The contribution of the Greek-Catholic clergy to the development of socio-economic, cultural and educational life of Ukrainians in EasternGalicia in the interwar period

Abstract

The article examines the peculiarities of the public work of the Greek-Catholic clergy in the conditions of Eastern Galicia under the rule of the Polish Republic. The study focuses on the problems of Ukrainians in the interwar period and determines the participation of the GCC clergy in the processes of socio-economic recovery, cultural, educational and national development of Ukrainian communities.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the main directions of socio-economic, educational, cultural and educational activities of the Greek-Catholic clergy in the conditions of Eastern Galicia under the rule of the Polish Republic. The applied methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization and systematization allow us to study the contribution of the Greek-Catholic clergy to the development of Ukrainian communities in Eastern Galicia in the interwar period.

The results of the study show that in the interwar years, the clergy of the Greek-Catholic Church in Eastern Galicia played a leading role in restoring the economy and social sphere of the region, as well as in preserving national identity through education and culture. With a high level of education and significant influence on the faithful, the priests initiated numerous economic and community projects in their parishes.  Their cooperation with various economic associations, including cooperatives, was particularly fruitful. Often parish buildings served as places for meetings and gatherings of cooperatives. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky provided significant financial support to the cooperative movement, and helped to establish vocational schools and industrial enterprises. In addition, the clergy actively fought to preserve schools with Ukrainian as the language of instruction, helped organize school plebiscites, and defended the right of children to be educated in their native language. In order to spread education and national consciousness, priests created branches of the Prosvita society in parishes. The joint work of the clergy and Prosvita was aimed at the spiritual and cultural growth of the Ukrainian people through the organization of educational and cultural events at the parish level. Priests were active members of the Enlightenment, participating in its meetings and initiatives, establishing reading rooms and libraries, giving lectures and speeches that contributed to the rise of national spirit and patriotism. The Greek-Catholic Church provided practical and material assistance to the activities of Prosvita.