Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great

Sestry Vasyliyanky
vul. Kyryla i Metodiya, 17
79005 Lviv
Tel./Fax: (380) 322 97 00 63
promin@org.lviv.net

History

    The roots of the present Province reach down to the Holy Cross Monastery in Slovita, first mentioned in 1581 and to the Patronage of the Mother of God Monastery founded in Javoriv in 1621. Then the nuns lived in small houses around the church. They practiced an eremitic life centered on prayer, penance and good works.

   When Galicia, Western Ukraine, came under Austrian rule in the XVIII century, these autonomous monasteries were required to be self-sustaining. Those not able to adapt were closed. Slovita monastery was spared when nuns from small communities, marked for closure, came to live there.

   Without mitigating their program of prayer, enclosure and monastic discipline educational activities were initiated and the eremitic form gave way to community life. These first educational institutions, boarding facilities, gymnasiums, orphanages, teacher seminaries and schools were attached to the monasteries. Small farms operated by nuns helped to sustain those involved in education and upbringing of youth and orphans.

   Slovita: In 1881, the nuns founded Saint Basil the Great Monastery in Lviv on Dlugos Street. A boarding school, gymnasium and a preparatory school was situated on the monastery grounds. The monastery had filial houses in Zyravci and Mylosovyci. In Pidmychajlivci originally in Zydavni, Sisters cared for orphans.

   At Saint Macrina Monastery, acquired in 1912 in Lviv on Potockoho Street, the nuns taught in the elementary school for girls and boys and in the teacher institute. Orphan children up to age 16 were raised in Zbojsk. The monastery opened filial houses in Kaminec and Rivni Jasinski near Pidljutiv with a school and an orphanage on the grounds.

   Javoriv: In the 1900's the monastery was renowned for quality education. It had filial branches in Drohobych, Przemysl and Vysocke Nyzne. Nuns administered and taught in a teacher-training seminary and elementary school. Peremysl housed a boarding facility for teacher seminary and preparatory school students. Vysocke Nyzne had a nursing home.

   At Saint Joseph Monastery in Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly Stanislaviv) founded in 1900 Basilian nuns administered the "Institute of Mary", an elementary school, and a teacher training seminary from 1909.

   From here, apostolic activity spread further into the Zakarpatia region: Uzhorod, Chust, Rachiv and Mukachevo. In Uzhorod three boarding facilities for girls and young women were given to the care of the nuns. Up to World War II, the apostolic ministries grew. In Uzhorod, alone there were five child care centers and orphanage-boarding facilities. In Mukachevo the nuns also worked in a children's hospital.

   Due to various economic and social upheavals as well as the two Word Wars, the XIX and XX centuries were marked with great movements of people. Selling all they have, Ukrainians immigrated to all corners of the world. Basilian nuns followed them from Ukraine, to sustain and help them preserve their faith.

   After World War II, monasteries in Ukraine were seized and the nuns were forced to leave or they were incarcerated and sent to Siberia.

   The Church in Ukraine came out from the "catacombs" in 1991. With the fresh air of freedom, Basilian Sisters began to rebuild their community life centered on prayer and apostolic work. Some of the monasteries seized by the government were eventually returned but not without a struggle. Searching for meaning and attracted by higher values of life, young women began to flock to the monasteries.

   With renewed zeal and trust in God's loving care the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity Province situated their mother Monastery in Lviv. They regained Saint Joseph Monastery in Ivano-Frankivsk by 1994. After extensive renovations, sisters began the Cathechetical Institute and a primary school. They resumed apostolic activity in Brjuchovyci, Ternopil, Verchnje Synovydne, Vojnyliv, Vyshnivchyk and Zazdrist'. In the Zakarpats'ka region of Ukraine, they are ministering in Mukacevo, Chust and Uzhorod. Mission stations were established in Zaporizia and Donetsk areas of Eastern Ukraine.

In addition Sisters extended their activity to the Missions in Germany and Canada (until 2003). Sisters also minister in Greece and USA.

Ministries

  The Basilian Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity Province in Ukraine center their life and activity on glorifying God through Divine Praises, prayed in their entirety daily. Their dedication flows from an in-depth immersion into the ascetical teachings of St. Basil the Great and the emulation of the angelic life of Mother Macrina – our Holy Founders. Each job the Sisters do becomes prayer, performed in the sight of God. Our constant task is to remember that, “The measure of love is eternity. . .” (St. John Chrysostom)

Catechetical Institute – Part of the ministry is preparation of Catechists in the Ivano-Frankivsk Institute.

Pastoral Work with Youth
At the rehabilitation education center, Sisters perform a very important ministry for young people with special problems. They are involved in similar services in Zaporizhia.

Spiritual Guidance of Girl Scouts – Sisters are active in youth organizations and involve themselves in spiritual direction of girl scouts, “Catholic European Scouts of Ukraine” in the city of Lviv.

Work in Hospitals
Sisters work in medical facilities as nurses. Besides offering their patients nursing services, Sisters care for the spiritual needs of the sick, to heal both the body and soul of those in their care.

Sisters visit the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, cheer them up, bring spiritual consolation and offer their assistance to the sick and elderly.

Care of Churches
Servicing the churches also includes maintenance and care for the beauty of God’s house, accepting and recording offerings for Liturgies, spiritual advice to people who flock to the Sisters with their pains and troubles and prayer for them. Sisters care for churches in Lviv, Ivano-Frnakivsk, Uzhorod, Mukachevo, Zarvanytsia and Zaporizhia.

Services at the Archcathedral Comples of Saint George in Lviv
Postulation Work – “Postulation Center for Beatifications and Canonization of Saints of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church” is an institution where Sisters are active in the preparation of materials, collecting documents and testimonies about the Greek-Catholic Church and those faithful and consecrated persons who dedicated themselves to God and entered eternity in the opinion of sanctity.

Saint George Crypt – Sisters give guided tours at Saint George Cathedral and acquaint the visitors with the life and work of the Servants of God, Metropolitan Andrej Sheptycky and His Beatitude Josyf Cardinal Slipyj.

Education
Schools – Sisters administer and teach in Saint Basil the Great Elementary School in Ivano-Fankivsk.

Museum ministry - In the village of Zazdrist’, Sisters are active in the commemorative museum complex of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. They give guided tours and receive visitors.

   Ecclesial Arts
   Iconography – Sisters are learning the fundamentals of icon writing, to serve the Church and the faithful by providing icons, decorating churches and teach the art of praying with icons and iconography.

   Vestment Sewing – Individual monasteries have facilities where Sisters sew beautifully designed vestments, prepare and other items designed for church use.

Folk Arts
Sisters do cross-stitching, silk embroidery, decorate “pysanky” (Easter eggs), and design wax candles. They are preparing for textile weaving, card designing and other types of arts.

Educational and Literary Activities
To serve the Church, the Order and the faithful better, Sisters are pursuing studies in theology, education, music, psychology and other sciences.

Ministry on the International Level
Sister from the Most Holy Trinity Province in Ukraine reach out in service to Germany, Greece, Italy and are active in the General Curia and Saint Clement Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome, and the United States of America.

United in one faith and a common goal – the glorification of our God - we serve Him as one who suffers; we receive Him as a traveler; we believe in Him, resurrected; we await Him glorified.