Memory Foundation for His Beatitude Metropolitan Mefodiy

The Memory Foundation for His Beatitude Metropolitan Mefodiy (Ukrainian: Фонд пам'яті Блаженнішого Митрополита Мефодія) is a Ukrainian public organization founded on 8 April 2015 to honour the memory of Blessed Mefodiy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine and Primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC). It operates as a non-profit civil-society body rather than a commercial enterprise, and its work is concentrated in Ternopil and the wider Ukrainian Orthodox milieu. The Foundation's stated mission is to process and publish the written legacy of Metropolitan Mefodiy, to establish a museum of modern UAOC church history in Ternopil, to preserve his memory, and to carry out social service, spiritual enlightenment and works of Christian mercy. Its activity areas include charity and aid to the needy, spiritual and educational work, publication of religious, liturgical and educational literature, preservation of the Metropolitan's spiritual heritage, and the organization of exhibitions and symposia. Structurally the Foundation is headed by Nataliya Shevchuk, who served for fifteen years as Metropolitan Mefodiy's first assistant until his death. It comprises a publishing department, a social-charitable department, a scholarly-theological department, a department of modern church history, an ATO (anti-terrorist operation) aid department, a children's and youth rehabilitation department, the "From Heart to Heart" project, and a press service. Since 2015 the Foundation has run memorial evenings, published books such as "One People, One Language, One Church" (2015), organized the arrival of a 19th-century Iveron icon of the Mother of God from Mount Athos for veneration in Ternopil region, opened a memorial exhibition at the Ternopil Regional Museum of Local Lore in 2016, issued commemorative postage stamps in 2016, launched the "Dolonka Shchastia" (Palm of Happiness) children's rehabilitation programme and the "From Heart to Heart" addiction-recovery social project, and supported Ukrainian Orthodox autocephaly causes. In 2017 the Ternopil City Council, on the Foundation's nomination, granted Metropolitan Mefodiy the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Ternopil. The Foundation maintains an online presence at mefodiy.org.ua, offering online donations, a church shop, online services, a Telegram channel and social media, and publishes news, articles, prayers, sermons and photographs related to the Metropolitan and to Ukrainian Orthodox life. Its digital catechesis work includes the AngelicBot project for children.

The Memory Foundation for His Beatitude Metropolitan Mefodiy was established on 8 April 2015 as a public organization to honour Blessed Mefodiy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine and Primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Its founding followed the Metropolitan's death and was intended to institutionalize the preservation of his legacy. In its first year the Foundation organized a memorial evening on 24 May 2015 at the Ternopil Regional Philharmonic, coinciding with the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Metropolitan's name day. In May 2015 it published the book "One People, One Language, One Church," a collection of selected works written by Mefodiy during his primatial service in the UAOC, analysing the restoration of Ukrainian Church autocephaly and the proclamation of the Kyiv Patriarchate. On 23 August 2015, with the Foundation's support, a 19th-century Iveron icon of the Mother of God with relics of saints, painted on Mount Athos, was brought for veneration to the Parish of the Myrrh-bearing Women of the UAOC in Pochapyntsi, Ternopil region, timed to Ukraine's Independence Day and the half-year anniversary of the Metropolitan's death. On 24 February 2016, the first anniversary of Mefodiy's death, the Foundation opened a memorial exhibition at the Ternopil Regional Museum of Local Lore, displaying the Metropolitan's vestments, personal items, books and manuscripts; an expert round table titled "Let us unite the Church — let us unite Ukraine: The Legacy of Metropolitan Mefodiy and the Consolidation of Ukrainian Orthodoxy" preceded the opening. From 12 to 14 May 2016, the curator of the social-charitable department, subdeacon Andriy Paltsan, travelled to Belarus and Lithuania on a working visit to strengthen cultural ties, meeting diaspora and clergy representatives including the head of the Ukrainian diaspora in Molodechno, Belarus. On 24 May 2016 the Foundation issued commemorative postage stamps depicting Metropolitan Mefodiy through the prism of St Andrew's Church in Kyiv and the Nativity in Ternopil. For the Day for the Protection of Children's Rights, together with the Ternopil Regional State Administration, it presented the "Dolonka Shchastia" (Palm of Happiness) rehabilitation programme for children and youth. On 10 June 2016 the head of the Foundation, Nataliya Shevchuk, joined a delegation to the international conference "The Patriarchate of Constantinople in the History of Ukraine: Past, Present, Future." On 23 June 2016 the Foundation launched the social project "From Heart to Heart" to help people overcome drug and alcohol addiction. In 2016, marking the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, a Foundation delegation including chaplain Roman Budzynskyi, coordinator Ivan Boyko and curator Valentyna Budzynska made a pilgrimage to the United States. On 14–15 September 2016 Shevchuk and Budzynskyi took part in the International Expert Forum "Freedom of Religion and Belief in the Face of Modern Challenges." On 24 February 2017, the second anniversary of the Metropolitan's repose, the Foundation and his close friend Ihor Palamarchuk held a memorial evening. On 27 August 2017, on the Foundation's nomination, the Ternopil City Council granted Metropolitan Mefodiy the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Ternopil. The Foundation continues to publish news, articles, prayers, sermons and photographs on its website, and has developed digital catechesis for children through the AngelicBot project.

• Foundation established as a public organization to honour Metropolitan Mefodiy.

• Memorial evening held at the Ternopil Regional Philharmonic.

• Publication of the book "One People, One Language, One Church."

• Arrival of the 19th-century Iveron icon of the Mother of God from Mount Athos for veneration in Pochapyntsi.

• Memorial exhibition opened at the Ternopil Regional Museum of Local Lore.

• Commemorative postage stamps issued.

• Social project "From Heart to Heart" launched to help overcome addiction.

• Metropolitan Mefodiy granted the title of Honorary Citizen of Ternopil on the Foundation's nomination.

A non-profit memorial and charitable foundation dedicated to preserving the spiritual and literary legacy of Metropolitan Mefodiy and supporting Ukrainian Orthodox autocephaly.

• One People, One Language, One Church (book, 2015)

• Commemorative postage stamps (2016)

• AngelicBot digital catechesis for children

1. 1Фонд пам'яті Блаженнішого Митрополита Мефодія УАПЦmefodiy.org.ua
2. 2Memory Foundation for His Beatitude Metropolitan Mefodiy — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Фонд пам'яті Блаженнішого Митрополита Мефодія — Wikipedia (Ukrainian)uk.wikipedia.org