Graduates and students of the Archangel Gabriel Institute 2026 held a charity event in Washington, raising funds for the training of future church leaders in the United States. During the Gala, a charity auction was held, at which the flag was symbolically returned to the defender of Ukraine, and among the invited guests was Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America. Institute student Ulyana Boychuk tells the details.
From Kyiv to Toronto, from Munich to Lviv, Kolomyia, Krakow and far beyond - this is the geography of the Archangel Gabriel Institute 2026 fellows. The students’ academic year was divided into two parts: the first half of the year was online – from different parts of the world, the next six months – some of the students, and in 2026 there were twelve of them, come to the US capital, Washington, to share one common mission: to learn to become church diplomats, communicators, and voices of the Ukrainian Catholic Church abroad.
“Each student is called to respond to the calling to be a beacon of truth and a voice of the Church in a society that increasingly resists any notion of moral prudence and sacrificial love. However, this is precisely what we are called to do here – to learn and give ourselves completely, to step back and become small, so that through us the will of God can become evident in the world. In the words of St. John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease. This is the rhythm in which the hearts of the Institute’s students beat,” said 2026 Fellow Nazariy Dmyterko in his closing remarks about the Institute’s year of work.
The spirit of formation, service, and unity without borders was the focus of the Archangel Gabriel Institute Gala, an event that brought together fellows, supporters, and members of the Ukrainian community in the heart of the U.S. capital.
With 16 dioceses (eparchies or exarchates) in Ukraine and 20 abroad, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) serves communities far beyond Ukraine and represents people who are first-hand in facing life-affirming issues. Communication is essential to this mission.
“The main message we convey is that God is at work in the world, especially through the Church. Fellows of the Archangel Gabriel Institute learn to better understand the complex global context of today, in which many are destroying with their left hand what they are building with their right. In this program, participants strive to build with both hands and bless with both hands,” says Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of Philadelphia and founder of the Institute, adding that to accomplish this difficult task, it is important to have friends nearby.
“International support, especially in the United States, is crucial for this initiative, as it exists thanks to people who believe in the future of the Ukrainian Church and its voice in the world,” said Metropolitan Gudziak.
Friends of the Institute and Guests of the Gala Evening
Just three days after arriving in the United States, newly elected Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Giordano Caccia attended his first gala evening in Washington. “My name is Gabriel, as is this Institute. Gabriel’s role is to bring news and messages. I am delighted to see the energy with which the institute is growing and the purpose it carries. I truly believe that this initiative is very important for the Church and the world, helping to bring hope, joy and understanding. May this Institute continue to grow, and may it help to make the world a better place,” said Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America.
Father Yuri Kozlovsky, director of the Institute, in his speech to the guests, recalled the early growth and mission, describing it as young and still fragile, but determined to persevere and develop. “Our institute is still very young and may seem fragile, but it is determined to survive, grow and bear fruit. Like wheat stalks bending in the wind, it may seem weak at first glance, but it carries within itself the power to give life and nourish others. We are only at the beginning of something that, as we believe, has a future and a purpose,” said Father Yuriy Kozlovsky.
An important part of the Archangel Gabriel Institute program during the six-month study in Washington are the guests that the students host. Among them are diplomats, delegations, fellow students. Among those present at the gala dinner was the Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of America, who communicated with the students during their studies. He says the initiative is strong, and so are the students.
“I find it hard to believe that the Institute is only two years old, because it feels like it has already done a decade of work. Every time I meet the students, I am struck not only by the awareness and involvement of these people, but also by how much more they want to do for Ukraine and their communities. I hope it will continue to grow and inspire new generations for many years to come,” said Denys Senik, Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of America.
One of the evening’s special guests was Bishop Brian Baida from Canada, who, among other things, works closely with youth through his role as the head of the Patriarchal Youth Commission of the UGCC. He noted the significant growth of the Archangel Gabriel Institute, which is shaping a new generation of engaged and well-educated church communication leaders.
Foundation for the next course of the Institute laid
During the gala concert, the current fellows, most of whom were organizing a charity event for the first time, raised $67,000. And although additional donations are still coming in, the foundation for the next course of the Institute has been laid.
The students also prepared an auction, where one of the lots is the Flag of Ukraine with signatures of officers and soldiers of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss”, which heroically defended Kyiv, Soledar and Bakhmut. The lot was prepared by the Institute student Father Vasyl Latchuk from Kolomyia. Special guest of the gala evening Yuriy Deichakivsky purchased the lot and symbolically gave it to the defender of Ukraine Oleksandr Vykhruk, who served in the same brigade, but was wounded, left the service and is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Washington.
An important part of the St. Gabriel Institute scholarship is advocacy. During the six months in Washington, the students participated in and organized more than fifty meetings on Capitol Hill, advocating for religious freedom in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and raising awareness about the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. These advocacy meetings became the basis for the draft law on religious freedom, which, in particular, declares Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. The bill is currently under consideration by US lawmakers
The Archangel Gabriel Institute is an initiative of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, founded by Metropolitan Borys Hudziak and the Philadelphia Archdiocese in collaboration with the Ukrainian Catholic University and the Department of External Church Relations of the UGCC. The mission of the institute is simple: to form a new generation of church diplomats, communicators and leaders who can represent the Church with clarity, honesty and courage, especially as Ukraine continues its life-affirming struggle.
Photo: St. Archangel Gabriel Institute
Author: Ulyana Boychuk
