even though it might be a bit of a squeeze. 'Our capacity isn't as great as the Ukrainian Cathedral, and we have only limited facilities, so there are going to be some interesting logistics.  But this is the least we can do to help out our fellow Catholics at this time of crisis.'

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a Church of the Byzantine rite and is the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches.  It is a full member of the Catholic Church and acknowledges the spiritual and jurisdictional authority of the Pope of Rome.

The Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in Duke Street was originally a Congregational chapel, designed by Alfred Waterhouse and built in 1891.  In 1967, it was acquired by the Catholic Church and converted into the Cathedral for the Ukrainian Catholic community.  It contains a wealth of interior features such as a circular auditorium with a dome covered in stars covered dome and a beautiful icon screen created by the Ukrainian monk, Juvenalij Mokrytsky.

The Divine Liturgy on 26 August will be led by Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky OSBM (the Order of St Basil the Great), the former Exarch of the Ukrainian Catholics in Britain, who is now the Bishop of the Eparchy (Diocese) of Stamford, Connecticut, USA.  He will be assisted by Fr Benjamin Lysykanych, the Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Britain.

Note: In Eastern Christendom an exarch is a bishop who holds a place between that of patriarch and that of ordinary metropolitan.  Source: Catholic Encyclopaedia.


 Farm Street Church

 Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

 Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Great Britain (Wikipedia)