Bl. Josaphat Kocylovskyj

Blessed Josafat was born on March 3. 1876 in the village of Pakosivka (Poland), completed his theological studies in Rome and on October 9, 1907 he was ordained a priest.

He became vice-chancellor and professor of theology at the seminary of Stanislaviv currently Ivano-Frankivsk. On October 2, 1911 entered the Basilian where issued monastic vows, taking the name of Josafat, September 23, 1917 he was ordained bishop dell’Eparchia of Peremysl. In September 1945 he was arrested for the first time by the Communist authorities in Poland, but later released in 1946.

On February 11, 1946 thedeportation of Ukrainians living in Poland was ordered; Josafat Kocylovskyj was arrested a second time, imprisoned and deported to Kiev in Ukraine, where he became seriously ill with pneumonia. Later, he was transferred to the Capaivca labor camps (Kiev region), where he underwent continuous pressure to move to the Russian Orthodox Church. He died in the same camp as a result of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 71 years, on November 17, 1947.