We welcome Fr. Vasyl’ Hoi, newly-appointed Administrator of Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Parish, Winnipeg. He will be assisted from time to time by His Excellency Bishop Andrew Rabiy. Both are well-known to us, as they have been invited by Fr. Michael many times to celebrate Divine Liturgy in our church, and we welcome them warmly!
Fr. Hoi was born in Perespa, near Sokal’, Ukraine (L’viv oblast). The son of a priest, he applied himself to studies in Sokal’, and later in a musical institute in L’viv. After serving in the army for a year, he entered the seminary, then nearing the end of his studies, married Nataliia Herij. He was ordained a priest on February 16, 2003 in Holy Trinity Sobor in the city of Drohobych by Bishop +Julian Voronovskyy.
16-го лютого 2003р. прийняв ієрейські свячення у катедральному Соборі Пресвятої Трійці м. Дрогобич, святитель Юліян Вороновський. His duties in Ukraine were plentiful: He was the head of the Eparchial Commission in Matters of Youth, as well as editor of the youth magazine “Z lyubovyu v svit” (Into the World with Love) for six years until 2009. He has also been parish administrator of parishes in Ukraine: Resurrection parish in Verkhniy Dorozhiv (Drohobych) from 2004-2006, and Entrance into the Temple of the Holy Mother of God parish in Opоry near Medenychi (along with some satellite parishes) from 2006 until leaving for Canada.
“Троє старших дітей володіють англійською мовою. Ми з дружиною почали вивчити англійську мову з репетитором та докладаємо багато зусиль, щоб якомога швидше нею оволодіти!” (The family has reserved Tuesday and Thursday evenings for a tutor to give them intensive English lessons.)
When he first wrote to our Metropolitan after the war in Ukraine broke out, he said this:
“Якщо на це Господня воля, та згода Церковної влади, моїм великим бажанням було би послужити нашим вірним у канаді.” (“If it be God’s will, and if our Church authorities agree, my great wish is to serve our faithful in Canada.”)
Fr. Hoi arrived in Canada August 11th 2022 and has been serving at St. Anne’s and St. Michael’s parishes here in Winnipeg since November 1 of that year. He has taken up residence in our parish rectory along with his wife Nataliia who, besides being a mother of 4 children, has a background in financial and administrative matters.
Their children are: Bohdan (2003), Mariia (2005), Solomiia (2008) and Yustyna (2017).
Please pray for Father Hoi and for all priests, that our faithful may indeed receive the love and spiritual care they need. Отже, щиросердечно вітаємо о. Василя та бажаємо їм сили, витривалості та Божого благословення у свому служінні Богові та людям, яких їм доручили.