The Eparchy of the Holy Family of London (; ) is an eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church which is an Eastern Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Holy See. It's territorial remit includes the entirety of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The episcopal seat is the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile which is situated in the city of London. The incumbent eparch, Kenneth Nowakowski, was appointed on 15 January 2020.
Initially erected as an exarchate, it gained eparchial status (equivalent to a diocese in the Latin Church) on 18 January 2013. Due to the comparatively small number of faithful in the eparchy, fewer services, such as schools and care centres, are provided.
History
Antecedents
Since the late 19th century many Ukrainians have migrated to England, most notably to London and the Red Bank area of Manchester. These migrants have been known as 'old immigrants', or stari emihranty.
After the Second World War more migrants came to the British Isles from Eastern Europe, among them numerous Ukrainian Catholics, as most of the Ukrainian immigrants were from Western Ukraine. Initially, many of the Eastern European Catholics worshipped in industrial hostels, as these were common locations where immigrants found cheaper accommodation. Some also worshipped in local Latin Church parish churches, but not in their Byzantine liturgy.
However, eventually, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were able to organize worship in their own Byzantine liturgy, often in the local Latin Church parish church. In Coventry, by 1948, the Church of Christ the King in Coundon started having Ukrainian Catholic services. These were soon transferred to St Elizabeth Church in Foleshill. In 1957, the Apostolic Exarchate was established for Ukrainian Catholics in England and Wales.
Apostolic Exarchate
The eparchy was erected on 10 June 1957 as an apostolic exarchate for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in England and Wales. On 12 May 1968 the exarchate's remit was extended to the whole of Great Britain, including Scotland (not Northern Ireland).
By 1959, over 700 Ukrainian Catholics had registered themselves in Coventry. In the Midlands, there was a Ukrainian Catholic priest celebrating Ukrainian-rite services for the Ukrainian faithful in Coventry, as well as in Rugby, Gloucester, Bristol, Birmingham and Cheltenham.
With the help of Cardinal John Heenan, Bishop Hornyak was able to secure the King's Weigh House, a former Congregational chapel, to serve as the Apostolic Exarchate's cathedral church - the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in London.
After Ukrainian independence in 1991 emigrants have been attracted to prosperous western countries, principally those with qualifying skills, with a close inter-relation (such as intermarriage) and qualifying political asylum seekers entitled to refugee status, such as in the mid-2010s war, which have included Ukrainian Catholics.
Eparchy
On 18 January 2013 the Exarchate was elevated in the rank of the Eparchy (full bishopric) by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Ukrainian Catholic church in Wolverhampton was included as part of a video series by English Heritage on faith buildings in England.
On 9 June 2023, the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family in London, according to the decree of Bishop Kenneth, from 1 September 2023 to the Gregorian calendar, in particular with Easter.
Statistics
The number of faithful in the Eparchy (diocese) numbers 10,000. There are 12 parishes regularly served, 14 diocesan priests, 3 religious priests, 3 male religious and 3 female religious.
Charitable status
The Eparchy (formerly Apostolic Exarchate) for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain is a registered charity with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, under charity number 240088. It was first registered as a charity on 9 July 1965. Its stated aim is 'the advancement of religion at discretion of the bishop and his successors in title or the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Great Britain'.
Division over views on a Kyiv Patriarchate
There has, for a long time, been different views among Ukrainian Catholics on the idea of a Kyiv Patriarchate, replacing the Major Archdiocese.
Hornyak was the first apostolic exarch, was known to have sided with those who did not believe that it would be appropriate for the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church – who was then Cardinal Josyf Slipyj – to be commemorated as Patriarch until the Pope would agree to elevate the Major Archdiocese to a Patriarchate.