Symeon Lukach

Blessed Symeon Lukach (Ukrainian: Симеон Лукач; 7 July 1893 - 22 August 1964) was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishop and martyr.

Lukach was born in the village of Starunya, Stanislaviv Region. His parents were peasant farmers.[1] He entered the seminary in 1913. His studies were interrupted for two years during World War I, he finished in 1919.[2] In that year he was ordained a priest by Bishop Hryhory Khomyshyn.[1] He taught moral theology at the seminary in Stanislaviv until April 1945 when Khomyshyn ordained him a bishop.[1][2]

He was first arrested on 26 October 1949 by the NKVD and deported to Siberia for ten years hard labor.[2][3] After serving half his sentence, he was released on 11 February 1955.[3] After this, he served as an underground member of the clergy.[1] In July 1962 he was arrested for a second time. He appeared in court with Bishop Ivan Sleziuk who was also an underground bishop.[1] He was sentenced to five more years of labor. While he was in prison, he developed tuberculosis.[2] He was released back to his village where he died on 22 August 1964.[3]

He was beatified on 27 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Biographies of twenty five Greek-Catholic Servants of God at the website of the Vatican
  2. 1 2 3 4 'Beatification of the Servants of God on June 27, 2001 at the website of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
  3. 1 2 3 Alan Butler, Paul Burns. Butler's lives of the saints. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. p80


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