Bishop Volodymyr Sterniuk

Bishop Volodymyr Sterniuk

Born on February 12, 1907 in Pustomyty (near Lviv) into a priest’s family, he received his elementary education in Lviv and later finished 4 classes of the Ukrainian gymnasium there. From 1921 to 1925 he studied in the minor seminary of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Eschen (Belgium)

In 1926 he entered the monastery of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSSR) in Belgium, where he finished his novitiate and took his first monastic vows. He studied at the Philosophy and Theology Departments in Voplato and Leuven. In 1931 he took his final monastic vows and was consecrated by Bishop Vasyl (Ladyka) the same year.

In 1932 he returned to Ukraine, was a missionary in the Volyn' region and conducted pastoral work in the Redemptorist monasteries in Ternopil, Stanislaviv and Lviv.

After the war, Fr. Sterniuk worked as a laboratory assistant in the Ivan Franko State University Library in Lviv. On June 18, 1947 he was arrested. By the decree of a special committee of the KGB he was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment according to article 5-33 of the criminal code.

Fr. Sterniuk served his sentence in Arkhangelsk Region near the city of Yertsevo (Russia). In 1952 he returned to Lviv and worked as a watchman, accountant’s assistant and was a part-time student at Lviv Medical College Number 1. During his studies and until retirement he worked as a medical attendant on an ambulance. In July 1964 he was secretly ordained auxiliary-bishop by Bishop Vasyl (Velychkovskyi).

From 1972 to 1990 he worked as administrator (locum tenens) of the Halychyna metropolitanate of the UGCC. He gave his blessing to Fr. Vasyl Semeniuk for the creation of an underground seminary. He also ordained priests, ministered to the Sisters of Mercy of St. Vincent De Paul and coordinated priests' work in the Lviv archeparchy. He was constantly under police surveillance. He was rehabilitated on April 30, 1992. He died on September 29, 1997.