New Basilica in Ukraine Honors Martyred Bishop Simeon Lukach

On August 22, thousands of pilgrims gathered in the village of Starun, western Ukraine, for the blessing of a new basilica dedicated to Blessed Bishop Simeon Lukach, one of the most revered martyrs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The solemn liturgy was presided over by Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family in London, with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych and more than twenty bishops concelebrating.

According to Zenit, the basilica was not only consecrated as a sacred space but also entrusted to the intercession of Blessed Simeon, whose steadfast witness during decades of Soviet persecution continues to inspire Ukrainian Catholics today. Arrested and imprisoned for his fidelity to Rome, Lukach endured suffering and illness in prison until his death in 1964. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2001, and devotion to him has steadily grown, especially in his native region.

For Archbishop Shevchuk, the new basilica is a visible sign of the Church’s resilience: “Once forced underground, today the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church raises sanctuaries of light even in the midst of war.” Bishop Nowakowski echoed the same hope: “Blessed Simeon is a living inspiration for us. Prayer, deep faith in God, and unity with Peter sustained our people through the clandestine years. That same witness sustains us now.”

The date of the celebration carried deep symbolic weight. On that same day, Pope Leo XIV had called the entire Church to fasting and prayer for peace, explicitly remembering both Ukraine and Gaza. The Pope’s appeal was felt keenly in Starun, where soldiers attended the liturgy in uniform and families displaced by the Russian invasion joined the prayers.

As Zenit reported, the basilica already stands as a sanctuary of healing and intercession. Rising from soil watered by the tears of martyrs, it reminds the faithful that the Church’s wounds, though deep, are also sources of hope. One priest, watching pilgrims kneel in silence, captured the mood in a single line: “From the blood of martyrs, new life comes.”