Chairman of Synodal Department for Youth Affairs
In the
world - Sergiy
Olexandrovych Kuzmenko
Born
11.08.1964
Name Day
- October 17
Consecration - 31.07.1994
Chairs Cathedra since 31.07.1994
Archbishop
of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volynskyi Guriy was born on August 11, 1964 in the
town of Debaltsevo of the Donetsk region in a worker's family. In 1979 he
graduated from the secondary school. The same year he entered the Debaltsevo
Technical School of the Railway Transport, from which he graduated with a
specialty of "technician-mechanic of the rolling stock". He worked by the
specialty until July 1984. In September 1984 on the recommendation of rector of
the St. Alexander Nevsky Church (Debaltsevo) Archimandrite Dmitriy (Krasulia)
he entered the Odesa Theological Seminary, and in 1978 - the Moscow Theological
Academy, from which he graduated in 1991. He bore obedience in the Department
for External Church Relations as secretary to Deputy Chairman Volodymyr (Ikim, now Metropolitan of
Tashkent and Middle Asia). On June 21, 199o he was received as novice to the
St. Daniel Monastery of Moscow, and on July 2 of the same year he was tonsured
monk, being named after the Holy Hierarch Gurias, Archbishop of Kazan. On July
1, 1990 he was ordained hierodeacon, and on July 28 - hieromonk. For a year -
from October 1991 till October 1992 he bore obedience in the Russian Ecclesiastical
Mission in Jerusalem.
On November 28, 1992 he enlisted to the brethren of the Holy
Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and was appointed assistant to the Abbot of the
Monastery. Since December 9, 1992 he was a clergyman of the Donetsk Diocese,
and on January 1993 he was appointed secretary of this Diocese.
On January 19, 1993 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen, and
later on - appointed rector of the St. Michael Cathedral of Donetsk and Dean of
the 1st Deanery of Donetsk. On February 12, 1993 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
On March 13, 1994 he was appointed rector of the Holy Dormition Church of Donetsk (the
village of Budionovka). On
June 28, 1994 he was dismissed out of staff with the right of transfer to any diocese
by choice, and then he renewed his status among the brethren of the Holy
Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
On July 31,
1994 he was consecrated Bishop of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volynskyi.
From September
1995 he has taught Dogmatic Theology at the Kyiv Theological Seminary. In 2001
he defended his candidate's thesis on the subject "Pastoral work of the Holy
Hierarch Ignatius, Bishop of Caucasus and of the Black Sea", and was conferred
on the Candidate of Theology Degree. Since November 2001 - member of the
Academic Council of the Kyiv Theological Academy.
By the
decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church he was appointed
Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs. July 2005 - went on
pilgrimage to the Christian shrines of Myra of Lycia (Anatolia, Turkey). In May
2006 he headed the pilgrim group of the Synodal Youth Affairs Department of the
UOC to the Holy Land.
On April 21, 2007 in the course of celebrations in Zhytomyr on the occasion of 1 year of
the Kharkiv Council of Bishops and of the Zhytomyr Pre-conciliar Session he was
elevated to the rank of Archbishop by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr.
Activity
at the Cathedra
Since 1994
when Archbishop Guriy headed the Diocese of Zhytomyr, 132 parishes have been
established there, the number of priests has grown from 141 to 250 persons, 63
Sunday schools are functioning, in which 1231 pupils study.
In 1998 on
the blessing of Vladyka Guriy the publication of a monthly newspaper
"Pravoslavna Zhytomyrshchina" in Russian and Ukrainian started ("Orthodox
Zhytomyr Land").
In 1998 the tradition of liturgical processions
headed by the ruling bishop was renewed. In September 1998 on the blessing of His Beatitude Volodymyr,
Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine and of Bishop Guriy of Zhytomyr and
Novograd-Volynskyi a reliquary with the relics of the Venerable Fathers of Kyiv
Caves was carried through the lands of Zhytomyr in a liturgical procession. Now
the shrine rests in the St. Michael Cathedral of Berdichev.
On March 30, 1999 by the decision of the Holy Synod of the UOC in
Zhytomyr the Convent in the name of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman
opened.
In 1999 the Diocese of Zhytomyr celebrated
its 200th anniversary of its foundation. The celebrations were
headed by Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan
Volodymyr. In November 2000 a reliquary with parts of the
holy relics of the God-pleasers was transferred in a
liturgical procession from the bishops' house to the holy transfiguration
Cathedral, where they have rested till now.
In 2000 in Zhytomyr the Orthodox
Pedagogical Fellowship after the Holy Hierarch Peter (Mohyla) was founded. In
April 2001 the Holy Nativity of Christ Convent
was opened in the village of Chervone, the Andrushchivskyi district. On
November 22, 2001 organisation "Way of the Orthodox" was registered. In 2001
the youth fellowship in the name of the Holy and Right-believing Prince
Alexander Nevsky was founded.
On July 2
-26, 2003 the parts of
relics of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman from the Holy Mount Athos
were solemnly transferred to the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral and St.
Anastasia Convent.
On August 29,
2005 on the blessing of
Bishop of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volynskyi Guriy a new Sunday school was opened
at the St. Dmitriy parish of Burkivtsi village, the Chudniv district. Vladyka
presented the Sunday school the textbooks on the Law of God and blessed the
children to study.
On December 24, 2006 His Beatitude Volodymyr, Metropolitan of Kyiv
and All Ukraine in co-celebration of Archbishop of Vyshgorod Pavel, Archbishop
of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi Mytrofan, Bishop of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volynskyi
Guriy consecrated the temple in honour of the Holy First-Enthroned Apostles
Peter and Paul and the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in the village of
Novoguyvynske, the Zhytomyr region.
On April 21, 2007 in Zhytomyr the celebrations of 1 year anniversary of the Kharkiv
Council and of the
Zhytomyr Pre-conciliar Session took place. The
celebrations were headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr in
co-celebration of the Archpastors, pastors and in the presence of a great
number of believers. At the time of the smaller entrance at the Divine Liturgy
the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volynskyi Guriy was
elevated to the rank of archbishop.
AWARDED
Church
distinctions:
1988 - on the occasion of celebrations of
1000 years of the Baptism of Rus he was awarded the medal of the
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh of the 2nd degree by His Holiness
Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia.
1994 - the Order of the Holy and
Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the 3rd degree.
1999 - on the occasion of the 200th
anniversary of the Volyn and Zhytomyr Diocese awarded the Order of the
Venerable Nestor the Chronicler by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr.
2000 - for
pedagogical activity in the Kyiv Theological Seminary - awarded the Order of
the Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves of the 1st
degree by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr.
For the
services to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and on the occasion of 2000 years of
the Nativity of Christ awarded the Order "Nativity of Christ - 2000" of the 1st
degree.
For zealous
archpastoral labours and on the occasion of 2000
anniversary of the Nativity of Christ he was granted the Blessing Certificate
by His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II.
2002 - for the services to the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church and on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the
Kharkiv Council awarded the anniversary medal "Kharkiv Council - 10 years", of
the 1st degree.
2004 - for diligent archpastoral labours, on the occasion of 10 years
of bishop ordination and the 40th anniversary awarded the Order of
the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh of the 2nd degree by His Holiness
the Patriarch Alexy II.
August 2, 2004 - for the services to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church awarded the Order of
the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the 2nd degree
by His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr.
September 5, 2004 for the
activities in the domain of high moral upbringing and education of youth
awarded the distinction of the Department fro Youth Affairs "Kind Pastor".
Public
awards:
2001 - the Order of the Zaporizhzhya Troops
"Cossack Glory" of the 2nd degree
2002 - the medal
of the Zaporizhzhya Troops "Cossack Glory"
2003 - the distinction
"For Services to the Novograd-Volynskyi region"
2004 - for the significant personal
contribution to fostering high moral principles in the personnel assets of the
law-enforcement agencies of the Zhytomyr region, on the occasion of 10 years of bishop ordination and
the 40th anniversary awarded the medal of the Ministry of the Interior of Ukraine "For
Assistance to the Law-Enforcement Agencies"
October 12, 2004 - for the many year activity for solving the
problems of veterans of wars and armed conflicts, and for the active promotion
of the veterans' movement in Ukraine awarded the medal "For Military Virtue" of the All-Russia movement "Military
Brotherhood".
October 16, 2004 - for the active participation in the revival and
development of the Cossacks' of Zaporizhzhya movement awarded the medal of the
Zaporizhzhya Troops "Hetman Konashevych
Sagaydachnyi"
2005 - honorary distinction of the Ministry
of Culture and Arts "For the Long and Fruitful Cultural Work"
2006 - honorary distinction of the Zhytomyr city council "For Services to the
City" of the 2nd degree. | |
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