Metropolitan Andrei (Kushchak)

Metropolitan Andrei (Kushchak) of Evkarpia (1901-1986)

Andrei may be spelt Andrii, Andrey, Andrew.

Kushchak may be spelt Kuschak.

Early life of Alexander O Kushchak

On 12 December, 1901, Alexander O Kushchak was born to Oleg and Eva Kushchak in Lyzachiw, in Western Galicia (now Poland).

He received secondary education in Senya, Yaroslav and Przemysl.

In 1918-1920, Alexander fought in the ranks of the Ukrainian Galician Army.

Immigration to North America, 1928

In 1928, Alexander Kushchak emigrated to Canada, where he worked at various jobs.

He then moved to the USA.

Diaconal and Presbyteral ordinations, 1932

In 1932, Archbishop Athenagoras (Spyrou) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America ordained Alexander Kushchak to the Holy Diaconate, and then to the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service

After the ordination, Priest Andrei Kushchak took care of Ukrainian parishes in Oshawa and Kirkland Lake (Ontario, Canada), Johnstown, Nanty-Glo and Union Dale (Pennsylvania), as well as Hicksville, New York. For his work, he was given various Church awards. For part of this time (until about 1935) he kept a residence in Oshawa, Ontario.

Because of his responsibilities, he was registered as a priest in New York in 1940.

He was then elected to be the head of the Spiritual Consistory and a candidate to become the bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Orthodox Church in the USA (UOC-USA).

The diocese consisted of Ukrainians who had arrived in the USA and they perceived themselves as exiles from Ukraine (perhaps with some hope of an eventual return). It consisted also of Ukrainians who, in moving to the USA, perceived themselves as having simply settled for good in that country.

Episcopal election, 1966

On 29 November, 1966, Priest Alexander Kushchak was elected to become a bishop by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou).

Monastic tonsure

At some time, he would have been tonsured to be a monk. At that time, he would have been given the name Andrei (Andrew).

Episcopal ordination, 1967

On 28 January, 1967, in the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York, Hieromonk Andrei (Kushchak) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople ; Metropolitan Herman (Polizoidis) of Hierapolis, and Bishop Silas (Koskinas) of Amphipolis.

Episcopal service

He was given the title Bishop of Evkarpia (Eukarpia), which is a titular see, a suburb of Thessalonika.

The responsibility of Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) was to serve as the bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America (and Canada). Bishop Andrei then led about a dozen parishes. Thus, he became known as the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America and Canada.

There were some divisions amongst the Ukrainian Orthodox in North America during his time, and there were various attempts to bring about reconciliation. Some attempts bore fruit, others were not very fruitful.

In this context, Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) had been elected by 6 parishes of the UOC in America to be their nominee to the Holy Synod in Constantinople. It was understood that a part of his responsibility was to try to bring about the needed reconciliation.

Before the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada was received canonically under the omophor of the Patriarch of Constantinople (1990), Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) was the bishop who gave spiritual protection and guidance to those Ukrainian Orthodox parishes in Canada which desired to live out their service within a recognised canonical environment. One of the significant personalities in Canada, who worked in association with Bishop Andrei, was the Protopresbyter Michael Pawlyshyn (✝2009) of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two of several parishes in Canada which were under Bishop Andrei's omophor were : Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Ottawa, Ontario, and Saint John Suchavsky Ukrainian Orthodox Sobor in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

For many years, Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) was the treasurer of the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).

In 1972, Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) took part in the funeral of Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyro) in Istanbul.

By the 1980s, the UAOC jurisdiction in North America included 26 parishes with 35 priests and 4 deacons in the USA, and 8 parishes with 6 priests in Canada, and about 13,000 believers.

In 1983, Bishop Andrei (Kushchak) was elevated to the dignity of titular metropolitan at Saint Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Several times, he appealed to American officials about human rights concerns "behind" the "Iron Curtain".

Through his careful and diligent managerial abilities, he was able to improve the precarious financial situation of the Ukrainian diocese. One notable achievement was the acquisition of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Jamaica, New York. He undertook many missionary journeys throughout the continent, and he travelled abroad besides. During these visits abroad, he met Patriarch Demetrios I (Papadopoulos), Patriarch Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili), Patriarch Maxim (Minkov), and Patriarch Justinian (Marina).

He maintained his residence at 90-34 139th Street, Jamaica, Long Island, New York.

Repose, 1986

On Monday, 17 November, 1986, Metropolitan Andrei (Kushchak) fell asleep in the Lord in his home at Jamaica, Queens, New York.

On Wednesday, 19 November, 1986, the body of Metropolitan Andrei was brought to Saint Andrew's Cathedral in Jamaica, New York. At 10:00 a.m., a Memorial Divine Liturgy was served. At 6:00 p.m. on the same day, the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Bishop was offered in the cathedral.

On Thursday, 20 November, 1986, the body of Metropolitan Andrei was transported to Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 10:00 a.m., a Memorial Divine Liturgy was served in Saint Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 6:00 p.m., a Panikhida (memorial service) was sung for the newly-departed bishop.

On Friday, 21 November, 1986, a Hierarchical Memorial Divine Liturgy was served at Saint Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This service was followed by a final Memorial Litya (memorial service).

After the funeral services, the body of Metropolitan Andrei was transported to New Jersey, where it was interred in Saint Andrew's Cemetery in South Bound Brook, New Jersey.

The Kohut Funeral Home of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was entrusted with the arrangements.

Grave of Metropolitan Andrei (Kushchak)

— Bishop of Evkarpia 1967-1983. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Metropolitan of Evkarpia 1983-1986. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Bishop, then Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America and Canada 1967-1986. Preceded by : Bishop Bohdan (Shpylka). Succeeded by : ___.

Reflections

Awards

Recognition was given by the section "The Circle of Relatives" at the State Gymnasium regarding Father Andrei's use of the Ukrainian language for instruction in Przemysl during the school year 1935-1936.