Ukrainian Archbishop Borys Gudziak will deliver Notre Dame’s 2022 commencement address, the University announced in a press release Wednesday.
Gudziak, the highest-ranking Ukrainian Catholic prelate in the United States and president and former rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv, will receive an honorary degree at the commencement ceremony on May 15 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Gudziak was previously the recipient of the Notre Dame Award in 2019. University President Fr. John Jenkins said in the release the University further supports him as he speaks out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The students, faculty and staff at Notre Dame have demonstrated continuing solidarity with Ukraine over this past month, and I know that they will benefit from and appreciate hearing the words of Archbishop Gudziak at our graduation celebration in May,” Jenkins said.
Gudziak currently serves as the Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy in Philadelphia. Gudziak was raised in Syracuse, New York, and his parents were Ukrainian refugees, according to the release. Gudziak moved back to Ukraine after his education and later helped to found UCU.
