A bridge between Poland and Ukraine
Catholic Action of Youth in Ukraine
The Catholic Association of Youth (Katolycke Towarystwo Molodi) of the Kamieniecko-Podolska Diocese was formally established on November 21, 2004 – on the Day of Christ King – as the first in Ukraine. The ceremony as well as the appointing of the Diocesan Church Councillor and approving the first Board and Regulations of KTM were carried out by bishop Leon Dubrawski in the cathedral in Kamieniec. The KTM Statutes and Regulations which he signed are the fruit of joint effort of Polish and Ukrainian individuals, including rev. Jacek Uliasz and Sylwia Weglinska (instructor). The first 16 young people from 8 parishes took an oath before their bishop. The KTM ceremony was attended by 5 representatives of the Diocesan Board of KSM (Catholic Youth Association) from Sandomierz; they brought greetings from the FIAC.

The beginnings of the KTM in Ukraine date back to the year 2000. At that time, a group of KSM youth from the Sandomierz Diocese who had been participating in organising aid for children from the orphanage in Zalucz (near Sniatyn) since 1999, initiated the creation of a KTM unit in the Zablotów parish (Lviv Diocese). Thanks to their participation (“Lovers of Good”), the living conditions of the children improved, and a reliquary was funded; the relics of Father Pio were brought on April 25, 2004. The reliquary was sanctified by bishop Leon Dubrawski during a Holy Mass for the participants of a KTM training course in Gródek Podolski.
The camps and training courses (Jasinia, Jalowiec, Skole, Smotrycz, Letyczów and Gródek Podolski three times, around 300 people in all) organised since May 2001 brought the desired fruit. The students from the Priests’ Seminary in Gródek joined the work. Just like the senior students from the Kiev and Lviv’s seminaries, they participated in a training course preparing them for work as Church Couincillors to the KTM.

It should also be mentioned that the KSM youth representatives, who were working there in a missionary spirit, made a gift consisting of books as well as formation and KTM know-how materials. The staff was composed of Sylwia Weglinska (instructor), Lucyna Kaldon, Jadwiga Zynwala, Stanislaw Zynwala, Tadeusz Kopacz (instructor), Roman Bielecki and rev. Jacek Uliasz.
At the present moment the KTM of the Kamienicko-Podolska Diocese consists of 33 members and around 50 candidates from 8 parishes. Their current task consists in the apostolic propagation of Catholic Action ideas within their diocese and the whole of Ukraine. It is currently going to be possible to approve and legally establish the Association in all the dioceses in Ukraine, on the basis of KTM statute which was earlier prepared in accordance with the KTM formation programme and accepted by the Ukrainian Episcopate.
Jadwiga Zynwala


KSM, KTM and...

Interview with rev. Jacek Uliasz, the Church Councillor for the Sandomierska Diocese KSM, prefect and a lecturer at Priests’ Seminary in Gródek Podolski in Ukraine.

- Since 2002 you have been working as lecturer and since 2003 also as prefect in the Priests’ Seminary of the Kamienicko-Podolska Diocese. How did this ‘adventure’ begin?
- I have always had a sentiment for the East and it has always been emotionally close to me. I visited Ukraine for the first time in 1986; in 1991, together with 11 friends from the Przemysl Seminary, I had my deacon’s practice there. These bonds were cherished later on. In 1999 I went there with a group of young people to start organising aid for the children in the orphanage in Zalucz. We also set out to initiate the KTM, following the KSM spirit. This was followed by an unexpected offer to teach fundamental theology in the Seminary and at the Institute of Region Sciences in Gródek, as well as to work as prefect since 2003.

- Is the KTM which you initiated capable of propagating and deepening faith in Ukraine?
- KTM is an opportunity given by the Holy Spirit for the Church. The young people in Ukraine are open to the variety of pastoral form and therefore there are always individuals who will be engaged in creating the association. At this moment the established KTM is beginning to develop and is making itself known by the Church in Ukraine as something both obvious and necessary.

- How can we, Poles, help the people and Church in Ukraine?
- The East is calling and will continue to call even more strongly not only for the help of priests but also lay people. As an example of this we may recall the involvement of the Sandomierz Diocese’s KSM in content-related, material and spiritual help for children from the orphanage in Zalucz and in creating the KTM. In this way the young Poles are living up to their missionary challenge, for which we should be grateful to them.

- Thank you for the conversation.
Jadwiga Zynwala

Translated by Marek Kuczynski