You are here: Home » News • Articles • Documents » Reflections » 10th Anniversary of the Beatification of Josaphata Hordashevska

10th Anniversary of the Beatification of Josaphata Hordashevska

taken from a Sunday Bulletin of St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Yorkton

HER LIFE

The first Sister Servant was Michaelina Hordashevska, who took the religious name "Josaphata". She was born in 1869 in Lviv, Ukraine. She experienced a call to the religious life and searched for a way to respond. Her spiritual director Father Jeremiah Lomnitsky, OSBM, asked Michaelina to be the first member of a new apostolic congregation which he was founding with Father Cyril Seletsky, pastor at Zhuzel. She consented and was prepared for this challenging responsibility by the Felician Sisters in Zhovkva.  On August 27, 1892, seven young women were received as postulants of the newly-founded Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate in the church in Zhuzhel, and under the guiding hand of Sister Josaphata began their formation in religious life. She initiated the educational and health care ministries and oversaw the opening of new missions.

Sister Josaphata endured much during her short life from misunderstanding, calumny and the ambition of others. On April 7, 1919 at the age of 49, she died in excruciating pain from tuberculosis of the bone. In November 1982 the mortal remains of Sister Josaphata were transferred from the cemetery in Krystynopil, Ukraine, to the Generalate in Rome. Her mortal remains were placed in an urn, which rests now in a small altar in the chapel in the Generalate. Hundreds of visitors to the Generalate have sought her intercession for their temporal and spiritual needs. The Generalate has received numerous testimonials of special graces received through her intercession.

 

HER PROCESS

The Process of Canonization of the Servant of God Josaphata Hordashevska was initiated in the Eparchy of Przemysl in Poland in March, 1992. 

Sister Josaphata was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Lviv, Ukraine, the place of her birth, during his visit in Ukraine on June 27, 2001. Over a million witnessed this long-awaited event! Her first class relics -- a portion of her bone -- may be venerated in the chapel at the Provincial Home of the Sisters Servants in Toronto.