«Faith - not the clothes, that can change every day» (memory of priest Mychaylo (Michael) Suliatytskyi (1894 - 1977)

Abstract

In this article, by analyzing archival documents and interviews highlighted
the main stages in the life and activity priest of (Uniate) Church; a born in the
village of Seredniy Bereziv (County Colomyia, crown land of Galicia and
Lodomeria) from a family of small Ukrainian nobility coat of arms Sas, a graduate of Stanislav Seminary. Michael Suliatytskyi (1894 - 1977), prisoner during in the First World War, he was in Siberia, of Zabolotiv deanery (1925 - 1945), engaged in educational activities, collecting funds for the hungry in 1933, rescued people from the arrests, which for refusing to support the elimination of the UGCC arrested in front of the faithful January 19, 1946 during the dedication water on river Lyuchka at the feast of the Epiphany in the village Bereziv Nyzhniy (Lower) and imprisoned in the camps of Mordovia on 25 years.

After the death of J. Stalin, Father Michael as a man of retirement age was
evicted to Karaganda, where is actively engaged in pastoral work among the
evicted Ukrainian and Germans, sending for the last Mass in German.

With the return home actively involved in the activities of the Greek Catholic
underground in villages and towns in Galicia, secretly distributing sacraments:
Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing, confession and communion, and helped the
priest Michael Kosylo lecture, translating books for theological seminary of the
underground seminary in the village Dora (Ivano-Frankivsk region).

Activities of M. Sulyatytskyi contributed to the preservation of the Ukrainian
Greek Catholic underground until legalization of the UGCC in the late 80s of the
twentieth century, the emergence of many priestly vocations among his countrymen - berezuniv. Where also was hiding Bishop P. Vasylyk and M. Simkaylo.