100 rokiv dlia Boga i...

A LIFE OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS
DEDICATED TO GOD,

UKRAINE AND ITS PEOPLE

Memoirs of Rev. Dmytro Blazejowskyj, PhD
and Rev. Ihor Kovalczuk, MA

Lviv
Svichado publishing

2021

1. Childhood and Youth – the Development
of National Consciousness in Father Dmytro

Blazejowskyj

Rev. Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj was born in the Lemko
mountain village of Vyslok Horishny, in a family blessed with
many children. His Motherland was the Lemko region, one
of Ukraine’s ethnic regions characterized by a unique, rich
folk culture. Many of the icons that were later produced by
Father Dmytro in embroidered images, came from this region –
Lemkivshchyna. The Blazejowskyj family had 10 children. Three
of them died; seven reached adulthood. There were four girls and
three boys. The three boys survived. The fourth was killed by
Polish border police, when he was trying to make his way home
from Czechoslovakia.

In the village of Vyslok Horishny there was a Ukrainian teacher
by the name of Kotysivna. The teacher noticed in young Dmytro
a quick-witted and inquiring boy, who loved to read books. She
gave him Shevchenko’s Kobzar – a book that has served to build
up and consolidate the national consciousness of many Ukrainians
and this became a national-ideal impetus for all his life! It
was the period of the emergence of his national consciousness.
In the opinion of Father Dmytro it was teachers, priests and
reading clubs, by encouraging school-aged children and adults
to read historical novels and, especially, the Kobzar, that instilled
a national consciousness in Ukrainians. He believed that books
read in childhood would remain imprinted in their memory for
their entire life.

Generally, the population of the Vyslok village did not
organize meetings in the village. The only exception were
services held in both village churches. Marriage ceremonies
and funerals were attended both by the older people and
the young, staying in the Church almost the entire night.
Resurrection was celebrated with the ringing of all the church
bells from early morning till evening. Nothing special ever

6

happened on the day of Kupalo; however, on St. Peter’s feast
all the shepherds, in small groups, held celebrations in the
fields while tending the cattle. During Christmas, only elder
carolers visited the houses collecting money for the needs of
the church. And afterwards, the priest with the cantor came
to bless the houses.

Young Dmytro wanted to move to Peremyshl’ to begin his
high school studies. So he asked his father and the parish priest
Rev. Kril’, for advice. Father Blazejowskyj writes in his memoirs:
“Fr. Kril’ gave me his support and discussed my wish with my
parents. They agreed to send me to school in Peremyshl’. Fr.
Kril’ accompanied me to Peremyshl’ and took care of all the
administrative matters regarding my matriculation in high school
and got me into the school for a term of three years. During
the fourth year I became a tutor, and no longer had to pay for
my education. I was fortunate enough to finish my studies with
honors”.

Fr. Blazejowskyj describes his Christian education in the
family: “I still remember the time, when all of us – father, mother
and all seven children – together went to church for the Holy
Liturgy every Sunday and all the feast days; how we all kneeled
before the holy icon on the wall and repeated all the daily prayers
starting with “God have mercy”. Mother explained the parts of
catechism relating to God’s and Church commandments, the truths
of faith, the holy mysteries, the main sins – all of which were
contained in the prayerbook. How could she know them, and when
had she learned them, has always been a mystery me as she did
not know how to read. However, she knew all the prayers by heart
and could recite them in the correct order. She taught us in this
practical manner by reciting the prayers. Whenever it happened
that I was late coming home, I was forced to kneel with her, and
recite the prayers I knew, and what I did not know, I recited with
her help. Otherwise, I was not allowed to go to bed. I think all
families should pray every evening before the icon, before going
to bed”.

7

Dmytro Blazejowskyj’s family. Vyslik, 1927

All Dmytro Blazejowskyj’s family. Vyslik
8

Father Dmytro remembers

an incident from his youth:

“In church, I stood behind the

cantor, and from time to time I

turned back to look at the book

with the music that the cantor

was using. My mother, who

was standing in the back of the

church, did not like my turning

back, and for this, she scolded

me at home. Next Sunday, when

I was ready to leave for church,

mother chided me again and told

me not to forget what she had

told me, and to behave properly

in church: to look at the altar,

and not turn back to the cantor.”

When Dmytro was still a Dmytro Blazejowskyj
boy he asked the priest one member of Plast, 1926
summer to organize a reading

club in the village. This is how

the “Prosvita” reading club came into existence in the village and

our education proceeded. Later, he and others, encouraged nearby

villages to create “Prosvita” clubs. Together with neighboring

villages they began to organize common cultural undertakings.

Young Dmytro decided to continue his studies at the Gdansk

Polytechnical Institute, where he planned to get a technical

education as an electrotechnician. After one year he decided to

leave Gdansk because it was too expensive to study there, and

went to Prague. He received a temporary permit to stay in Prague.

He enrolled in the German Polytechnical Institute in Prague,

and for the time being, made his own living arrangements. After

a year of studies he received a room in the German student

dormitory.

9

2. Studies in Rome

In 1933 Father Dmytro decided to make a pilgrimage to
Rome. In five minutes everything was decided: he would make
his pilgrimage on foot. In three days he reached Vienna. Here he
stayed for two days and then set out to Venice by way of Graz
and Klagenfurt.

Dmytro had no documents on him except his student
credentials. He crossed the border into Austria by using
secondary roads and crossing the Alps. Finally, he reached
Italy. During his travels he used the sun for orientation, going
south and mainly walking through fields. He slept in the open
air, under some trees or in a park. In order to save money, he
asked the local residents for food. Reaching the sea in Italy,
he suddenly heard a Ukrainian melody. This was Rome. Some
Ukrainian seminarians from St. Josaphat College met him
and invited him to join them. They gave him a nickname –
“Dmytro from nadlake”. His travel time to Rome lasted six
weeks. After a two week stay in Rome, he decided to return to
Prague. When he went to take leave from the spiritual director
of the seminary, Rev. Tyt Halushchynskyj, it was suggested to
him, instead of returning to his technical studies, to take up the
study of theology. Dmytro reacted without thinking, because he
was very impressed by Rome--- by its three- thousand- year-
old history and by the two millennia of the Roman clergy’s
work in the spreading and consolidation of Christianity in the
world. He was in awe of the many churches built in Rome
by the clergy. That was the beginning of his studies at the St.
Josaphat College.

At the seminary he organized a reading club which, in turn,
organized the celebration of some Ukrainian historical events and
several evenings of humor. Radios were not allowed. However,
the seminarians were allowed to buy food in the city as long as
they went in twos. No one was allowed to take vacation time
until priesthood was achieved and the studies were completed.

10

Seminarian. Rome, 1933

The students spent their vacations under the supervision of
the OSBM Fathers at the seminary’s Villa Andrea in Castel
Gandolfo which Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky had bought for
the seminarians and had donated to the College. It was located
close to the Pope’s residence. Sometimes the students travelled
together from Castel Gandolfo to the sea for a one-day excursion
and sometimes they went for a day-long cross-country walk, in
the surrounding area.

Among some of the events during his seminary days, Rev.
Dmytro recalls playing chess with the seminary rector. Sometimes
the rector liked to play chess and sometimes simply to observe
others playing it. One time I accidentally mentioned to some
students that during my study days in the Peremyshl’ high school
I had won first prize in a chess championship. Two years later
during one evening the rector almost forced me to play chess with
him. The game lasted from eight in the evening till three a.m. He
refused to let me go because I refused to let him win. After the
seventh loss, he hit the chess board with his hand so hard that the

11

Dmytro
Blazejowskyj
is the fourth
in the 3rd row

Pontifical Sem
12

minary of Saint Josaphat

13

Deacon’s ordination

Priestly ordination. Pontifical Seminary of Saint Josaphat
14

chess pieces flew all over the floor of the recreation room. After
this, he never played with students again. Perhaps, it was my fault,
my obstinacy that I did not allowed him to win.

Father Blazejowskyj used to say, “Life is a chess board and
I was able to achieve some success in life through planning.
However, through obstinacy in the game of life, I don’t know,
if I had to give up a lot. History is a chess game that cannot be
reversed. I almost always acted independently in my thinking
and planning. Should I have made changes in my life? It is
really hard to say and to envision what I would have achieved
by changing .”

On March 23, 1939, Father Dmytro was ordained. He finished
his theological studies at the Urbana University in Rome with
a Ph.D summa cum laude, in 1942, and got a second degree in
Church history from the Gregorianum in 1946, also cum laude.

Father Dmytro was interested in the Roman archives and the
thousands of documents kept there, particularly to those pertaining
to Ukrainian history and the history of our Kyivan Church. The
two most important items in the archives found in the Vatican were
the reports of the Polish Nuncios, and later, the Vienna Nuncios on
Ukrainian affairs. Other items of interest in the archives belonged
to the Congregation of Propaganda Fide which the Ukrainian
Greek Catholic Church was a part of, from 1622 till 1864.

During his studies in Rome Father Dmytro published his PhD
thesis on theology with funds received from the congregation
for serving holy liturgies. The title of his work was: “The Power
of Kyivan Metropolitans over Monks”. He partly reviewed the
acts pertaining to Ukrainian history in the archives, copied the
ordinary and extraordinary sessions of the Congregation for
the Propaganda Fide, where matters pertaining to the Kyivan
Universal Church were discussed, and made a description of
all Greek-Catholic parishes during the times of the Hajdamaky
uprising, based on reports of the Metropolitan and Bishops written
to the Apostolic Nuncio in Warsaw. Father Blazejowskyj asked
the publisher Herder, if he would be willing to publish them, and

15

The Liturgy after ordination
16

Herder agreed on condition that a half payment of the required
sum be paid in advance.

Later, Father Dmytro addressed Bishop Ivan Buchko, who at
the time lived on the premises of the Seminary and was in contact
with the Congregation for Eastern Churches, to vouch for him at
the Congregation for Eastern Churches, in order to help him out
with the publication of his works, and to give him permission to
remain at the St. Josaphat Seminary. This enabled him to finish
and publish his works on the Hajdamaky period. They included
a list of parishes that existed at that time until 1795. His doctoral
dissertation The Ukrainian and Armenian Seminaries in Lviv, was
written at the Jesuit University of Gregorianum at the faculty of
history.

Father Dmytro’s demands were rejected, implying that his
works were superfluous, not needed to anyone. There was also
a suggestion made that he leave Rome ASAP as he was needed
to serve in a pastoral capacity in some parish abroad. With not
much hope in finding understanding from Bishop Ivan Buchko,
Father Dmytro left Rome with the intent of performing his
pastoral duties in the USA, where there was a considerable
number of Ukrainian immigrants and a great need for priests.
He planned to earn some money and then return to the ”Eternal
City” in order to settle there, work as a scholar, and publish
his works. He took his PhD thesis on Ukrainian and Armenian
seminaries, with him and several reference works on Ukrainian
history together with several schematisms, which he hoped to
finish and publish in the USA.

17

3. Serving the Ukrainian Immigrants in the USA

Father Dmytro spent 27 years in the American states in the
West where there were no libraries or books on Ukrainian history.
Therefore, he was unable to finish and publish his scholarly
works. However, he was able to organize three parishes and one
missionary center and do much more.

After a conversation with Bishop Ivan Buchko, Father Dmytro
succeeded in securing an invitation from the Philadelphian Bishop,
Konstantyn Bohachevsky. He left Rome without any problems,
having received an ordinary personal document from the Red
Cross. At the New York harbor he was met by his aunt on his
mother’s side, who came to America as a young girl, and was
awaiting him at the pier.

The next day, in the morning, after having spent the night at her
apartment, he travelled to Philadelphia to present himself to the
Bishop and to receive his assignment. On his way to the Bishop
he entered the Cathedral, which had been acquired by the first
Ukrainian Bishop in the USA, Soter Ortynsky, OSBM and blessed
by Metropolitan Sheptytsky in 1910. He expressed his desire to
celebrate the Holy Liturgy. The administrator of the Cathedral,
Father Lazar, his friend from the St. Josaphat Seminary in Rome,
denied him his wish. The reason was simple: the Bishop demanded
that every priest had to secure his permission to celebrate the Holy
Liturgy in the Cathedral.

Father Dmytro visited the Chancery to meet with Bishop
Bohachevsky to discuss his assignment and destination, but the
Bishop did not meet with him. The Bishop’s secretary met him in
the corridor and told him to travel to Stamford, where he would
receive his instructions. The permission to celebrate the Holy
Liturgy in the Cathedral was not even mentioned. The first day
in the USA passed without the possibility of celebrating Holy
Mass, and that left Father Dmytro feeling disappointed. Next
day he travelled to Stamford where he received his pastoral
assignment to Ansonia, Connecticut. He was also allowed to

18

perform some work in the

Stamford seminary.

Life was not easy for

Father Dmytro: he had no

permanent place to stay

and his monthly salary

was only $50. Of that sum

$20.00 were regularly

sent to the Eparchy to

support the Seminary

and the missionary fund.

In the summer, when the

seminary was closed,

he worked privately as

a dishwasher at night

and swept floors to save

for his livelihood and

to realize his publishing

plans. Father Dr Dmytro

At the beginning of the Blazejowskyj

new school year, Father in pastoral work in the USA

Dmytro held a meeting

with Fathers Khrepta and Babak. Father Dmytro argued that

the Seminary was not offering the priesthood candidates a

good education, whether it be Ukrainian national or Ukrainian

ecclesiastical. Once they finish their studies in the Stamford

high school and College and go through their priestly ordination,

they will show no interest in the national or religious life of their

parishioners. Father Dmytro suggested that the Superiors and the

students discuss these facts and talk to the Rector of the Seminary,

His Excellency Bishop Senyshyn and even invite him to these

talks because if we continue in this way, westernmost Ukrainian

parish in the US. Father Dmytro understood right away that this

assignment was a punishment. The above-mentioned Superiors

decided together with Bishop Senyshyn to immediately travel to

19

Philadelphia, to get a new assignment for Father Dmytro, thus
immediately securing his removal from Stamford to a far-flung
parish in the West.

The parish was near a small American city, almost farmer-
like, which encompassed 28 Ukrainian families and was
separated by several hundred miles from the next closest
Ukrainian parish. Here, Father Dmytro tried to increase the size
of the parish with immigrants from Europe. As pastor of the St.
Joseph parish, Father Dmytro started out on his own without any
consultation or recommendation from the Bishop as to how to
serve the Ukrainian faithful in Omaha, Nebraska, where there
were 17 families, and in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he found
several more Ukrainian families. Father Dmytro helped to move
several families from Omaha to Denver, where it was easier to
find work, and Lincoln near Omaha became a daughter parish
of the Omaha parish.

Father Dmytro found it difficult to cater to the needs of all the
parishes; therefore, he asked for help from Philadelphia. He was
assigned Father Lazar, whom he had met on the first day of his
arrival to the US.

Father Dmytro immediately gave him his parish and then
moved to Omaha. He served the communities of Omaha, Lincoln
and Denver. In 1952 another priest came to help. It was Father
Stepan Sulyk, who later became the Metropolitan of Philadelphia.
Father Blazhejevsky left him his parish in Omaha and concentrated
his work on the parish in Denver. In 1953 Father Yaroslav
Swyshchuk arrived in Omaha, and as is attested by his comments,
he spoke respectfully of Father Dmytro and considered him a
worthy example to follow.

In 1955 Father Dmytro wrote to Philadelphia that the division
of the parishes of St. Joseph, Omaha and Denver was complete.
Father Pospishil admitted that Father Dmytro was an exceptional
priest. Other parish priests tried to keep the daughter parishes
as long as possible while Father Dmytro demanded to separate
them and organize them into independen parishes and he even

20

voluntarily renounced two
localities.

Father Dmytro Blaze­
jowskyj acquired a Greek
church for the Ukrainian
parish in Omaha and a
Protestant church in Denver.
In Omaha Father Dmytro
served the Holy Liturgy in a
hospital chapel and lived in
the hospital cellar. In Denver
he served in a Polish church
and stayed with the Polish
parish priest until he bought
a Protestant church. There
he slept in the sacristy for
five long years. Then when
Father Dmytro left, the parish
The First Eucharist, Denver bought a house for its new
married priest, Father Smal.
The churches acquired by Father Blazejowskyj were renovated
and were still in use for many years after Father Blazejowskyj
returned to Rome.
In 1958 Bishop Konstantyn Bohachevsky decided to reward
Father Dmytro for his organizational ability – his ability to create
and activate parishes in the West of the USA. He assigned him to
the parish of St. Nicholas, in Philadelphia, with a monthly salary
of $75.00.
He served the parish for one year, and then his fortune changed. In
1959, he was suddenly assigned to Houston, Texas, to a small parish
of 25 families, having no church, no premises and no prospects for
expansion. Immigration from Europe had already ceased.
This assignment has its own story. The Bishop requested Father
Dmytro to ask the Sisters to prepare the children for the first Holy
Communion. Father Dmytro replied that he would prepare the

21

Preparing for construction. Houston

The parish hall in Houston
22

The parish choir at the construction site of the church
in Houston

The parish hall in Houston
23

children himself. Therefore, it was not necessary to bother the
good Sisters. However, the Bishop insisted. Father Dmytro made
a phone call to the Sisters and asked them to prepare the children
for the first Holy Communion in Ukrainian. He asked whether they
had a Sister, who could speak Ukrainian and would be capable
of verifying their knowledge. If they did, then let her take over;
if not, they shouldn’t bother at all.

Next day, the Chancery called and informed Father Dmytro
about his new appointment in Houston, Texas, not far from the
Mexican border. He advised him to leave immediately and there,
near the Mexican border, “to build Ukraine”. Father Dmytro
accepted the assignment and went into action. He bought a lot,
and started, by himself, to dig the ground to erect a church. The
church was ready in one year and had a large recreational hall to
serve the needs of different social groups. This feat was achieved
without the help of an architect.

At the same time, Father Dmytro worked nights with idea
of eventually returning to Rome, sooner or later. He stayed in
Houston in his small parish for 13 years till 1973. Then he decided
to leave for Rome; this time for good. Without the architect’s
help, the priest built a church hall that initially served as a
church. In addition he built a separate church hall to rent, and also
accommodations for the priest.

Once the church was built, Father Dmytro slept in the choir
loft for two years until he built a parish house for the priest. It had
three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Bishop Gabro blessed the
house and commented that it was the best house suited for a priest
in his entire Chicago Eparchy. Somebody asked Father Dmytro,
“Why three toilets?” The priest’s reply was simple, “It has to
serve the needs of a married priest”. That was his attitude: always
thinking of others, and at the same time being very demanding
of himself. Now the parish house is being used by a priest from
Ivano-Frankivsk who lives there with his three daughters.

Father Dmytro built the Church, the hall and the house at his
own expense. He did not collect any money for this enterprise.

24

Father Blazejowskyj at work in Houston

During the day he worked for the Church, and at night, privately,
he washed dishes, swept and washed floors to make money to
be able to support himself the moment he returned to Rome. He
planned to publish there – what he had written and what he still
planned to write. He encouraged the parishioners to expand the
activities of the parish: to bring their children to the church for
religious instruction, to attend singing classes, to learn national
folk dancing, to organize poetry performances, and create a theater
group, as well as classes for Easter egg painting and embroidering.

While in the USA, Father Dmytro only took three vacations.
The first time he visited the countries of Latin America: Venezuela,
Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. On his second vacation,
he visited Athens, Egypt, Palestine, and Istanbul. His third trip
in 1968, took him to Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and
Prague. Houston, in fact, was 1,600 km away from the closest
Ukrainian parishes.

While still a student at the St. Josaphat Seminary in Rome,
Father Dmytro was the first to complete the driver’s courses with

25

The parish drama club in Houston

The community drama club of the Houston parish
26

the thought of getting a car in the future if he were to be working
in the USA. However, this dream was never realized because his
wages were too small. However, his friends from the Seminary,
who came to the USA after being ordained, were driving their
own cars.

In 1973 Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj said goodbye to Houston
and returned to Europe. However, before leaving, he asked the
OSBM Fathers in Canada to send him a priest for two weeks, to
avoid being accused of having left the parish unattended. Father
Solovij came to Houston and was surprised that I was leaving
a well organized parish with newly erected buildings, with no
debts to be paid. He left for Rome where he planned to finish
his works and to write more works, and to start embroidering
in order to spread the art of embroidering icons, images and
banners for churches and private homes among Ukrainians. He
left his entire library which he had collected in the USA in the
parish. He left an empty house, because everything that he had,
went to the poor.

Holding in one hand his essentials, and in the other his archival
works, he bought a one-way ticket to Rome with no plans to return.

Leaving the United States, Father Dmytro took with him some
beautiful and warm memories that gladdened his heart, especially,
his first Easter celebration as pastor in the St. Joseph parish in
Missouri, his last Easter in the Denver, Colorado, parish.

Father Dmytro, undoubtedly, strengthened the Ukrainian
Greek Catholic Church in the USA ensuring its growth and
consolidation. He organized three parishes – in Omaha, Denver
and Lincoln (Nebraska,) and on his own initiative erected three
parish buildings in Houston. Returning to Rome, he wrote 25
works on educating of the new generation. He began embroidering
icons and published 14 albums of examples of Ukrainian religious
embroidery in order to encourage people in Ukraine to embroider
icons, images and banners. On his own initiative he organized
a museum of embroidered icons, images and banners and an
exhibition hall in Lviv.

27

Through his own hard work with the help of some good people,
he succeeded in realizing his dreams. It was not easy. Father
Dmytro had no church pension and a very low state pension.
However, he was able to pay off everything. He left a publishing
company and a museum strengthened with a financial security
fund. He did what he could, to secure the future existence of his
dream.

In summary we can state that Father Dmytro was active:
in Ansonia, Connecticut in 1946-47; in the St. Joseph parish
in Missouri, 1947–1955; in Omaha, Lincoln, Nebraska, and
Denver, Colorado. In these states he organized three parishes.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he was active in the St. Nicholas
parish – 1950–1955. From 1959 – 1973 he was in Houson, Texas.

4. Back, in Rome

The last 36 years in Rome, Father Blazejowskyj lived the
life of a recluse, passing his days writing and embroidering. The
clergy in Rome were scattered and did not keep up an organized
social life. Once he was accosted with the proposal to become the
pastor of the Ukrainian Roman Parish. However, Fr. Blazejowskyj
refused, seeing his calling in scholarly work.

On one occasion Fr. Blazejowskyj approached Bishop Ivan
Choma, who was one of the Bishops secretly ordained by
Patriarch Josyf, and asked him to revive the Lviv Krylos. Father
Blazejowskyj proposed that all church matters be presented to
the attention of the Krylos and that His Beatitude Josyf Slipyj
could also be present during the consultations and discussions of
the meetings of this religious body. He would be able to express
his opinions and submit each matter to discussion and voting.
That was his idea of the Krylos. His Beatitude agreed with it and
created it. Father Blazejowskyj was designated to select the first
members. He decided to concentrate on the closest members of
His Beatitude’s circle, namely, Very Rev. Frs. Khoma, Muzychka,

28

Patriarch Joseph Slipyi. Father Blazejowskyj and other Fathers
of UGCC behind. Rome

Huzar, Dacko and himself. From beyond Rome, he selected Fr.
Hrynioch, and His Excellency Bishop Prashko. The meetings were
held every few weeks. Since Fr. Hryniokh and Bishop Prashko
lived on other continents, they could not be present at the meetings.

The Krylos discussed many important matters, one of which
was the delicate matter of a successor to His Beatitude Josyf Slipyj.
The assembly asked His Beatitude to present this matter to the
Pope and to receive the Pope’s permission for the election and
appointment of his successor. After several weeks of reflection,
after the proposal had been twice or thrice presented to His
Beatitude, he agreed with it and went to visit Pope John Paul II.
His Holiness directed His Beatitude to call the entire Ukrainian

29

His Beatitude Lubachivskyi and Father Blazejowskyj
in the dining-room of the UCU. Rome

His Beatitude Lubachivskyi and Father Blazejowskyj in Rome
30

Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj (on the left) near
the Ukrainian Catholic University of Pope Clement. Rome

Episcopate to Rome in order to hold an election of his successor
in the Pope’s presence. It was rumored that the ballots were cast
eleven times, that Reverend Father Huzar got the same five votes
all the time, the other votes being divided up. Finally after several
hours of voting, His Beatitude retracted his candidate Father
Huzar, and Father Lubachivskyj, the Metropolitan of Philadelphia,
a student of Slipyj’s, who was (rather more his supporter than
opponent) was elected successor of His Beatitude Josyf Slipyj
by a majority of votes.

Father Dmytro tried to convince the members of the Krylos
to prepare a plan to reorganize the Kyivan Universal Church.
The members of the Krylos showed no interest in the plan, and
therefore, it was tabled. This was contrary to Father Blazejowskyj’s
views, who saw the need of an organized group of specialists,
namely legal advisors, being able to supply thought-through

31

The meeting of Krylos in Rome. His Beatitude Huzar, Father Datsko,
Father Blazejowskyj, and Father Muzychka

advice to the Church. In political and economic matters advice
would also be taken into consideration when making decisions,
if Ukraine was to be respected in the world.

In Father Dmytro’s opinion, Ukraine was being destabilized by
those who created new Churches and new political parties. Ukraine
was being hurt by all those who supported these actions, and also
by those, who calmly and phlegmatically observed the ongoing
situation, keeping silent, doing nothing, not even objecting or
counteracting.

When Father Blazejowskyj arrived in Rome, His Beatitude sent
him, after the death of Father Khrushch, to Caracas, in Venezuela,
to celebrate the Holy Liturgy for the people there in the absence of
a priest. The last time he visited Caracas, he had recommended the
parish to a new Ukrainian married priest from Toronto (Canada),
who received his ordination from His Beatitude Josyf Slipyj.

During his 36-year stay in Rome, Father Blazejowskyj had no
opportunity to take vacation time because he was occupied making

32

Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj making a speech before Fathers. The
UCU, Rome

and saving money for his publications. Father Blazejowskyj kept
a garden, consisting of 30 vases, on the fourth floor of a building.
There were 12 one-meter-long vases and 18 round vases, located
on two long terraces and balconies. He grew different legumes
and vegetables.

Father Dmytro’s nourishment was simple. He started the day
with a glass of warm water to clean his stomach, and 45 minutes
or one hour later he had breakfast: coffee and cut vegetables,
crumbled bread with milk and some of the herbs, that he grew such
as parsley, mint, onions, sorrel, basil, rosemary and arugula. All
this was consumed raw. For supper he preferred kefir and yoghurt.
For dinner he had some meat or fish with legumes. Through
his entire 99th and 100th year he always ate the same food for
breakfast. For dinner and supper he ate only legumes. He avoided
meat, fish and eggs through his 99th year, just to save money. This

33

At the funeral of His Beatitude Slipyj. Rome

kind of food was expensive, and therefore, unnecessary. He also
kept a vegetable garden at home. He didn’t feel any need to buy
bread or legumes. The only exception was milk. He still intended
to publish three books: two albums and the 14th volume of his
embroidery patterns.

By his 99th birthday, he had lost 14 kilograms and was in need
of a blood transfusion. He needed to increase his diet.

He constantly abstained from buying anything in order to save
money because every cent he saved went into his publishing house.
He was determined to guarantee the existence of his museum and
publishing house after his passing.

It seems he got his frugality from his childhood. During his
childhood, Father Dmytro recalls that he ate meat only twice a
year. On Christmas day boiled chicken and chicken bouillon were
served; on the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord his parents
always tried to get some meat. He never ate eggs at home because

34

Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj with research materials at his
apartment. Rome, 2009

35

the chickens and eggs were sold to the Jews for extra money
needed to buy salt and oil for the gas lamp. Both at Christmas
and Resurrection Day there was wheat bread available. He recalls,
“However, I always had plenty of oat bread, baked daily or every
second day, at my disposal. Fruit was rarely available because
the village of Vyslok was located in the mountains on the Slovak
border, and an early frost often killed off the tree flowers; therefore,
there were not many fruit trees nor fruit in the village”.

After his arrival in Rome in 1973, he continued to work on
his scholarly endeavors. From 1973–2000 he published his 13
scholarly works, 6 articles relating to Church history and 9 albums
of Ukrainian embroidery. In addition to the publication of his
scholarly works, he started to embroider – an art he learned from
his mother in Halychyna. He began to do it as a pastime and over
the years it developed into a profession. The popularity of his
embroidered icons, banners and vestments is attested by the large
area of their distribution in Ukrainian churches in Ukraine, USA,
Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Sweden, Argentina
and Brazil.

The large areas of the distribution in the Ukrainian churches
in Ukraine, USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Australia,
Sweden, Argentina and Brazil attest to the popularity of his
embroidered icons, banners and vestments.

36

CONTENTS

Introduction. ............................................................................................. 5

1. Childhood and Youth – the Development of National Consciousness
in Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj...........................................................6

2. Studies in Rome..................................................................................10
3. Serving the Ukrainian Immigrants in the USA...................................18
4. Back, in Rome....................................................................................28
5. The Two Most Important Goals in the Life of Father Blazejowskyj:

Publication of Books and Embroidering............................................37
6. Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj as a Historiosoph of Christianity.........57
7. The National Views of Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj.........................67
8. The Reason for Ukraine’s Misfortune is the Insufficient

Development of National Consciousness and Lack of National
Unity................................................................................................... 84
9. The Lviv Museum of Embroidered Icons and Images.......................98
10. God’s Providence in the Life of Father Blazejowskyj.................... 110
11. Father Dmytro’s Counsel for Future Generations of Ukrainians:
on How to bring Unity to Ukraine ................................................... 113
12. Legacy of Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj for his Ukrainian
Compatriots...................................................................................... 114
Memories of Father Ihor Kovalchuk ...................................................120
The Works of Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj Published in Rome and
Ukraine............................................................................................. 127
Excerpts from Publications about Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj ........147
Prysiazhna, Yulia: Dmytro Blazejowskyj: “Ukraine is Our Home
and We Should Care About Her”....................................................147
Sydor, Oleh: The Rich Harvest of Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj.....149
Vlasiuk, Tetiana: With Father Dmytro Blazejowskyj.......................151
Danyliuk, Romania: The Jubilee of Our Gifted Artist and Historian
Celebrated by the Ukrainian Community”.......................................156
Poem..................................................................................................... 158

159